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 In the Wings
The
Newsletter of the Concord Players
July
2010
Robert Runck,
Editor
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SEASON
CREWS SING THEIR HEARTS OUT AT THE 2010 FROLIC
Thanks in large part to Tracy Wall, who
planned and oversaw the event, we enjoyed a fabulous, very successful
and well-received 2010 Frolic! A wonderful time was had by all who
attended! If you missed it, you missed a great time!
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WHO IS ROXANNA MYHRUM?
 She is the person
who will be directing our fall show, Crossing Delancey. About the play, she says,
"This is an exciting project for me. I was drawn to the play for
its
funny and compelling portrayal of a modern day 'arranged marriage,' and
for its great, fun-to-act characters. After working primarily with grand
opera over the past few years, I'm eager to work with actors on telling
a realistic story through spoken text. I am also excited to work
with
the Concord Players to put this production together. From my first
interview, I could sense that this was a group dedicated to excellence,
teamwork, and fun. I do my best work in this sort of a setting, and I
can't wait to get Crossing
Delancey on
its feet."
(Rick Frese, chair of
the director selection committee, said of the interview with Roxanna,
"We were very impressed with her concept of directing. During her
interview, she said she takes special pride in being very prepared
and
working collaboratively. She described herself as a producer-director,
who thrives in an environment of productive chaos. Additionally, she
said she loves casting.")
Originally
trained as an
actress, Roxanna has performed all over New England with regional
theaters, touring Shakespeare companies, and puppetry troupes. As a
student at Harvard, Roxanna directed Shakespearian and Greek plays as
well as Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. After working professionally in
documentary film production, Roxanna returned her focus to
theater. She
works extensively in Boston's thriving fringe opera scene (her
production of Ward's opera The
Crucible was hailed as "High Craft" by The Boston Globe),
and she will spend July completing a directing apprenticeship at the
Crested Butte Music Festival in Colorado.
Roxanna just
completed a two-year engagement with Underground Railway Theater as
dramaturg and assistant director on the acclaimed new play From Orchids to Octopi: an Evolutionary
Love
Story. She currently serves as Artistic Director of Puppet
Showplace Theater in Brookline.
OTHER
PLAYERS NEWS
Nashua (NH) Theatre Guild's annual free
Shakespeare in the Park presentation this year will be A Comedy of Errors, to be
performed at Greeley Park, Concord Street, Nashua, NH, at 2:00 p.m. on
Saturdays and Sundays, July 24, 25, 31, and August 1. The performance is
free and open to the public. For information and directions, go to www.nashuatheatreguild.org
or call 603-320-2530. The production is being directed by Robert Runck,
CP board member and Players member since 1990.
Tom Richardson,
who played Jessup in The Scarlet
Pimpernel, will be appearing in the Newton Country Players
production of Curtains, August
6, 7, 13, 14, and 15. For info, go to www.newtoncountryplayers.org
OLD HOME
DAY 2010 IN CARLISLE
Board
members Chuck Holleman, Paul Gill and Marilyn Cugini, along with
Costumer Kathy Booth, Webmaster Rik Pierce and Set Designer/Builder
Allen Bantly represented The Concord Players at Carlisle's recent Old
Home Day festival on Saturday, June 26. To draw attention to their
information table about The Concord Players, they set up dress forms
displaying costumes and erected the guillotine from The Scarlet Pimpernel in front of
Carlisle's historic Union Hall building.
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JAY NEWLON NEW PRESIDENT
OF PLAYERS
Cheri Fletcher
having served admirably as his predecessor, Jay Newlon is our new
president of The Concord Players. Jay has been on the board since 2004,
and has been an active participant during that time both on and off
stage.
During the recent Annual Meeting, he
spoke of his vision
for the direction The Players will be taking this coming year,
articulating a commitment to continuing and expanding on a number of
initiatives that have been started this year.
With the advent
of a volunteer coordinator in the person of Laura LeVan, The Players now
have a better way of identifying the people who aspire to the common
passion we all share. Tracy Wall as head of Special Events will not only
continue to provide the membership at large with the festivities we've
come to enjoy, but also spearhead new programs such as technical
workshops in Hair and Make-up Design; tours of the theater for various
student, civic and business groups; the return of The Players'
involvement in the Concord Winter Festival; and other similar
activities.
Jay intends that The Players
reach out to the
community in a significant way by providing live theater to local
nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and other venues,
through a traveling troupe led by volunteers drawn from the membership
interested in acting and directing.
The
Players will also be establishing stronger ties in the community by
hosting after-hours events under the auspices of the Chamber of
Commerce, and expanding its relationship with National Charity League,
Concord-Carlisle High School, Concord Arts Collaborative, and the
Orchard House. Additionally, by participating in several local events,
including Carlisle's Old Home Day, the Concord Picnic in the Park on
July 4, and
Concord's 375th anniversary in September, the hope is that people will
come to see The Concord Players not just as a community theater company,
but as an active participant in the community at large.
In
order to enhance the theatrical experience within the confines of the
space itself, a significant fund-raising effort will occur this year to
cover anticipated capital needs in several areas. You're sure to hear
more on that as the year progresses. All in all we can
anticipate another exciting and eventful year at The Concord Players.
Marilyn Cugini and Chuck Holleman model
hats and show a costume at the Players booth during Carlisle's Old Home
Day.
The Players had prime real
estate for its table, stationed right across from the town
green. Many
people strolling through the town center visited our display, chopping
off their friends' and spouses' heads (virtually) with our guillotine,
having a good laugh, and learning about volunteer opportunities and the
plays coming up this season. If you see new faces at 51 Walden,
please
be sure to give them a big smile and a warm welcome. --Marilyn
Cugini
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CROSSING DELANCEY IS CAST!
Leah Fine
is Izzy; Michael Gilman is Sam,
the Pickle Man; Leslie Wagner is
Bubbie, the grandmother; Cheryl
Carter-Miller is Hannah, the Yenta; and Cliff Blake is Tyler, the self-involved author.
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Visit the website at www.concordplayers.org for more
detailed information.
The newsletter deadline is the third Friday of
each month. Send us your news to news@concordplayers.org
Archived Newsletters are
available at
http://www.concordplayers.org/Newsletter/archives.html |
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