Director Kate Gulliver will hold auditions for Noel Coward’s comedy “Hay Fever” on Monday and Tuesday evenings, August 16th and 17th at 7 p.m. at The Ghent Playhouse.

HAY FEVER is Noel Coward’s uproarious sophisticated comedy about what was supposed to be a quiet weekend in the country. As the guest list grows and the confusion mounts so does the hilarity.

CAST
Judith Bliss, an actress 45 – 55
David Bliss, her husband, a novelist 50s
Sorel Bliss, their daughter 19 – 25
Simon Bliss, their son 22 – 28
Myra Arundel, a sophisticated woman 35 -45
Richard Greatham, a diplomat 40s
Jackie Coryton, a young woman early 20s
Sandy Tyrell, a young man mid – late 20s
Clara, one-time dresser to Judith, now housekeeper to the Blisses 50 – 60

Rehearsals will begin in late August and continue through October 15th, when the production will open. Performances will be three weekends through October 31st.
Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

For further information about The Ghent Playhouse go to www.ghentplayhouse.com

The Playhouse is located on Town Hall Road, just off Route 66 in Ghent, New York (Columbia County). The Playhouse is on the right side of Route 66 going south just before the Ghent Fire House.

Patrick Dennis, orphaned at age 6, arrives at his Auntie Mame’s posh apartment with his nanny, Agnes Gooch, in the midst of one of Mame’s many bohemian parties. Her madcap life is only momentarily turned maternal as Mame proceeds to teach Patrick life skills such as how to make a proper martini, and sends him to a very progressive school where they don’t wear uniforms (or anything else). The Depression forces Mame to find work at a spa and she wins the heart of her first customer while doing in his nails. Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside whisks her off to his plantation, Peckerwood, where a fox hunt planned to unseat the Yankee imposter turns into a triumph for Mame.

Beau and Mame tour the world on an extended honeymoon, until Beau falls off an Alp. Mame comes home a widow, and with her friend Vera takes on a new project, to make Gooch, into an appealing woman. Agnes goes out into the world, only to return later with very visible evidence as to how appealing she was to at least one man. Patrick comes home from college with the surprise that he is engaged; fortunately Mame is able to show him just in time that his bubble-headed finacee and her bigoted family are not for him. As the show ends, Mame prepares to take Patrick’s son Peter to India because “this poor child has never ridden an elephant!”

The Jerry Herman score with Mame leading two rousing songs about her life-style: It’s Today and Open A New Window, the ever hopeful We Need A Little Christmas, Mame’s thoughtful If He Walked Into My Life, and Patrick’s touching My Best Girl, plus the rousing title song is a don’t miss it music extravaganza.

Monica M. Wemitt stars as Mame Dennis. Ms. Wemitt’s command of the stage and rich voice have been seen and heard as Meg Boyd in Damn Yankees, Dolly Gallagher Levi in Hello, Dolly!, and Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast.

Another Mac-Haydn premiere leading lady, Karla Shook, plays the “first lady of American theatre,” Vera Charles. Ms. Shook starred as Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes to begin the season.

They are joined by a former Mac-Haydn leading man, Ralph Ambrosio, as Beau; Ben Jacoby as Older Patrick, Brittney Weir as Gooch, John Cardenas as Ito and Kevin Gardner as Mr. Babcock.

Younger Patrick will be played by Joey LaBrasca and Jack Mastrianni. Joey was Colin in The Secret Garden earlier this summer; Jack recently appeared as Chip in Beauty and the Beast at Cohoes Music Hall.

MAME is good family fun for all. Good seats are available for all performances, August 5-8 and 11-15. Fully air conditioned; discounts available. Performance times and ticket prices vary: visit www.machaydntheatre.org or call 518-392-9292

Jack and his mother are going to be evicted from their home and must sell Bossy, the cow. Jack meets a conniving farmer who trades some beans for the cow, not realizing that they really are magic. The next day a huge beanstalk has grown in Jack’s yard! At the top he finds a magic kingdom ruled by an invisible giant – and also finds the gold they need to pay the rent and get Bossy back. There are plenty of fun songs and lots of action throughout the show, and a surprise ending the children will thrill to.

Darrin French plays the lead role of Jack. Mr. French was Gilly in Cinderella earlier this summer and has been a featured dancer in Mac-Haydn main stage shows. He has been with Mac-Haydn for many seasons; and played Colin in a production of The Secret Garden.

Other Mac-Haydn company members in Jack and the Beanstalk include Stephanie Gaertner as Jack’s Mother; she was seen as Dolly Tate in Annie Get Your Gun this summer. Kevin Kelley will be the Landlord, he has played Mary Sunshine in Chicago and Buffalo Bill in Annie Get Your Gun. David Armanino will be the Giant and also the Farmer who tries to trick Jack with what he thinks are worthless beans. Robyn Spateholts is the Giant’s Cook, and the farm workers are Quinn Balli, Taylor Hanson and Kaylee Kanes.

Mac-Haydn Children’s Theatre shows perform on Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30. The shows are suitable for all ages, but adults are encouraged to bring a child for maximum enjoyment. After the show, the youngsters can meet the characters and get autographs in their very own Mac-Haydn autograph books! Tickets for children of all ages are $9.00. Season subscriptions are available. Group rates are available. Master Card and Visa accepted. No cancellations or refunds. FULLY AIR CONDITIONED. Call 518-392-9292 for information and reservations. See more Mac-Haydn Theatre news at www.machaydntheatre.org.

Maureen Anderman (Agnes) was last seen at BTF in Noël Coward in Two Keys. She has also appeared with the Huntington Theatre in Boston in Becky Shaw, Third, Rabbit Hole, and The Sisters Rosensweig. Her numerous Broadway credits include The Last of Mrs. Lincoln; Hamlet and Macbeth (both for Lincoln Center Theater); The Man Who Came to Dinner; A History of the American Film; and Edward Albee’s Seascape, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Lady From Dubuque for which she received a Tony Award ® nomination.

Mia Barron (Julia) has been seen on Broadway in Coast of Utopia and QED (Lincoln Center Theatre). She has also starred in many regional productions including Love’s Labor’s Lost, The Rivals, Springtime for Henry, and Heartbreak House (Huntington Theatre Co.), The School for Scandal (The Guthrie), and Macbeth (Ca. Shakespeare Fest.). She attended Tisch School of the Arts.

Mia Dillon (Edna) is a veteran stage actor whose Broadway credits include Our Town, The Miser, Hay Fever, Crimes of the Heart (Tony nomination, Clarence Derwent and Drama Logue Awards), Agnes of God, The Corn is Green, Once a Catholic (Drama Desk nomination), and Da. Her Off-Broadway credits include Mary Rose, The Exonerated, New England and The Three Sisters at Manhattan Theatre Club, and Come Back, Little Sheba for Roundabout Theatre Company. Her BTF credits include Ghosts, Noël Coward in Two Keys, Paris Bound and Palace of Amateurs (all four for BTF),

Keir Dullea (Harry) most recently starred Off-Broadway in the highly acclaimed revival of I Never Sang For My Father. His Broadway credits include Butterflies Are Free, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, P.S. Your Cat is Dead, and Doubles. His film credits include 2001, A Space Odyssey, David & Lisa (Golden Globe), The Thin Red Line, and The Good Shepherd. Mr. Dullea is very pleased to be back at BTF where he last appeared in Still Born Lover with Richard Chamberlin.

Lisa Emery (Claire) has been seen in The Matchmaker, Dinner with Friends, What the Butler Saw, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Talley & Son, Burn This, Rumors and Present Laughter. She was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her performances in Marvin’s Room and Abigail’s Party. She also had a recurring role on the television series Ed and has made guest appearances on many shows.

Jonathan Hogan (Tobias) is a Broadway veteran and has been in The Homecoming (Roundabout Theatre), Taking Steps (Circle in the Square), Burn This (Plymouth Theatre), As Is (Lyceum Theatre) for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor as well as a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

David Auburn’s directing credits include last year’s production of Sick at BTF, as well as work at The Juilliard School, Lincoln Center Director’s Lab, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami. Plays include Proof (MTC/Broadway, Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award), An Upset (EST Marathon 2008), and The Journals of Mihail Sebastian (Keen Company). Films include The Girl in the Park (2007, writer/director) and The Lake House (2005).

A Delicate Balance- by Edward Albee
Directed by David Auburn
Previews: August 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Opening Night/Press Night: August 21
Closes: September 4

Agnes and Tobias, a 50-something couple, want nothing more than to be left alone. However, they are saddled with Agnes’s alcoholic sister. When their daughter returns home as a result of her fourth divorce and their best friends seek asylum from some unnamed “fear”, tensions fray and every relationship in the house threatens to fall apart. An examination of the intricate web we all create among our friends and family and how easily it can all fall apart, A Delicate Balance sings with Albee’s trademark lyricism and insight. This Pulitzer Prize-winning piece is poignant, incisive, and funny.

Tickets

Season passes to either the Main Stage or the Unicorn are still available. Contact the BTF Box Office at 413-298-5576 or visit www.berkshiretheatre.org for more information. Single tickets for all Main Stage and Unicorn productions are on sale as well. Contact the Box Office for more details. All plays, schedules, casting, and prices are subject to change.

About Berkshire Theatre Festival
Founded in 1928, Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest professional regional theatres in the United States and the longest-running cultural organization in the Berkshires. Now under the helm of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, BTF presents theatre that matters—world premieres, contemporary works, and classics that speak to who we are in our world today. The Main Stage (408 seats), cataloged by the National Register of Historic Places, was originally designed and built by Stanford White as the Stockbridge Casino in 1888. The mission of BTF’s second stage, the intimate Unicorn Theatre (122 seats), is to provide a home for emerging artists and new theatrical ideas. BTF’s education program, BTF PLAYS!, reaches over 10,000 children annually through school residencies, touring performances, and summer performance training and writing programs. During the summer months BTF opens its doors to over 75 administrative, acting, and technical interns and apprentices. For more information about Berkshire Theatre Festival, please visit www.berkshiretheatre.org.

Dates: July 29-31 @ 8pm, August 1 @ 2pm
Tickets: $15 (general admission)
Location: Columbia HS Auditorium, 962 Luther Road, East Greenbush, NY 12061

Excellence in Vocal Performance to Patrick Doyle
Excellence in Acting to Brian Avery
Excellence in Direction to Eric Shovah
Excellence in Choreography to Heather D’Arcy
Meritorious Achievement in Acting to Barb Mahlmann for her portrayal of Carmen
Meritorious Achievement in Acting to Christine Marcella for her portrayal of
Bambi
Meritorious Achievement in Acting to Brian Sheldon for his portrayal of
Christopher Belling
Meritorious Achievement in Acting to Joanne Mensching for her portayal of
Georgia Hendricks
Meritorious Achievement in Scenic Design to Ray Burns for designing and building
the unique steamboat

The additional comments were as follows:
The entire company brought to life a complex murder-mystery story line with
talented cast and crew all working together to create an ensemble production.
The group is to be commended for smooth and speedy scene changes. The three
piece orchestral ensemble enhanced the over all production. The many dance
numbers were creatively and effectively done by this large cast.

The rest of the roles have been cast.

A look forward to the first Cabaret:
Our first Story Time Cabaret will be Babes in Arms themed with spoofed songs of the show.
It will be hosted by Frank LaFrazia and E. Gray Simons III, director of Babes in Arms.
There will be a special interview with Trustee Maureen Stanton “The Countess”.
The House Band is Carlton Maaia, who also serves as the Musical Director for Babes in Arms.
There will also be performances from various acting apprentices and a weekly Top Ten from Tyler, box office associate and Friday Series producer.

Tickets

Tickets to Story Time Cabaret are only $10. Contact the BTF Box Office at 413-298-5576 or visit www.berkshiretheatre.org for more information. Single tickets for all Main Stage and Unicorn productions are on sale as well. Contact the Box Office for more details. All plays, schedules, casting, and prices are subject to change.

About Berkshire Theatre Festival
Founded in 1928, Berkshire Theatre Festival is one of the oldest professional regional theatres in the United States and the longest-running cultural organization in the Berkshires. Now under the helm of Artistic Director and CEO Kate Maguire, BTF presents theatre that matters—world premieres, contemporary works, and classics that speak to who we are in our world today. The Main Stage (408 seats), cataloged by the National Register of Historic Places, was originally designed and built by Stanford White as the Stockbridge Casino in 1888. The mission of BTF’s second stage, the intimate Unicorn Theatre (122 seats), is to provide a home for emerging artists and new theatrical ideas. BTF’s education program, BTF PLAYS!, reaches over 10,000 children annually through school residencies, touring performances, and summer performance training and writing programs. During the summer months BTF opens its doors to over 75 administrative, acting, and technical interns and apprentices. For more information about Berkshire Theatre Festival, please visit www.berkshiretheatre.org.

Looking for a large cast of adults, teens,and children age eight and above. For
more info call 872-9455.

The three major roles are:
Doc (female; anger-management therapist for the County court)
Coach (male; one of Doc’s “patient’s”)
Mickey (young boy who always thinks positive of people, even grumps like Coach)

All other speaking roles listed below have eight/ten/twelve/fifteen lines…easy
to learn…no stress!
Karen (woman; steps in as an assistant as the play goes along)
Ray (man; the jokester; enjoys teasing Coach)
Gabby (woman; the token “gossip”…every community theatre group has at least
one!)

Heather (girl; tries to warm up to Coach; almost succeeds!)
Mel (boy; grows tired of Coach’s grumpiness and not afraid to finally confront
him, in spite of his youth!)

There are fourteen additional parts played by teens and adults, and ten
additional parts played by elementary-age children.

STORY: A group of friends have been rehearsing to perform a variety show to
benefit a children’s hospital, when their director is suddenly unable to
continue directing due a family emergency. The group is left without anyone
willing or experienced enough to volunteer to continue directing.

Out of desperation, one of the members of the group, Doc, whose job is not
only to provide anger-management therapy for court-appointed patients but to
assign community service projects for them as well, decides to give one of her
patients the service assignment of directing a play for charity…hers, of
course!

Begrudgingly, the patient shows up at the next rehearsal. The cast (with
no correction from Doc) mistakenly believes that he is a professional drama
coach from New York City and from that point on he is referred to as “Coach”.

From the minute he steps on the stage, this short-fused perfectionist has
to deal with a group of children, teens, and adults who are really only there to
have a good time and not take life so seriously! Though the cast members
steadily lose patience with their grumpy old director, it takes the big heart of
an optimistic little boy (and words of wisdom he learned from his grandma) to
help them break the walls down that this tough man has taken years to build.

The Giant Hoax

Kit Goldstein’s new musical
based on the true story of Cooperstown’s Cardiff Giant,
the New York State “prehistoric marvel” that amazed the nation!

August 15, 16, 17 at 7 pm
at
The Schenectady Theater for Children space in Rotterdam Mall,
(next to Sears concourse entrance)

parts for men, women and children
all ages

Please be prepared to read from the script
and sing 16 bars of a song of your choice
(a cappella or accompanied – accompanist will be provided –
please provide sheet music for accompanist)

Show Dates: November 5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14
At Proctors in Schenectady