2011 - 2012 Season

A Bad Year For Tomatoes

Directed By Pattie Zeisig and Pat Berry

Fed up with the pressures and demands of her acting career, the famous Myra Marlowe leases a house in the tiny New England hamlet of Beaver Haven, and settles down to write her autobiography. She is successful in turning aside the offers pressed on her by her long-time agent, but dealing with her nosy, omnipresent neighbors is a different matter. In an attempt to shoo them away, and gain some privacy, Myra invents a mad, homicidal sister--who is kept locked in an upstairs room, but who occasionally escapes long enough to scare off uninvited visitors. The ruse works well, at first, but complications result when the local handyman develops an affection for "Sister Sadie" (really Myra in a fright wig) and some of the more officious ladies decide it is their Christian duty to save the poor demented Sadie's soul. In desperation Myra announces that her imaginary sibling has suddenly gone off to Boston--which brings on the sheriff, and the suspicion of murder! Needless to say, all is straightened out in the end, but the uproarious doings will keep audiences laughing right up to the final curtain, and then some.

The Best Christmas Pagent Ever

Directed By Pattie Ziesig

The Herdmans are six scrawny children ( Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie and Gladys) who are notorious delinquents in their community. Among other things, they lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls!), swear, and hit little kids. The kids basically raise themselves. Their father walked out when the youngest was two years old, and their mother works double shifts at the shoe factory.

The story is narrated by Beth Bradley, a girl in Imogene Herdman's class. Beth's brother, Charlie, unwisely lies to Leroy Herdman, saying that he doesn't mind Leroy stealing his dessert at school because Charlie gets all the snacks he wants at Sunday School. This leads to all six Herdmans showing up at church the next Sunday for the first time in their lives. Beth's mother is put in charge of the Christmas pageant when the original leader, Mrs. Helen Armstrong, fells and breaks her leg. The announcement for the auditions happens to be on the day the Herdmans show up at church, and, avid movie fans that they are, the Herdman's volunteer (and threaten) their way into all six of the main parts.

In spite of the Herdmans never having heard the Christmas story before (and wanting to change the script so they can hunt down the evil King Herod) and in spite of never making it through a complete rehearsal, the show does go on and turns out to be, as everyone says, the best Christmas pageant they have ever seen. Nobody can put a finger on the precise reason, but it has to do with the fact that the Herdmans just act like real people, probably like the characters in the Bible story really were, rather than the radiant, haloed saints that are usually protrayed.

I'm Herbert ... And Other Strangers

Directed By Richard M. Joyce

"I'm Herbert" is part of a set of four plays that comprise the collection "You Know I Can't Hear You When The Water's Running," written by Robert Anderson and Other Strangers" portion of the show is taken from various one-act plays included in the five-part "Lovers and Other Strangers," written by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna.

This is a collection of five one-acts, using one play from one collection and multiple plays from another collection is a warm-hearted collection of hilarious short plays. The topic is sex, in all its mysterious and fascinating manifestations, and the treatment of this is so skillful, tasteful and explosively funny that the plays are not only captivating and touching, but universal in appeal.

The stories range from a young couple experiencing free love in the 1960's to a serious and touching story of parents discussing the sex education of their almost-adult children, a girl and boy to a sketch about two old, old people sitting on a porch in a pair of rocking chairs and talking. Just talking—and of course they don't know how funny they are. Each has had one or more previous marriages and perhaps a few flings, but they are hazy as to details. In fact, they don't always know which one the other one is.

Wild Bill! An Evening With James Butler Hickock

Directed By Walt Willey

“I was traveling to Mendota, Illinois to pick my family up at the train station there”, Willey explains. “And on the way there’s this sign: ‘Troy Grove, Birthplace of James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok’. Ihad no idea we were born in the same county, forty miles apart!”

Willey, who played “Jackson Montgomery” on the long-runningdaytime drama All My Children for almost 25 years, had been looking for a one-man show to take on tour. “It was serendipity. I began to research this man’s life and I was fascinated! Even with the myth and fable surrounding him stripped away, his life is as exciting as any of the fiction written about him. And he’s six-foot two, blonde and blue”, Willey quipped.“This is a man who was, in his lifetime, a farmer, a plowman, a teamster, a scout, a spy, a marshal, a sheriff, a gunfighter, an actor and a gambler - and a legend in his own time. And he died at thirty-nine! In western movies, when we see gunfighters step into the street for a showdown, it’s because Wild Bill did!” Willey is clearly enthusiastic about his new role. Does he see some of “Wild Bill” inhim?“I guess so. There’s the obvious; Midwestern boys who end up in the spotlight. But there’s a war inside Hickok - between the

Wild Bill! An Evening with James Butler Hickok stars Willeyas Hickok. The presentation is in monologue form, with “Hickok”addressing the audience. “Essentially, it’s Hickok’s life story from his own mouth. The sources I’ve used are the ones that lean on provable truth”, says Willey. “Whether Hickok could separate his truth from legend…well, that’s the journey.”

The first-person narration follows Hickok’s life from his birth in Illinois, through his years as scout and sharpshooter, spy and lawman, gunfighter and gambler, to his assassination in Deadwood, the infamous mining camp.After the presentation there will be a discussion and questionand answer period. All patrons are invited and encouraged to attend.

After the presentation, attendees are encouraged to stay for aquestion and answer period and a meet and greet with Mr. Willey.

Queen of Bingo

Directed By Kevin Moriarity and Scott Lilly

In the tradition of the hilarious Harvey Korman and Tim Conway sketches from the old Carol Burnett Show, comes the stage comedy The Queen of Bingo! 'Sis' and 'Babe,' two sisters on the other side of 50, want to add a little fun and excitement to their lives...but where to find it? BINGO!

Jeanne Michels and Phyllis Murphy's The Queen of Bingo explores the worlds of Bingo, family ties, diet crazes, widowhood, hot flashes and winning! The audience joins in the fun during the "Middle Bird Special" - a real Bingo game where some lucky audience member wins a FREE 10 lb. frozen turkey at every performance! Theatregoers young and old will howl with laughter as two zany guys, playing two crazy gals, light up the stage in the comedy hit The Queen of Bingo.