Did I GetThat Right?Jeffrey Herbst, Artistic Director

A newsletter from American Folklore Theatre • SPRING 2014

Twins separated at birth and then reunited? Packer-lovingaliens in the middle of an intergalactic war? Impressing a

girlfriend by appearing on a local cable access show? Victorianrevenge in modern-day Madison? Ask any or all of thesequestions and the AFT 2014 season will provide the answer.

Hello, Me! Strings Attached, by Dave Hudson and ColinWelford, makes its world premiere at AFT. After a whirlwindweek last fall, when they were thrown into close quarters to worktogether for the first time, Dave and Colin came out with amusical loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors. As

with that story and those of Plautus, Strings Attached tells of twins separated at birth,only to be reunited after much mistaken-identity hijinks. Dave has set the show in thefar reaches of Northern Wisconsin at the Next to the Last Resort Inn. One twin, whoended up in Hawaii and makes ukuleles, meets his brother, who is set to inherit BadgerBanjos from his dad, Bob. When the two contingents meet to make the merger, merrimentand mayhem ensue. The cast includes Chad Luberger and Chase Stoeger as the twotwins, both named Hal. Molly Rhode and Eva Nimmer play the requisite love interests.Doc Heide plays Bob, and the hotel trio of innkeepers is rounded out with DougMancheski, Rhonda Rae Bush, and Paul Helm. Pam Kriger and I will co-direct. Ourtrio of designers will be Lisa Schlenker (set), Karen Brown-Larimore (costumes), andDave Alley (lights). Our pit will be partially chaired by AFT returnees, Tim Lenihan,Craig McClelland and Janet Anderson. Neen Rock will again be production stagemanager and prop designer for the season.

Hello, ET! Packer Fans fromOuter Space makes a terrestrialre-visit after a galactic hiatus ofeleven years. This delightfullywhacky musical, by Fred Heideand Lee Becker, with additionalmusic by James Kaplan, wasour biggest hit ever in 2002,when it made its earthly debut.Molly Rhode will direct thistime around with a cast featuring

Doug, Chase, Eva, and Rhonda Rae. Bill Theisen, long-time Skylight Musical TheatreArtistic Director, will join us for his first AFT season. Bill and Rhonda Rae played Harveyand Marge a couple of seasons ago in the Marcus production of Packer Fans in Milwaukee.As with that production, they will romp around on the inventive set designed by JimMaronek. We also have another newcomer on the stage: Adam Zeph will join us as anintern this summer and play the role of the alien, 24. Paul Helm will recreate hiswonderful musical arrangements for thepit. We welcome our Packer-loving aliensback to home turf.

Hello, Bonnie! Guys On Ice returnsto the fishing hole for a couple of nightseach week this summer. This is undoubtedlyour most-requested show ever and hasn’tplayed on our summer stage for sevenyears. Doug Mancheski and I will playthe local anglers with Paul Helm taking

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Did I Get That Right?, continued from the front page

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a turn as Ernie the Moocher. We are currently working with Wisconsin Public Televisionto see if taping the show for broadcast might be possible. If all the stars align that needto, look for this special event in early to mid-August.

Hello, Olde Ye! The Bachelors returns to AFT and makesits debut in the Door Community Auditorium. This

follow-up to Guys On Ice, by Fred Alley andJames Kaplan, celebrates the realm ofbachelorhood through the lens of Stewand John, hapless bumblers in search oflove in Madison, Wisconsin. They aredogged in the present by an old flame,Kate, who was wronged by the duo inVictorian times. “Fate waits for no man.In fact here she comes.”

Did I Get That Right?, continued from page 2

We look forward to seeing you under the stars and in theDCA, where all your unanswered questions will be resolved.

Photo by Len Villano

Guys On Ice

The Bachelors Packer Fans Fr

om Outer Space

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By now you areprobably awarethat, beginningofficially in 2015,

American Folklore Theatrewill debut a new company name. Thenew name will be unveiled at the Raisethe Curtain event this month on Sunday,May 25th! The change, which will coincide withAFT’s 25th anniversary in 2015, has beena part of our long-term strategic plan forthe past seven years. From the neck up, the decision tochange our name almost always makessense to folks. Neck down, sometimesnot so much. Overwhelmingly, our fansget the rationale while expressing somereservation, or admitting a little sadness.We get that. We knew we would be askingthose closest to us to make an emotionalsacrifice for the long-term strength of thecompany. But we also know that thename ‘American Folklore Theatre’ oftencommunicates connotations about ourfocus that are no longer accurate. Overthese past 25 years AFT has evolvedfrom a story-telling and concert-centricensemble to a full-fledged theaterorganization that primarily focuses onthe creation and presentation of originalfull-book musicals. Over the past several months we’vereceived hundreds of email suggestionsof possible new names from our devotedfans throughout the Midwest. Theresponse was amazing. Most importantly,the process allowed people the opportunityto ponder and distill what they reallylove about us. The strongest themesrunning through all this feedback were

those of family memories shared and theuniqueness of our theater “under thestars.”Our Name Change Task Force developedthoughtful criteria for evaluating literallyhundreds of names and name variations.This also became the rationale we usedfor scrutinizing the name options webegan this process strongly considering.In general, the new name should symbolizeour theatre and evoke the AFT experiencewhile not being overly specific or clever.It must sound good when spoken outloud in all the dozens of ways a namegets used or abbreviated in normalconversation. Ultimately, a strong iconicname will help to expand our audience,as well as our national team of creativecollaborators.I want to take this opportunity to askfor your continued advocacy during thetransition. Remember, the ONLY thingthat is changing is the name. This changewill not affect what you love most aboutthe company and the work we create. Wewill continue to provide “heartwarmingmusicals for folks of all ages”. We know that people ultimately wantwhat is best for the organization. We’reconfident we won’t lose anybody in theprocess. We hope for your trust, and yourfaith that we will not disappoint. Thissingle change will make us stronger. Wepromise. Most of all, we need your voiceand your continued support. The door is always open, and I’m evereager to hear your feedback, youropinions and your suggestions. I lookforward to seeing you “under the stars”this coming summer!

Dave Maier, Managing Director

A Rose By Any Other Name…

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This summer PackerFans From Outer Spacetouches down on theAFT stage for the first

time in 11 years. Since it lastappeared here, it’s had 9 other productions,most recently at the plush Marcus Centerfor Performing Arts in downtown Milwaukee.Lee Becker and I (who co-wrote thebook and lyrics) have seen several ofthese, and learned a thing of two.The most important is that, while the

title of the show is a huge draw for manypeople, it turns off some others. They thinkit sounds goofy, or that you’ve gotta lovefootball or science fiction to enjoy it, orthat it’s a show for guys only. The titlemakes them think the show is an over-the-top fraternity skit. We understand, but havea different perspective.Now, obviously the show deals with the

Packers. It offers bits of their history,features a character inspired by the greatVince Lombardi, and explores the idea thata whole civilization across the galaxy isdevoted to our Green Bay team. So theshow certainly should appeal to Packerfans (whether they’re from outer space orinner Mukwonago).But there are others who may or may not

wear green and gold who still might like it:(1). Women. As Milwaukee Journal

Sentinel critic Mike Fischer noted in hisrave review, Packer Fans is “a poignantcoming-of-age tale wrapped around atender love story.” A major character isPeggy, an idealistic 1950’s farm girl whodreams of helping bring about worldpeace. Her relationships with her motherMarge (and a handsome if quirky space-man) are a big part of the show. Marge’sconcern for her husband Harvey’s increasinglybaffling behavior is also central.(2). Fans of the Chicago Bears. The show

is based on the Packer-Bear rivalry, theoldest in American professional sports.Marge is a Bears fan, and the Bears play apivotal role in the plot.(3). Folks who don’t give a hoot about

football. You can love Guys on Ice even ifyou don’t wanna go perch-fishing inJanuary. The same is true of Packer Fans.Football offers a context for the piece, butit’s really about how a handful of lovablecharacters deal with the outlandishchallenges they encounter one Novembernight in 1953. (4). People who think a show called

Packer Fans From Outer Spacemust be fluff.They might be pleasantly surprised that theshow takes on some big themes, such asthe importance of respecting your opponentand even loving your enemy, usingbeautiful melodies to create emotionalresonance. In fact, Mike Fischer actually proposed

that the Wisconsin Governor and Legislaturetake a group outing to the show. We’regreatly honored by that. But whether ornot they make it, we hope you’ll considerdropping by. Because whatever the title leads you to

think it will be, we think you’ll find it’smore than that. Maybe even something alittle bit out of this world.

Doc Heide, Co-founder of AFT, Playwright, Artistic Advisor

Outer Space Fans

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Follow AFTers Out of the WoodsSo what was the AFT troupe up to sincewe drew the curtain on last season, youask? Well, JEFF HERBST conducted hisusual off-season duties from Fort Worth,Texas, scouting out potential AFT showshither and yon (including a trip to LA).LEE BECKER directed the Universityof Houston’s production of The BestChr i s tmas Pageant Ever and co-authored the book and lyrics (withJohn Maclay) for Anatole at First StageChildren’s Theatre in Milwaukee. Musicwas by JAMES VALCQ, direction byMOLLY RHODE (who also directed anacclaimed production of Les Miserablesat Skylight Music Theatre this fall). TheMilwaukee Journal-Sentinel raved thatAnatole was “first-rate.” Lee also gottogether twice with DOC HEIDE, in theremote desert wilderness of Texas’s BigBend National Park and then in northernCalifornia, where they finished the firstdraft of their forthcoming prequel toBelgians in Heaven (working title:Belgians Go Bowling, with music by Docand JIMMY KAPLAN). Doc alsopublished an article on psychotherapistcharisma (in APA’s Journal of PsychotherapyIntegration). DAVE HUDSON wrote TheFlowering Tree for the Actors Garden (hiswife’s theatre) in Oak Park, Illinois.Based on the folktale from India, theshow was performed by more than 140kids in the Oak Park area. His winter hasbeen busy creating Strings Attached(music by COLIN WELFORD), andGood Knight for the Actors Garden. Thatperpetual slacker Colin also played onthe National Tour of Evita in Chicago,conducted the Tony-award-winning AChristmas Story in Boston and MadisonSquare, wrote the music for movie-

theatre trailers for The Snitch, and ispreparing to music-direct Billy Elliot atthe 10,000-seat open-ai r MUNYamphitheater in St. Louis this June.Colin also performed in his darlingwife’s 6-man band at the 2-weekMustique Blues Festival on a privateCaribbean island this February. CHADLUBERGER reports that he “created aninstant family when I got hitched to thelovely Angela Olson and her 7 year olddaughter Anika - she calls me Chaddy,I’m loving the married life… Currentlydoubling the physical size of PlumBottom Pottery & Gallery which willinclude 10 new artists this year!” DOUGMANCHESKI appeared in The DrawerBoy at Third Avenue Playhouse (directedby James Valcq) and started his ownproduction company with STEVEKOEHLER, Go Fish Productions. Theirfirst show was–you guessed it–Guys OnIce, which played in Madison andWausau this winter. Steve also releaseda CD of songs by Fred Alley. Meanwhile,PAM KRIGER directed Groucho, A Life inReview with Norman Moses at Next ActTheatre in November, and Spitfire Grillat Cardinal Stritch University where shealso taught tap dance. DAN KLARERhas been living in NYC teaching stagecombat and will attend the graduateacting program at the Royal Conservatoireof Scotland this fall (which AMYLUDWIGSEN attended). After leavingDoor County last October, EVA NIMMERmade her Milwaukee debut in aproduction of Five Women Wearing theSame Dress and worked as a freelancetranslator of German documents. ANNBIRNSCHEIN became head of marketingat AFT and took part in the Minnesota

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Iron Man Bicycle Ride, while HOLLYFELDMAN became AFT’s new developmentdirector (and sang at the Octoberwedding of Doc’s stepdaughter Ellie).PAM NIESPODZIANI moved back tothe Milwaukee area and has beenperforming the role of The Narrator inJoseph and the Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat at Sunset Playhouse. She islooking forward to her best role yet... abride! She will be getting married inSeptember. CRAIG MCLELLAND hasbeen playing bass, tuba, and uke, touringwith Heidi Swedberg and the SukeyJump Band as well as teaching ukuleleat the Clearing Folk School. STEWARTDAWSON reports that he’s writing.KAREN MAL spent 70 days on the roadwith daughter Coralina, which includedmusical trips to Florida, Arkansas,Nebraska, Arizona and Wisconsin.Coralina traveled on 10 round tripflights in her first year and a half. Karenalso released a CD of lullabies, inventeda superior homemade veggie burger,and officially went into the egg-sellingbusiness. ALLIE BABICH lived inLondon this fall studying and performingat the Globe Theater. Now she’s back atschool in the University ofMinnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actortraining program. This summer, she’llplay Perdita in Optimist Theatre’s AWinter’s Tale in Milwaukee. This past fallJON HEGGE and wife LAURIEFLANIGAN-HEGGE performed togetherin Baby Case at the History Theatre in St.Paul, a musical about the media circussurrounding the kidnapping of theLindburgh baby, with Jon in the role ofcircus master Walter Winchell. Jon iscurrently appearing as Otto Frank in TheDiary of Anne Frank and as Lingiere in

Cyrano, both at Park Square Theatre inSt. Paul. In May he plays C.C. Heinzmannin Working Boys Band, a new musical bythe late composer Hiram Titus, who wasLaurie’s collaborator on Hormel Girls.Laurie continues working on her writingprojects, including Boxcar for AFT(music by James Valcq), Sweetland theMusical, and a new project for thePlymouth Playhouse, Till We Eat Again.MATT ZEMBROWKI, Theater Director atSt. Thomas More High School inMilwaukee, continues to write anddirect with Storyteller Theater ofMilwaukee, a company he co-founded,which produces original and existingworks in the greater Milwaukee area.TREVA TEGTMEIER played DorisSamuels on Grey’s Anatomy in October,has done voiceover work, and is playingLizzie in 110 in the Shade at The Actor’sCo-op Theatre in Hollywood this spring.Meanwhile, long-time volunteersHOWARD and PATTY WILLIAMSONcelebrated their 60th wedding anniversaryin April with open houses in St. Louisand Door County. They’re expectinggreat-grandchildren numbers nine andten this spring. AMY CHAFFEE isadjunct professor of voice and speech atUCLA and will teach and perform thisspring at conferences in Banff andBogata. She recently coached Andre3000 (of the band Outkast) for the leadrole in All Is By My Side, a biopic of JimiHendrix. MONICA HEUSER moved toLas Vegas where she secured an agentand performs in Menopause: The Musicalat the Luxor. CHRIS IRWIN moved toLA and released his first short film withRebecca Livengood, and will be shootinga feature film in Door County thissummer. CLAY ZAMBO wrote book,lyrics, and music for Blue Apron and

Follow AFTers, continued

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Transit of Venus, which both premiered atMarymount Manhattan College, andserved as associate producer for the NBCgame show Million Second Quiz (withRyan Seacrest). Clay has also beenworking on a new musical with ROBINSHARE (Seal With a Kiss) for the AFTstage. JIM MARONEK reports, “no newsis good snooze.” KATIE DAHL reportsthat she “took a vacation to NewOrleans, planned her wedding, touredMinnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana,and California, took a self-directed song-writing retreat with CLAUDIA RUSSELL,played a lot of house concerts, andlearned to start a fire in a wood stove.”Claudia released her latest CD, All OurLuck is Changing, which American Song-writer Magazine called “a masterpiece.”She and husband Bruce Kaplan will tour theMidwest in November. SCOTT WAKEFIELD

Follow AFTers, continued has been performing in a workshop of anew musical written by Steve Martin andEdie Brickell called Bright Star in NYC.They’re scheduled to go to The OldGlobe in San Diego in the fall as a pre-Broadway tryout. In the meantime, he’sacting in Arthur Miller’s The Price at TheOld Creamery Theatre in Iowa. Finally,DAVE PETERSONwill return this springto Monona Grove High School, his firstteaching job, to conduct his arrange-ment of The Pinery Boy, a ballad fromDaylight In The Swamp. He’s also anarranger for Madison’s Norwegian GriegChorus and performs his one-manshow, Folklore Fights The Nazis, amusical telling of Norway’s resistanceto German occupation during WWII.This summer he’ll help a grand-daughter direct his new musical, WalterThe Woodchuck.

AFT relies on, and is always looking for, fansready to step up and lend a hand! To make ashow go, we need volunteers to usher, sellmerchandise and concessions, assist with trafficflow in the parking lot, assist patrons to ourhandicapped seating area, and to drive the golfcart shuttle. All told, there are more than 80opportunities to volunteer at our shows eachweek – that means you have about 1000 chancesto volunteer over the course of the summer!

What type of commitment are we looking for?We love to have volunteers who can commit tohelping out once a week through the summerseason, volunteers who we can call at the lastminute in case someone else cancels, volunteers

who camp at PeninsulaState Park for a week andwant to volunteer atevery show during theirstay, and volunteerswho help at just oneor two shows. In otherwords, we’re looking for you!

What qualifications do we require? The mainrequirement is enthusiasm about AFT! As a showvolunteer, you’re almost always the firstrepresentative of AFT that a patron sees. Weneed you to be a friendly AFT face for our guestsand to be able to stand for about an hour and ahalf – those are about the only tools you need,we’ll train you on any task we give you.

If you’d like to volunteer or just to get moreinformation, we want to hear from you! Just tellus, “I want to volunteer at AFT!” in person at theAFT office, over the phone at (920) 854-6117 x104,or Ann at abirnschein@FolkloreTheatre.com.

Want to Share in the Applause?Become an AFT Volunteer!

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I’m not sureanything can beata good campfire.Unless, of course,

it’s a campfire withs’more fixings. No, wait. A campfire,

s’more fixings, and someone who can tella good story. Truly, nothing can top that.Well, except for maybe a campfire, s’morefixings, someone who can tell a good story,and someone who plays the guitar orharmonica and can harmonize with you ona good ol’ fashioned campfire song. Nope. Itreally doesn’t get any better than that.I think many of our fans would agree

that there is just something innatelysatisfying about the full sensory experiencethat is a roaring campfire. There’s the smellof the wood smoke that is especiallytantalizing if you’ve got a couple of cedarlogs lying around. There’s the fairy-likedance of the flames and the sparks as theypop and rise up before disappearing in thecool air above. There’s the crackle of thesacrificial logs that provides the perfectsoundtrack for the hushed ghost stories.And of course, there’s the comfortingwarmth that takes the chill out of the nightair and provides the perfect temperature bywhich to toast those oh-so-scrumptiousmarshmallows. (For the record, anyonecan take a marshmallow, light it on fire,and blow it out. And while it takes greatskill, patience, and experience to achieve amarshmallow that is golden brown on allsides, in MY humble opinion, it’s really theonly way enjoy them.) Growing up camping in Peninsula State

Park, campfire memories are deeply ingrained

in my very soul. When I was younger it wasalways a treat when the Pudgie Pie makerswould come out. For the uninitiated,Pudgie Pies are made in a two-sided, cast-iron, long-handled, cooking device set inthe coals of the fire. In our family we filledour pie makers with a slice of butteredbread on each side and any number ofingredients from ham and cheese tostrawberry jam and peanut butter. It was arite-of-passage in our family to be able tocook one on your own. However, youdidn’t really earn your stripes until youaccidentally burned yourself on that littlemetal “S” hook that holds the two sidestogether.Nowadays, while the Pudgie Pie makers

don’t come out as much, we’ve startedother traditions. For instance, the StumpFire! I’m not sure when it started, but foryears now, my dad has made it his personalmission to search out the ideal stump forour annual Stump Fire. As soon as we’veset up camp, he’ll head out into the wildwoods of Peninsula State Park on hisquest. Sometimes we won’t see him for thebetter part of a day. One time, on aparticularly precarious mission to rescuethe perfect stump located down a rathersteep incline, he actually broke his foot inthe process. Undeterred, he dragged thatbeast up that hill and arrived, hobbling,safely back at camp. Sometime during thecourse of our camping trip, on an eveningwhen all of our extended family can joinus, Dad will get a decent fire going and willplace the stump on top. After a little time,the stump will catch fire and take on a life

Holly Feldman, Director of Development and Public Relations

Ode to a Campfire

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of its own as the flames leap from thevarious pockets of the stump, the mostimpressive of which is the very center.There’s nothing like it. I think it’s gratifyingfor my dad because while building andtending a fire has a connection to somethingvery primitive and ancestral, the finalresult is something graceful and exquisite. Indeed, there is something innately

archaic about building and tending a fire.Analysis of artifacts, in particular burnedantelope bones found in South Africa,confirms that our now extinct ancestorsbuilt fires more than 1.5 million years ago.And while we no longer need the campfireto sustain everyday life, it is still revered asa beacon offering a sense of security in thedark night.In fact, we’ve even celebrated the campfire

on our very own AFT stage. Our showsMoonlight and Marshmallows and Sunsetsand S’mores celebrated the 100th Anniversaryof Peninsula State Park and paid homageto the campfire in song.

Ode to a Campfire, continued

Here’s a line from one of Doc’s songs:

How in heaven, heaven, After our troubles are through,

We’ll sit and we’ll sing ‘round an old campfire ring,

With Moonlight and Marshmallows too…

Of course, we’ve been telling a lot of talesand making a lot of music in the woods ofPeninsula State Park for nearly 45 years. Assuch, we thought it was high time to addthat one missing element, the campfire, tothe great experience that is musical theatreunder the stars.This summer you’ll want to keep your

eye out for our campfire nights at ouramphitheater. While we don’t have all ofthe details in place just yet, we can tell youthat we are working on finding the optimalplacement for our campfire and we plan tosit and sing ‘round our campfire ring, withmoonlight and marshmallows too. Sohang on to your graham crackers, we’llhave more soon!

Friday, July 189:30-12:00 pm or 1:00 pm-3:30 pm

2014 Creative Kids theatre workshopsessions take place on and around theAFT stage in Peninsula State Park and areled by AFT Company Members.

For children ages 6-16. Register early!Limited number of children accepted. Feeis $25 per child or a maximum of $60 for3 siblings or more.

Creative Kids Day

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Thank You to Our Sponsors!

A huge thank you to our sponsors of this year’s shows. Their support helps so much with the costs of putting a show on the

stage at AFT while still keeping our ticket prices affordable.

Strings Attachedsponsored by

The Cordon Family Foundation, Bayside Bakery & Café andWilson’s Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor

Packer Fans From Outer Spacesponsored by

Julie’s Park Café & Motel and Parkwood Lodge

Guys On Icesponsored by

Baylake Bank and Good Eggs

The Bachelorssponsored by

Main Street Market, On Deck Clothing Company and The White Gull Inn

Tickets for all shows, including our fall season, are on sale now. Reserved seats sell for an additional $7 per seat. And of course,

there will always be 350 general admission tickets for sale at the park box office one hour prior to each performance.

Tickets on Sale Now!

Gift cards are available for any

occasion!

How to buy advance tickets: Visit our web site at www.FolkloreTheatre.comTo order AFT tickets on your smartphone or iPad,

download our free mobile app today! Search “American Folklore” at AppleApp Store or Google Play Store, or scan the QR Code to the left.

Buy tickets at our office in the Green Gables Shops 1.5 miles north of Wilson’s Ice Cream. Office hours are 10am-4pm Monday thru Friday

and 10am-3pm Saturday, June thru October.

Order via the phone, 920-854-6117: Visa and MasterCard accepted.

Please review us on TripAdvisor.comfor those unfamilar with

the AFT experience!

You can also follow AFT on:

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One of the most famouscomedy routines of the20th century was thet imeless sketch byAbbott and Costello.

Many of us can almost recite it by rote.COSTELLO: Who’s on first? ABBOTT: That’sright. COSTELLO: That’s what I’m asking,who’s on first? ABBOTT: Exactly.What Abbott and Costello happened

across was one of the richest situations incomedy; when two people think they aretalking about the same thing, but they areactually discussing two different topics. I say they happened across it, because this

idea wasn’t anything new. In written history,it actually goes all the way back to Romantimes when a playwright named Plautuswrote a play named The Twin Menaechmiabout twin brothers, separated at a youngage, who wind up in the same place -neither one of them aware of the other’spresence. Nor is anyone around them awarethat there are two of them, launching awhole play worth of ‘who’s on first.’Subsequent variations on this theme have

been written again, and again, and againover the years. Shakespeare took it on in TheComedy of Errors, NikolaiGogol took on mistakenidentity in The InspectorGeneral, and in our ownlifetimes we have seentwo versions of TheParent Trap.This past year, Colin

Welford and I havelaunched into our ownadventure with losttwins as we laboredon Strings Attached. It

started with the idea of Hawaii meetsWisconsin and evolved from there. We’vebeen through several drafts, tweaking andfixing as we went. We also had a reading ofthe piece up in Door County last September,and then a Milwaukee workshop in March.One of the most humorous aspects of the

workshop process was watching the who’s onfirst process take place during the readingsthemselves, as well as the subsequent scriptmeetings. “Which twin is talking rightnow?” and “How does she know that… ohwait, she wouldn’t know that, because shethinks it’s him,” were the sort of phrases weheard again, and again, and again as eventhe cast and creative team had to wrap theirheads around who was who, who knewwhat, and who didn’t know what in thescript at that moment.Musically, it has been a wonderful

journey, as Colin Welford has taken greatcare in shaping a musical landscape thatlives comfortably in the three worlds ofHawaii, Wisconsin… and that timeless landcalled Confusion. We look forward to seeing Strings Attached

land on the AFT stage and we hope audiencesare entertained, amused, and most of all- confused.

Dave Hudson, Playwright

WHO’S ON FIRST

Model of the Strings Attached set

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In 1990, I left myNew Jersey homeland,motivated by the offerof a rent-controlledstudio apartment in

Berkeley, California. Soonafter I met up with Fred Alley at UncleRalph’s, a counter-culture consumerelectronics store that employed us both.We became friends, and by the summer of1992, we had collaborated on our firstshow, Fishing for the Moon. In the winter of1993, Fred came to Berkeley to spend sometime working on our next show, NorthernLights. Looking to keep housing costs to aminimum, Fred stayed at my place. I had aqueen-size futon and another bed thatfolded up into the closet. With these twobeds in their sleeping positions, there wasn’troom for much more than a desk and apiano.Several years later, and with the assistance

of Doc Heide, we wrote a show called Guyson Ice, which proved to be very popular.Sorting through ideas for a follow up, andinspired by our experiences in Berkeley, wedecided to explore the world of two more

grown men confined in a small space.We spent the better part of a year talking

about all the strange and funny things thatgo on when men live together. We talkedabout doing the dishes, how to make coffeewhen there are no more filters and themysterious science experiments you wouldfind in the refrigerator. (I would like to beclear that I have never used a sock – dirty orclean – as a coffee filter.)We talked about annoying calls from

telemarketers, our efforts to eat three mealsa day for less than five dollars, and the waythat things changed when one of us had agirlfriend. The time came when we had toactually write the show, and we did that inDoor County, in about sixty days.Berkeley 1993 became Madison 2001,

allowed us to visit the world of Gilbert &Sullivan. A wonderful production of H.M.S.Pinafore, at Skylight Musical Theater left melooking for the opportunity to pay homageto G&S. The songs in The Bachelors cover abroad range of styles, from nursery rhymesto Rodgers & Hart to Getz-Gilberto.We have been blessed to have many

wonderful actors in the show in variousconfigurations, but always with theamazing Doug Mancheski. DirectorJeffrey Herbst brought the show towonderful life and, with Pam Kriger,created dances to match our sillysongs, including our first DreamBallet.Theater companies from Oregonto Ohio to Oceano, Californiahave produced The Bachelors. It iswonderful that the show iscoming back to Door County,this time in the lovely DoorCommunity Auditorium.

James Kaplan, Composer - Co-wrote “The Bachelors” story with Fred Alley

The Bachelors

Photo by Len Villano

The Bachelors

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• Advanced tickets for both summer & fall seasons may be purchased online, over the phone, at our office, or by free phone app.• Box office opens at summer and fall venues 1 hour prior to each performance. • Will Call tickets can be picked up at Merchandise Stand one hour before the show.• Limited handicapped parking is available backstage – we request reservations be made for this.

• Rain policy – AFT never cancels a show until show time. If the show is less than half over when interrupted due to bad weather, we give out refund applications or rain checks. If the show is more than half over, we issue rain checks, good for any future summer show without expiration.

For additional info: 920.854.6117www.FolkloreTheatre.com

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SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

GOI - 8:00

PFOS - 8:00

PFOS - 8:00

PFOS - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00 GOI - 8:00

GOI - 8:00

25 26 27 28PFOS - 6:00

SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 8:00 PFOS - 8:00 SA - 8:00

GOI - 8:00 SA - 8:00 GOI - 6:00SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

NOSHOW

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

SA - 8:00

GOI - 8:00

GOI - 8:00

GOI - 8:00

NOSHOW

29 30NOSHOW

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

30 31PFOS - 6:00

SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

PFOS - 6:00SA - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

GOI - 6:00PFOS - 8:30

JULY

AUGUST

Adult - $20 Teen - $10 Child - $6Reserved Seating Available - $7 additional

2014 Summer Schedule

A Tuneful Taleof Tangled Twins

Begins Wednesday, June 11 at 8:30 pmMondays at 8 pm; Wednesdays at 8:30 pm

Fridays at 8 pm

The HitIce Fishing Musical Returns!

Begins Thursday, June 12 at 8 pmTuesdays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 6 pm

A Cosmic Musicalthat Tackles the Heart

Begins Wednesday, June 18 at 6 pmWednesdays at 6 pm; Thursdays at 8 pm;

Saturdays at 8:30 pm

GOI

PFOS

SA

Your donation from May 1, 2014, through April 30, 2015, will be recognized in our 2015 playbill.

Name ________________________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________________________ St ________ Zip ________________________

Phone _______________________________________ E-Mail __________________________________________

BENEFACTOR CATERGORIES(For General Operating):❑ $10,000 & up - Visionary❑ $5,000 to $9,999 - Benefactor❑ $2,500 to $4,999 - Producer❑ $1,000 to $2,499 - Director❑ $500 to $999 - Actor❑ $250 to $499 - Designer❑ $100 to $249 - Stage Manager❑ $50 to $99 - Donor❑ $1 to $49 - Friend

❑ My check for $ _______________________ payable to American Folklore Theatre is enclosed. ❑ Please charge $ _______________________ to my ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa (Please provide info below)

____________________________________________ ____________ _________________________________

❑ My employer will match my gift Employer Name: _______________________________________ Paperwork: ❑ is enclosed ❑ will be sent

ACCOUNT NUMBER EXP DATE SIGNATURE

PLEASE CLIP & MAIL TO: AFT - PO Box 273, Fish Creek,WI 54212 Thank You!

With your help… We make amazing things happen!

The AFT Endowment Fund, managed by theDoor County Community Fund, helps to ensureAFT's long-term financial health and stability.

❑ Please accept my gift of$ ________________ for the AFT Endowment Fund.

❑ Please accept my gift of $ ________________ forthe Fred Alley New Musical Fund.

The Fred Alley New Musical Fund is the creativeengine behind all of AFT’s new play development.

August 29 - October 18Wed – Fri 7:30PM

Sat 4:00PM & 8:00PMStarting Sept. 30th: Tues 7:30PM

“Hilarious ‘Bachelors’ glows…”- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

at Door Community AuditoriumAdult - $27 Children (12 & under) - $13

ALL SEATS RESERVED

2014 FALL SHOW SCHEDULE

Our Mission

The

miss

ion

of A

mer

ican

Folkl

ore

Thea

tre is

to

crea

te, d

evel

op, a

nd p

rese

nt p

rofe

ssio

nal

mus

ical a

nd d

ram

atic

prod

uctio

ns w

hich

will

furth

er th

e kn

owle

dge

and

appr

ecia

tion

of th

e cu

lture

and

her

itage

of t

he U

nite

d St

ates

.Th

e Th

eatre

is d

edica

ted

to m

aint

aini

ng

stand

ards

of a

rtisti

c ex

celle

nce;

cel

ebra

ting

and

illum

inat

ing

the

hum

an c

ondi

tion;

reac

hing

a la

rge

audi

ence

of a

ll ag

es, i

nclu

ding

fam

ilies

; and

fo

sterin

g a

hum

anist

ic w

ork

envir

onm

ent w

ith

adeq

uate

and

app

ropr

iate

em

otio

nal,

finan

cial a

nd c

reat

ive su

ppor

t for

al

l tho

se a

ssoc

iate

d w

ith u

s.

Kenneth C. Boyd

Mark Breseman

George Gorchynsky

Frederick J. Heide

BOAR

D OF DIREC

TORS

Mary Seeberg

Cha

irperson

Cynthia Stiehl

Vice-Cha

irperson

Thomas A. Moore

Treasurer

Barbara Gould

Secretary Michael J. McCoy

Carla Peterson

Paula Wright-Keller

American Folklore Theatre, Inc.

PO Box 273

Fish Creek, WI 54212-0273