Cast

Tommy Albright Colin Nies Fiona MacLaren Jacqueline Lang Jeff Douglas Roger Phelps Meg Brockie Katie Boothroyd Charlie Dalrymple Joe Mosher Mr. Lundie Jon Cryer Andrew MacLaren Tom Schulein Harry Beaton Jacques Motyko Jeanie MacLaren Taylor Wyatt Jane Ashton Kelsey Ford Frank Robert Steger Archie Beaton Len Duncan Angus Glen Schmitz

Ensemble

Doug Beardsley, Heidi Bibler, Trista Carlson, Caitlin Dorsett, Kelly Garrett, Emily Hill, Megan Hill, Kristi Johnson, Celine Kim, Rich LeMay, Nancy Mayfield, Beverly E. Mead, Davis Nepple, Addison Puccio, Linda Rowland, Michael Rowland, Jordan Running, Fenna Scherrer, Hal Schrott, Audrey Thompson-Wallace

Production Team

Choreographer Jill Beardsley Stage Manager/Scenic Design Rich Riggleman Lighting Design S. Benjamin Farrar Costume Design Sarah Conklin Props Master Stephen J. Polchert Board Liaison Beth Hill

The musical Brigadoon was f i r s t p e r f o r m e d o n Broadway in 1948. It was adapted for the screen a scant six years later. It belongs to that select group of musicals of that period, touchstones of the genre, which include Oklahoma!, Carousel, and South Pacific. Indeed, Lerner and Loewe would also be responsible for a number of other classic musicals after Brigadoon, including Camelot, Gigi (a musical written expressly for film that was later adapted to the stage), and the quintessential example of the genre, My Fair Lady. B r i g a d o o n m a y b e described as a resolutely old-school musical, one that “they don’t make like that anymore”. And they don’t. The story is simple, and relatively conventional – as conventional as one can say a story about a village in Scotland that appears once every hundred years can be.

The music is melodic, glorious; with a large cast that sings and dances with great elan (that is the hope, anyway). Stephen Sondheim or Jason Robert Brown (or even Kander and Ebb) it is not. But perhaps that is why it’s retained its popularity for as long as it has. And especially for a generation of a certain vintage, it certainly has. It astonishes me how many people know of Brigadoon, though perhaps I shouldn’t be. My own introduction to the musical was through the movie (not necessarily a bad adaptation, if abbreviated), seen on late night TV. Quite a few other folks first experienced the musical via live performances by their local high school or community theater. A good number of them have even performed in a production at one time in their misspent youth.

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Cast

Big Daddy Pollitt Scott Humeston Big Momma Pollitt Beverly E. Mead Brick Pollitt Aaron Weiner Maggie Pollitt Rachel Korach Howell Mae Pollitt Nicole DeSalle Gooper Pollitt Jeffrey Allen Mead Reverend Tooker Scott Strode Doctor Baugh Robert Steger Servant Jacques Motyko Kids Bryn, Olivia, Rowan Russell Production Team

Stage Manager Richard Beebe Assistant Stage Manager Erin Palmer Light Board Operator Roxy Running Scenic Design Steve Hall Costume Design Jill Beardsley

The 1950s. An era divided. In the deep South, a wealthy family struggles with complex issues of self and sexuality in an age where these issues could not be more important. Iowa City Community Theatre presents perhaps Tennessee Williams’ most well-known play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, October 31 - November 9. Please join us for a play that examines social issues that are still very much present in the world today and teaches us about ourselves in a way only Tennessee Williams can. Brett Borden

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened at the Morosco Theater on March 24, 1955, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year. The play examines the themes of social mores, greed, superficiality, sexual desire and repression, and death. Cat is the story of a Southern family in crisis, most particularly Brick and M a g g i e , a n d t h e i r interaction with Brick’s family over the course of one evening at the family estate. Big Daddy is celebrating his birthday and his return from a recent stay at a medical clinic with - what he believes to be - a clean bill of health. Maggie, a head-strong beauty raised in poverty who married Brick as much for money as anyt hing e l se , f ee l s unfulfilled by the marriage. M a g g i e ’ s s u s p i c i o n s regarding the nature of Brick’s relationship with his best friend, Skipper, along w i t h B r i c k ’ s r a g i n g alcoholism, are at the very heart of the strain on their

relationship. Throughout the course of the evening, it becomes clear that a delicately-constructed a web of deceit exists, and Brick, Maggie, and Big Daddy - and, indeed, the entire family - must face the issues which have been brewing. The ways in which humans deal with death are at the center of this play, as are the futility and nihilism some encounter when confronted with imminent mortality. Similar ideas are found in Dylan Thomas’s “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”, which Williams excerpted and added as an epigraph to his 1974 revision of Cat. These lines are appropriate, as Thomas wrote the poem to his own dying father. Additionally, in one of his many drafts of the play, in a footnote on Big Daddy’s actions in the third act, Williams deems Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a “play which says only one affirmative thing about ‘Man’s Fate’: that he still has

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Brigadoon (continued from page 1):

A great many others who may not have even heard of the show will have had their first taste through individual songs: “Almost Like Being In Love”, say, or “Heather On The Hill”. And indeed, one of the joys of going to productions like these is to be enveloped in the comforting sound of those wonderful, familiar melodies. But the show has other pleasures that may be appreciated by the uninitiated. Done well, the show evinces great (and even occasionally bawdy) humor, as well as singular charm, and a gentle innocence that transcends mere nostalgia, or a simpering simple-mindedness that some musical theater cognoscenti (wrongly) attribute to all musicals of that period. The show is old-fashioned, but it is also funny, exuberant, warm, witty, and wise. It is imbued with one of Lerner and Loewe’s most resplendent scores, not just a harbinger of musicals to come, but a singular classic in its own right. Josh Sazon

Cat (continued from page 2):

it still in his power not to squeal like a pig but to keep a tight mouth about it.” The original Broadway production, directed by Elia Kazan, starred Barbara Bel Geddes - perhaps best known for her later portrayal of Miss Ellie Ewing on TV’s Dallas - as Maggie, Ben Gazzara as Brick, and Burl Ives as Big Daddy. At that year’s Tony Awards, Kazan was nominated for Best Director of a Play, and Bel Geddes was the only cast member to receive a nomination for an acting award. The big-screen adaptation, released by MGM in 1958, starred Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman as Maggie and Brick, with Burl Ives reprising his role as Big Daddy. The Hays Code forced filmmakers to diminish the original play’s critique of homophobia and sexism, a fact that reportedly displeased both playwright Williams and star Newman. Despite this, the film was highly acclaimed and was nominated for several Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Taylor and Newman both received Oscar nominations for their performances. While critics agreed that the film provided both them and Burl Ives with their finest screen roles up to that time, Cat may have been too controversial for the Academy voters; the film won no Oscars, and the Best Picture award went to Gigi that year. 1974 saw the first of numerous major revivals, for which Williams restored much of the text removed from the original production at the insistence of Elia Kazan. Subsequent revivals, including an all-African-American production in 2008, starring Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, and Anika Noni Rose, have garnered critical accolades and numerous theater awards. In 1976, a televised version of Cat was produced, featuring the then husband-and-wife team of Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood, Laurence Olivier, and Maureen Stapleton, and is considered by many to be the superlative version of the play. A second televised production in 1984 starred Jessica Lange, Tommy Lee Jones, Rip Torn, Kim Stanley, David Dukes, and Penny Fuller. This adaptation, directed by Jack Hofsiss, revived the sexual innuendos which had been muted by the 1958 film. Both Stanley and Fuller were nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Special; Stanley won the award. Source: Wikipedia.

ICCT and Shelter House would like to offer a sincere thank you to all you came out to the Shelter Our Community benefit held August 9th at the Englert Theatre. Whether you bought a ticket, participated in the auction, performed on stage as part of the entertainment, made a donation online, or one of many other ways to show your support, the success of this year’s event is because of your incredible generosity! Together we raised over $18,000 dollars to be shared by Shelter House and ICCT!

Thank you so much for your support!

Meet New Board Members

Kehry Anson Lane - President

Kehry’s first role was as the Scarecrow in his 6th grade class play. The theatre “bug” took hold of him immediately and although he was painfully shy, the stage was too alluring to avoid. By the time he graduated from high school, he was a full theatre addict.

Kehry moved from his hometown of Council Bluffs to Iowa City in 1998. He studied Theatre Arts at the University of Iowa. After graduating with a BA, he decided to make Iowa City his home and dove into the local theatre community. Kehry has been seen on stage with several theatres in the Eastern Iowa Corridor including City Circle Acting Company of Coralville, Dreamwell Theatre, Fourth Room Theatre, Iowa City Community Theatre, Riverside Theatre, Theatre Cedar Rapids and the University of Iowa Theatre Department. He co-founded I-You Theatre Company (performing at all the Iowa Fringe Festivals) and serves as a part of the Artistic Core for Fourth Room Theatre. Kehry’s favorite roles include Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (Fourth Room), Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha (ICCT), El Gallo in The Fantasticks (ICCT), Hamlet in Horatio’s Purgatory (I-You/TCR), Dennis in Scooter Thomas Makes it to the Top of the World (I-You), Bernard in Death of a Salesman (Riverside), Father Welsh in The Lonesome West (Riverside) and Belle Cardinal in Desert Pepper (UI). Kehry also returned to directing in the last two years. He directed Of Mice and Men (Jan/Feb 2014, ICCT), Stop Kiss (Aug/Sept 2013, Fourth Room), and Twelve Angry Men (Jan/Feb 2013, ICCT). Kehry’s perspective on theatre is informed by the I and Thou by philosopher Martin Buber. I and Thou describes two different modes of human interaction with the world, “Experience” (I-It) and “Encounter” (I-You). The I-You “encounter” between people can be transformative bond where both are enriched merely by the joy or relating to each other. To Kehry, that’s what theatre should do

to the artist and audience alike. Kehry lives in Iowa City with his wife, Rachel Howell, and their three year old daughter Louisa. ““This is the eternal origin of art that a human being confronts a form that wants to become a work through him. Not a figment of his soul but something that appears to the soul and demands the soul's creative power. What is required is a deed that a man does with his whole being..” ― Martin Buber, I and Thou

Steve Hall - Past-President

Steve is a comparative newcomer to ICCT. Since joining during the 2011-12 season, he has been involved with set construction for every show since. His talents behind the scenes do not translate to on-stage p e r f o r m a n c e . H e substituted for an actor in a one-and-a-half-line “role” in Annie. It was j u s t f o r o n e

performance, and he was on stage for less than three minutes, but he was terrified! Steve prefers working off-stage, and has become very familiar with “the back of the house”, as well as what needs to be done as we Exodus and Insodus each year. He’s committed to this organization, and is eager to see every aspect of ICCT theater experience get better.

Do you like ICCT? Then if you haven’t already, go "like" ICCT’s page on Facebook (via the URL below) and help us reach our goal

of #1000Likes before the opening of Brigadoon on September 19th. Like, Share, and get involved!

ICCT’s Online Presence:

Website: www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-City-Community-Theatre/265860000150930

Twitter: www.twitter.com/icct56

Open auditions for Camo! The Musical will be held

Monday, September 29th, 6-9 Tuesday, September 30th, 6-9

Iowa City Public Library 123 S. Linn St, Iowa City, Meeting Room B

Auditioners are asked to prepare a one-minute monologue and approximately 16 bars of a song. Cold readings from the script will also be required.

Show Description: A group of hunters prepare for the fall season. Women gather to drink coffee and discuss men, marriage, their own camouflage, and a thing called Lamaze. The woods become magical as Army buddies reunite, brothers discover what they need most, and for two outsiders, love blossoms. A comedy set in the early-1980s, the themes and characters will be familiar to anyone who knows what a prune kolache is.

Character Roles:

Walter (Bass/Baritone) African-American Vietnam Vet. Fisherman, single.

Steve (Baritone/Tenor) European-American Vietnam Vet with a prosthetic lower arm. Deer hunter, father, married to Lorraine.

Kenny (Tenor) European-American, Steve’s awkward teenage brother. Hates hunting, and has dreams beyond the farm.

Dan (Baritone/Tenor) Shy, European-American duck hunter. Married to Julie, expecting their first child.

Tommy P (Baritone/Tenor) European-American Vietnam Vet, married to Mary and father of four. Wants to be a “macho man”.

Lorraine (Alto) European-American. Strong, no-nonsense mother, married to Steve.

Mary (Soprano) European-American. Sweet and kind, but exhausted. Married to Tommy P.

Julie (Alto) European-American. Opinionated “women’s libber”. Married to Dan.

Mui-Den (Soprano/Alto) A divorced Vietnamese-Amercan nurse.

Ensemble (All vocal ranges, some small speaking roles) Women of the Hunter’s Widows Club, Men of the Tip-Top Tap bar; European-Americans.

NOTE: Camo! The Musical is still in need of a Lighting Designer. Do you, or someone you know, have experience? Interest? Not necessarily in that order? Please get in touch with us and let us know at office@iowacitycommunitytheatre.com.

Upcoming Auditions Auditioning for a Musical By Ed Kottick

Here’s some advice for those of you who are auditioning for a musical for the first time (and maybe the second or third time).

1. Be prepared. The audition announcement will tell you what the directors would like to hear. They may ask for a song from the show, or a song in the style of the show, or they may be happy for you to sing anything. Whatever it is, be prepared to do it. Please don’t show up and ask, “What would you like me to sing?” That does not indicate that you are serious about wanting to be in that production.

2. Sing something appropriate. Sing something that will show off your voice to best advantage, something in the style of the part you’d like to snag. If the role you’d like calls for a belter, it won’t help you to sing something lyrical. If it’s a 1950’s classic musical don’t try to impress the directors by singing in contemporary pop style.

3. The people behind the table are your friends. There will likely be at least two of them, the stage director and the music director. The choreographer may also be there, perhaps the stage manager, and maybe others whose function may well be a mystery to you. They’re all there because they have some stake in the show. They want to assemble a good cast, and they’d like you to audition well. The better you sing the happier they’ll be.

4. Don’t freak out if they stop you. Auditions can be busy, and if the directors think they have a good idea of what you can do, they may stop you and move on to the next person. It doesn’t mean that you didn’t do well.

5. You may also be asked to do a “cold” reading of something from the show, and the choreographer may want to see how well you move. Everyone will be interested in seeing how well you take direction.

6. There are considerations over which you have no control, and you need to be prepared for that. If you’re a guy, you may impress the music director with your voice, but if you’re shorter than the leading lady that could enter into the stage director’s consideration. Also, you may have a good voice, but someone else’s voice could just be more appropriate for the role you’re looking for. If there’s a lot of dance in the show and you don’t dance well that could be another consideration. Or you may do great but your body type doesn’t match the director’s vision for the show. There may be other reasons you didn’t get the role, many of which would never enter your mind. The point is, you may sing well -you may be the best singer at the auditions - but you may not get the role you want. That’s all part of show business, and you shouldn’t let it get to you. Pick up your marbles and try again next time. Good luck!

Board of Directors 2014-15

President Kehry Anson Lane

Vice President Rachel Howell

Secretary Beth Hill

Treasurer David Roe

Past-President Steve Hall

Two-Year Members-at-Large Brett Borden Brenda Christner Jaret Morlan

One-Year Members-at-Large Carl Brown Josh Raheim LaDonna Wicklund

Development Committee Mark Hamer Steve Hedlund Bruce Kout Peter Weyer

Publicity Committee Chair and Webmaster Jaret Morlan

Newsletter Editor Jeffrey Allen Mead

IOWA CITY COMMUNITY THEATRE The AFFORDABLE Family Theater

At ICCT, we want the exciting experience of live theater to be available to as many people as possible, so we keep our prices surprisingly low - and that’s great news!

INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES:

Adults $16-18 Senior (60+) $13-15 Student (13-college) $13-15 Children (12-under) $8-10

BUT OUR FLEXPASS IS AN EVEN BETTER DEAL!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Start with your regular season ticket - one seat per show. Then add the freedom to switch things up! Know you’ll be out of town for some shows? Musicals not really your thing? No problem - use the 6 punches any way you like! See all six shows once, or one show six times; use it for yourself, you and a friend, or the whole family. It’s your ticket, your choice!

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Adults $75 ($12.50/punch) Senior (60+) $60 ($10/punch) Student (13-college) $60 ($10/punch)

HOW CAN I GET ONE?

Online at: www.iowacitycommunitytheatre.com

Or mail your order to us at: Iowa City Community Theatre PO Box 827 Iowa City, IA 52244

Or call the Box Office at 319-338-0443, and we’ll call you back!

CAN I GET MORE THAN ONE?

Of course! The ICCT FlexPass is a wonderful gift for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, Mother’s or Father’s Day, the Holiday season, or any occasion. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving all season long!

ICCT FLEX PASS The FLEXIBLE, AFFORDABLE

way to save your spot!

We’ll see you at the theater!

Celebrating Local Talent since 1956!

From the Editor

If you have something you think the Iowa City theatre community would find interesting, I’d love to include it in a future issue of StageWrite! The deadline for submissions for the next issue (November/December) will be October 20. Submissions may be e-mailed to jeffinic@hotmail.com, with “ICCT Newsletter” as the subject line.

Please be advised that, due to space limitations, pieces may need to be edited, but I will do everything I can to avoid that.

Jeffrey