SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE Presents

Deathtrap By Ira Levin

Directed by Christian Lebano

Deathtrap is produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York

CAST (in order of appearance)

Sidney Bruhl .............. Christopher Cappiello* Myra Bruhl .............................. Shaw Purnell* Clifford Anderson ..................... David Tolemy Helga ten Dorp .................Karesa McElheny* Porter Milgrim ............................ Don Savage

*Member Actors’ Equity Association,

the Union of Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Setting: Westport, Connecticut – October 1978

Any taping, filming, recording or broadcast of this play (musical or otherwise) is strictly prohibited.

No food or beverages (other than water) are permitted in the seating areas.

Please turn off all electronic devices.

FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR

Happy 2016 to our friends familiar and new at the Playhouse!

What a year 2015 was for us: two Ovation Recommended shows (A Walk in the Woods and Always…Patsy Cline); the incredible demand for tickets for Patsy that had us extend the show three times; our first ever Ovation nominations; the launch of our Advisory Council; the expansion of our Board with many new members joining us; our biggest donation ever from a

private Foundation; the success of our Fall Fundraising Appeal for matching donations which will allow us to install air-conditioning in the lobby; and our wonderful collaboration with the Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley led by our friend Penny Arroyo. And to top it all off we ended this remarkable year at SMP with the sold-out production of A Christmas Memory. (We are so happy that our Christmas offerings have become a traditional part of the holiday for so many of you. Look for the revival of 2014’s A Little House Christmas next holiday.)

We have so much planned for you in 2016. Our mission to present American stories will lead us to some beautiful offerings to end our season this year including one of the greatest musicals ever written (look for an announcement soon), one of the greatest plays - The Glass Menagerie, and our third annual Field Trip Series presentation of E.B. White’s beloved Charlotte’s Web. 2,500 elementary students from seven school districts and SGV private schools will attend weekday matinees. Through the generosity of the Gilb Family Foundation nearly 50% of the expenses are covered but we continue to raise funds to help us underwrite low-cost tickets for the financially-strapped public schools.

SMP is at a cross-roads. The time and costs associated with our expanded mission are so much greater than even three years ago, add to that the increased expectations of the digital world and we find ourselves needing a small army to accomplish all we want to achieve. We know we have to shift from an all-volunteer organization to a non-profit with some paid staff to do the extensive work of running and maintaining the Playhouse. The Board will meet in January to craft a strategic plan for the next few years. We will be turning to you, our loyal friends for help to make our plans reality.

Promise me you will stop me in the lobby next time you are here so we can get to know each other by name and we can begin an ongoing conversation. There are so many ways SMP is working to enrich your creative journeys. See you in the lobby!

Estelle Campbell

PRODUCTION TEAM Director ................................................................................... Christian Lebano Producers .................... Estelle Campbell, Christian Lebano, Alexandra Wright Asst. Producer ......................................................................... Jackson Kendall Stage Manager ........................................................................... Kristin Bolinski Assistant Stage Manager / Wardrobe Mistress .......................... Emily Hopfauf Set Designer ................................................................................ John Vertrees Asst. Set Designer / Properties Designer / Production Manager .... Erin Walley Costume Designer ......................................................................... Vicki Conrad Lighting Designer....................................................................... Pablo Santiago Sound Effects Designer .............................................................. Barry Schwam Composer ...................................................................................... Sean Paxton Fight Choreographer ...................................................................... Ken Merckx Dialect Coach ............................................................... Deborah Ross Sullivan Lobby Curator ................................................................................ Diane Siegel Set Builder ....................................................................................... Brad Bentz Carpenters ............................................................ Corey Biggs, Brian Johnson

Jody St. Michael, Stewart White, Jr. Electricians .............................................................. Vicky Aguilar, John Dimitri Scenic Painter ...................................................................... Orlando de la Paz Poster Design .................................................................................... Kiff Scholl Production Photography .................................................................... Gina Long Publicity Photography ............................................................... John Dlugolecki Website Designer ...................................................................... Daniel Pelletier Publicist ...................................................................................... Philip Sokoloff Program .................................................................................. Christian Lebano

FOR THE SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE Artistic Director ....................................................................... Christian Lebano Managing Director .................................................................. Estelle Campbell Operations Director .................................................................... Ward Calaway Box Office Manager ........................................................................ Mary Baville Volunteer Guild Coordinator ................................................Alison Eliel Kalmus Exhibits and Special Events Curator ............................................. Diane Siegel Reading Series Curator ..................................................................... DJ Harner Social Media Manager ................................................................... David Crane Website Manager ...................................................................... Daniel Pelletier eBlast Coordinator .......................................................................... Deb Snyder Board Members .................................................... Paul Van Dorpe (President)

Louise Calaway, Ward Calaway, Estelle Campbell, James Harnagel, Joe Langer, Christian Lebano, Joan Riback, Randy Ruppart,

Serge Varela, Frank Zgonc

Advisory Council .............. Michael Albright, David Gordon, Suzanna Guzman, Robert Lebano, Ann Scott- Putney, John Sparks, Manuela Markarian

A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR

For those of you who are long-time patrons, you’ll remember the days when SMP produced a lot of thrillers. It has been several years since we last did one and I’m thrilled to be directing one of the best ones ever written - Ira Levin’s Deathtrap! This show was originally slated to open on October 2 but because of the extensions of Always…Patsy Cline we moved it to a January opening. It is my great good fortune that the cast and designers all stayed with me through the various postponements. This is a dynamite

cast and we have had a ball figuring out how to murder each other (in the show!) and just how much blood we’ll use!

Acting is pretending. All of us in the theater were probably once those kids with hyper-active imaginations who jumped at the chance to play cops & robbers, or prince & princesses, or superheroes! So to get to work on a show where part of the consideration is how to hold a dagger so it looks most menacing, or how to believably die on the hearth rug, or exactly when to scare the audience is just so much fun.

And for me it is such a pleasure (and relief) to be back in the rehearsal room. It’s been a year since I last directed and I’ve really missed it. Thrillers are tricky. In many ways they are melodramas – making sure that the plot elements are clear is so important. That makes the direction much more technical than usual. Part of my job is to be the surrogate for the audience – to make sure that they catch everything that they are supposed to. So if actor A says something that causes actor B to react and that reaction is critical to the forward movement of the play – then actor B has to wait a beat for the audience to see the reaction. If they react too soon the audience will miss it. This is a different way of thinking about acting than many actors are used to. Lucky for me that I have had this wonderful cast to work with on this show. I am also indebted to the entire design team and crew who put in countless hours to make sure that we give you an evening of thrills and chills and surprises!

Let me know if you enjoyed the return of thrillers to SMP – I have another ingenious one in my hip pocket that I would love to do for you.

Christian Lebano

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ira Levin (1929-2007) was twenty-two when he wrote his first novel, the award-winning 1953 thriller A Kiss Before Dying. He followed it with his first play, the hit adaptation of Mac Hyman’s No Time for Sergeants. Both were adapted for the screen, launching a career of over fifty years that was characterized by equal success as both a novelist and playwright. Levin’s plays include the comedy hit Critic’s Choice, the musical Drat! The Cat! (which yielded the Streisand classic He Touched Me), and Deathtrap – the longest-running thriller in Broadway history. His iconic novels include Rosemary’s Baby, The Boys from Brazil, and The Stepford Wives (the latter

coining a new adjective). A native New Yorker and a graduate of the Horace Mann School and New York University, Levin was the recipient of three Edgar Allan Poe Awards, and served on the council of the Dramatists Guild until his death. [From the website IraLevin.org]

The Producers, Cast, and Crew thank the following for their contributions to Deathtrap

Serge Varela and Marvyn Galsim at GrandCare Health Services for providing rehearsal space for this production.

Penny Arroyo and the volunteers from Volunteer Center of San Gabriel Valley for all the work they have contributed to our efforts.

The Only Place in Town for providing our delicious coffee.

Jennifer Ramos, Danielle Borsch and the staff of Vroman’s Bookstore Hastings Ranch.

Ken Merckx for the loan of many of the weapons used on the set.

Tony Palermo for the loan of the foley door.

Jeaneane Warner for her marketing efforts and support.

Vicky Aguilar and Emily Hopfauf for their very creative contributions to the Lobby Display. And a special thank you to Astek Wallcoverings for the donation of the vintage wallpaper used in this production.

THE CAST Christopher Cappiello* (Sidney) is delighted to be working at SMP for the first time. Prior work on both coasts includes leading roles by Shakespeare, Shaw, Ibsen, Chekhov, Strindberg, Stoppard and Pinter. He was privileged to work often with playwright Romulus Linney in New York, including the off-Broadway premiere of Gint, Mr. Linney’s Appalachian adaptation of Peer Gynt that traveled to the National Theatre of Norway. Chris is a longtime member of LA’s Classical Theatre Lab, where recent work includes leading roles in The Night of the Iguana and Blithe Spirit. Television includes As the World Turns and One Life to Live. A native New Yorker, Chris is a graduate of Brown University and UCLA, and trained

at Circle in the Square and HB Studio. Karesa McElheny* (Helga) Theatre credits include Joshua Ravetch's The Lightbulb, understudy to Loretta Swit (performed) in One November Yankee, Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth Rex (Ovation/LA Weekly nom. Best Actress), and Dr. Seward in Ken Sawyer’s Dracula, all at the NoHo Arts Center; Vivian Bearing in Wit (Ovation nom. Best Actress, Stage Scene LA Best Performance: Lead Actress in a Drama), Mrs. Malaprop, Macbeth, Prospero, Beatrice etc. She has directed 35+ productions in the L.A. area; including Assassins (LA Weekly nom. Best Musical), Amadeus, Julius Caesar, her own adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, Dancing at Lughnasa, and Angels in America Parts I & II. She also has recorded, produced and abridged numerous audio books. Member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA.

Shaw Purnell (Myra) recent credits include The Fisherman’s Wife for the Blank Theater's Young Playwright's Festival and several short films, Welcome to Willowsbrook and In the Privacy of Your Own Home. Off-Broadway, she appeared at the American Place Theater in Death of a Miner, and at the Classic Theater in Never Say Die, starring Bill Smitrovich who has been her husband and co-star since 1985. Regional theater work includes Portland Stage Company, The Barter Theater, and People’s Light and Theater Company. For many years, she has been involved with Lexington Conservatory Theater and its regional incarnation, Capital Repertory Company. She is the voice of God for Rubber Chicken Cards. Special thanks must go to

Jenny O’Hara, her wonderful acting teacher.

Don Savage (Porter) has appeared in over two dozen shows including: To Kill a Mockingbird, Sound of Music, Our Town, The Music Man and the world-premiere of The Red Room at the NoHo Arts Center. He’s appeared on screen with Walter Matthau & Blythe Danner. National voiceover credits include: Carnation, Toyota, Bridgestone Tires and Princess Cruises. He’s narrated four documentaries and is the host of dozens of audio programs for over 20 international airlines. Thank you Christian for your vision & passion. Thanks to this glorious cast. Thanks to my acting coach & mentor Alan Feinstein for getting me ‘out of my head’ and ‘into the moment’. Most of all, thanks to my wife, Lori who makes my life a glorious adventure.

David Tolemy (Clifford) graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has appeared in numerous plays in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Some of his favorite productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), A Christmas Carol (Bob Cratchett), Twelfth Night (Sir Andrew), The Cripple of Inishmann (Bartley), and When You Comin’ Back Red Ryder? (Richard). Additionally, David appeared in a leading role in the award-winning independent film Parts of Disease. His latest feature film, Hide and Go Seek is currently in post-production. David would like to thank Christian Lebano; the great company at the Sierra Madre Playhouse; his supportive wife, Amy; and his wonderful infant son, Jake.

PRODUCTION TEAM Kristin Bolinski (Stage Manager) is so glad to be back at SMP having Stage Managed The Odd Couple and Always...Patsy Cline last year. After growing up in Hawaii, Kristin moved to California to pursue her love of film and theatre, recently graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a BA in Film with a Theatre minor. Some of her most recent work as a freelance Stage Manager includes Grease and Annie Jr. with Puttin’ On Productions youth theater, Dental Society Midwinter Meeting at the Atwater Village Theater, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at Saddleback College and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at CSULB. While living in Hawaii, Kristin worked on many productions including RENT, The Producers, and The Wedding Singer. Vicki Conrad (Costume Designer) Recent credits include A Christmas Memory and Einstein is a Dummy (Sierra Madre Playhouse), for Actor's Co-op: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2015 Ovation Award for Best Costume Design), 110 in the Shade (Ovation Award – Best Production of a Musical), My Children! My Africa!, Pride and Prejudice, Going to St. Ives, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Learned Ladies (LA Weekly Award Best Costume Design, Ovation Nomination), The Matchmaker, Big River (Ovation Nomination), A Perfect Likeness (Co-op & Fremont Theatre), Live! The Last Night of My Life (Sacred Fools) and The Burnt Part Boys (Third Street Theater). Grateful thanks to the entire SMP team. www.vickiconraddesign.com Orlando de la Paz (Scenic Painter) Deathtrap is Orlando's seventh production at SMP, following A Christmas Memory, Always...Patsy Cline, The Odd Couple, A Little House Christmas, A Walk in the Woods, and the Einstein/Putting it Together Rep. Other credits include: A Noise Within: All My Sons, Antigone, A Flea in Her Ear, Julius Caesar, Figaro, The Dance of Death; The Colony: What I Learned in Paris, Road to Appomattox, El Grande Circus de Coca-Cola; Antaeus: Top Girls, Picnic, Uncle Vanya, Cloud 9; La Mirada Theater: Good People, Billy Elliot; Boston Court: Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll, Seven Spots on the Sun; The Los Angeles Theater: Carrie. The Falcon Theater: Santa Claus is Coming to Motown, The Trouble We Come From. Education: Otis College of Art and Design, Don Bosco College Seminary, Don Bosco Technical Institute.

Emily Hopfauf (Asst. Stage Manager) is excited to be working on her fifth show with SMP having ASM’ed for A Christmas Memory, The Odd Couple and Einstein is a Dummy and been the Wardrobe Mistress/Dresser for Always…Patsy Cline. She has constructed costumes for Color of the Stars at Childsplay Theater. She received a BA in Theater, Film, and Dance with an emphasis in costume design at Humboldt State University. While attending HSU she Stage Managed Fat Pig, Costume Designed the Spring Dance Show and worked on multiple wardrobe and run crews. Emily also is Assistant to the Management Team at SMP. Jackson Kendall (Associate Producer) is very excited to finally be working with SMP. He is a graduate of Loyola Marymount University (BA in Theatre Arts) where he received the Virginia Barnelle Award for outstanding achievement in acting. He would like to thank Alex Wright, Christian Lebano, and Estelle Campbell for bringing him into the fold.

Christian Lebano (Director) has directed Battledrum, Driving Miss Daisy (Ovation Recommended), Woman in Mind (LA Times Critic’s Choice), and 4000 Miles at SMP. He played Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird (BroadwayWorld.com Best Actor Nom.), Jerry in God’s Man in Texas, and Stage Manager in Our Town. And he has co-produced 15 plays at SMP. He was in the long-running Opus at The Fountain Theater (Ovation nom’s Best Play and Best Ensemble, LADCC Best Ensemble winner and nom Best Play, LA Weekly nom Best Actor.) He has worked at regional theaters across the country as both an actor and director. Christian is the Artistic Director of the Playhouse and a Board member. Ken Merckx (Fight Choreographer) has choreographed fights and taught actors theatrical combat for film, television, theatre and universities all across the country. Ken is the resident fight choreographer for the Idaho & Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festivals, A Noise Within (Los Angeles) and the Great Lakes Theater (Cleveland). He is proud to have staged violence for the world-premieres of Steven Dietz's Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (Pasadena Playhouse), Jeffery Hatcher's Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (San Jose Repertory) and The Suicide Club (Arizona Theatre Company), Octavio Solis' Cloudlands (South Coast Repertory). Mr. Merckx received his MFA, in acting, from the University of Illinois and his BA, in theatre studies, from the University of Washington. He received an Ovation Award in 2013 for his fight choreography in A Noise Within's production of Cymbeline. Sean Paxton (Composer) is a composer and musician based in Los Angeles. He attended USC for Jazz Performance studying with Milcho Leviev and Cedar Walton. After finishing his degree, Sean spent a year in Glasgow, Scotland, playing in hotels and working with the Lothian Gaelic Choir. He was the Music Director and Band Leader for SMP’s smash hit Always…Patsy Cline and has music directed dozens of productions at various theaters including Sierra Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, PCPA, the Odyssey, the NoHo Arts Center, and has played and produced music for Disney and Universal Studios. As a composer Sean has written music for trailers, commercials, and films. He recently scored the award-winning features Virginity and Refuge, and received ASCAP's Harold Arlen Award for film scoring. Pablo Santiago (Lighting Designer) is happy to return to SMP and to collaborate with Christian again after 4000 Miles. Pablo is the Winner of the Stage Raw Award 2015 for Best Lighting Design for his work on The Brothers Size (Fountain Theater). Nominated for the Ovation and the LA Weekly Award, Pablo's designs have been seen at ODC in SF, Soundbox in SF, Su Teatro in Denver, LATC, MOCA-Geffen, The Broad Museum, REDCAT, and the Broad Theater among others. He collaborated with the LA Phil as part of their Green Umbrella Project and Amor Brujo at Disney Hall, La Olla (the LTC at Getty Villa), Destiny of Desire at Arena Stage in Washington DC and Pearls of the Planet at the Annenberg Space for Photography for Explore.org. Instagram: @pablosdesign Barry Schwam (Sound FX Designer) Actor/sound designer Barry Schwam has designed sound and created sound effects for over 100 productions both at SMP

and around the country, film and stage. He was co-nominated for Best Sound Design for SMP’s Driving Miss Daisy by the NAACP. Mr. Schwam has also scored and performed music that has appeared in several shows at SMP as well as having written many songs for children's theater and has 10 self-produced music albums available on Amazon.com. He also plays the unusual Theremin…world's only instrument played without touching it! Diane Siegel (Lobby Curator) Diane has designed educational programs and exhibitions for institutions including The Pasadena Museum of History, The Central Library of Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Conservancy, Los Angeles City Hall, the National Parks Service, and the Museum of Television & Radio (now The Paley Center for Media.) She also was the executive director for a nonprofit working in the United States and Slovakia on issues associated with the Holocaust. She has curated seven lobby exhibits for the Playhouse: Battledrum, 6 Rms Riv Vu, A Walk in the Woods, The Odd Couple, Einstein/Putting it Together, Always…Patsy Cline, and A Christmas Memory. John Vertrees (Set Designer) is an Art Director and Set Designer for feature films, prime-time television and theatre. He has worked as a Theatrical Design Assistant on Our Town at the Pittsburgh Public theatre and later at the Shaftesbury Theatre London starring Alan Alda. Also Slab Boys staged in Japan and Hot Mikado at Ford's Theatre in Washington DC. John is currently working as Art Director on the ABC television series Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Other television credits include TNT's period drama Mob City directed by Frank Darabont, NBC's comedy Community and History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys for which John received a prime-time Emmy nomination for outstanding art direction. John is a resident of Sierra Madre. Erin Walley (Asst. Set Designer and Props Designer) Graduated from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 2012 with an MFA in Theatre Scenic Design. Her recent scenic designs includeThe Tempest & Treasure Island with the Young Actors Project, and The Odd Couple at SMP. Additionally, her recent properties work includes Props Design for Always…Patsy Cline at SMP, All My Sons and Antigone at A Noise Within, Shiv at The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Lion King Jr. at Milken Community Schools. Upcoming projects include The Complete History of America at the Falcon Theatre, The Mystery of Love & Sex at the Mark Taper Theatre, Six Characters in Search of an Author at A Noise Within and The Glass Menagerie at Sierra Madre Playhouse. Alexandra Wright (Producer) is thrilled to be back at SMP after performing as Bec in 4000 Miles and Annabelle in Battledrum. Alexandra has performed in over fifty productions--favorite roles include: Kali in The Avenue of Saints (Skylight), Helena and Hippolyta in A Midsummer's Night Dream, Igraine/Edmund in Lear (Theatricum Botanicum), Rosalind in As You Like It (ART). Favorite TV credits: Gilded Lilys, Trending, Greek. Film credits: Abductee, Captive, Valentine's Day. Acting has given her the opportunity to work with Neil Gaiman, Scott Zigler, and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as work in London, Paris, and Moscow. She holds a BA from the University of Southern California, and an MFA from the Moscow Art Theater/Harvard University.

The Marquee Circle* The Sierra Madre Playhouse thanks the following members of the Marquee

Circle for their generous contributions in support of our work.

Foundations, Grants, & Underwriters Charles E. & Ruth V. Gilb Foundation CIGNA GrandCare Home Health Services Los Angeles County Arts Commission Pasadena Educational Foundation Ralphs Sierra Madre Civic Club Sierra Madre Community Foundation The Spero Foundation

Angels ($5,000 and higher)

Ward & Louise Calaway George Enyedi Paul Van Dorpe & Jill Maglione

Broadway Stars ($1,500 - $4,999)

Anonymous x2 Estelle Campbell Jeffery & Susan Davidson

Rising Stars ($1,000 - $1,499)

David & Maggi Gordon Carlos Rodriguez Fran Syverson

Center Stage ($500 - $999) Patrick Holland Christian Lebano Gina & Steven Long Lisa Spigai-Perez Julie Rosenthal – In Memory of Ruth King Southern California Lyric Theater Dress Rehearsal ($250 - $499)

Karol Ballard & Kathryn Mickaliger Eric & Alice Clark Karie Beth Brown Anne Scott-Putney & Astrid Sheil Buccaneer Lounge Sierra Madre Woman’s Club Mindy & Jim Halls Donald Songster

Green Room Friends ($100 - $249) Delna Abernathy Shirley & Ken Anhalt Roxanne Barker Patricia Barron Nancy Bechtold Erica Blodgett Robert Cardenas Gerald B. Carlton Carol Ann Collins Michael & Margaret Ellis Marlene Enmark Paul & Pauline Fairbanks David Felt Eric Gentry James B. Harnagel Michael Hegeman Lance Ito Janet Kadin Harvey & Kazuko Kagasoff Dorothy Keane John Koeppel

Constance Lash Carol & Richard Libby Susan Lompe John Lusche Kathy Meagher Katherene L. Meisch Glen Moulder Kelsey O’Keeffe Bill & Judy Opel Tzvetelin Petrov David Pierce Thomas Pocock Sharon Ramsey Noell & Robert Reichmann Carole & Donald Roback Sierra Madre Historical Society Stanley A. Meyer Design LLC Robert H. Stevens John Szura John & Leslie Thompson Pearl Tyree

*The gifts listed above were received between Dec. 25, 2014 and Dec. 25, 2015.

To report a misspelling or omission, please contact Info@SierraMadrePlayhouse.org.

Your gift is deeply appreciated by all of us here at SMP, and any errors will be corrected as soon as possible. Thank you for your support of the Playhouse!

How to Support the Playhouse Without Writing Us a Check!

You must renew yearly – in September – please do. Thanks. Sign up your Ralphs’ Rewards Card and up to 4% of your grocery bill will be donated to Sierra Madre Playhouse. 1. Visit Ralphs.com and sign-in or register for a Ralphs’ online account. 2. Click the My Account button and select Account Settings. 3. Scroll to Community Rewards and search for Sierra Madre Playhouse or enter our group number 83942 4. Select us under Organization Name. Click Save!

And that’s all there is to it!

‘Charlotte’ to spin her magical ‘Web’ on Playhouse stage By Fran Syverson

Imagine Charlotte spinning her web on the Sierra Madre Playhouse stage! Or actually, you needn’t imagine, as she will be right there beginning March 10, 2016! And so will Wilbur the Pig.

Charlotte’s Web is the endearing story of the unlikely friendship between a pig and a spider. Runt of the litter,

Wilbur is nursed back to health by Fern, the young girl who lives on the farm. As he thrives, he is moved to a barn to live with the other animals. Oh, but when he fattens up, the animals realize he is headed for the market, and they set out to save him from his doom. Craftily, Charlotte begins spinning magical words such as T-e-r-r-i-f-i-c in her web. Everyone is amazed. What a special, terrific pig Wilbur is—surely he shouldn’t be sent to market!

How many generations of children have been enchanted by the loyal, tender passions of a spider and a pig?...asks Gary Lamb in his Playhouse directorial debut. Smiling, he describes it as “one of the great love affairs,” right up there with Romeo and Juliet, or Anthony and Cleopatra. Nor is the story for children only. Adults also appreciate this timeless tale of the human condition in the Circle of Life, dealing as it does not only with friendship but also the shadow of death. What a terrific play for families to enjoy together!

Charlotte’s Web will continue the Playhouse Field Trip Series initiative with its third year of school-day matinees Mondays through Fridays (already sold-out!) for students, and Saturday and Sunday matinees for general audiences. Nearly two dozen schools have signed up—from districts near and far.

Lamb is delighted to bring his broad experience in stage and short films to SMP. He is Co-Artistic Director for Crown City Theater where their recent Cabaret garnered several awards. His challenge here is how to create Charlotte’s fanciful Web.

Charlotte’s Web, which will be double-cast, will offer two opening nights: Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 (these will be the only evening performances in the run) and matinees on the weekends at 2:30. Weekends will also feature special events—a petting zoo, a bug lady, and a special tea. The show closes Sunday, April 17.

In addition, Artistic director Christian Lebano has announced that Cori Cable Kidder, who played Patsy in last summer’s hit Always…Patsy Cline, will be back starring in a 3-week run of an Andrews Sisters review called Swing Dames beginning April 1, 2016! Tickets on sale now!

Coming Next…

Charlotte’s Web Adapted by Joseph Robinette

Based on the book by E.B. White Directed by Gary Lamb

March 10 to April 17

“[Charlotte’s Web is about] friendship on earth, affection and protection, adventure and miracle, life and death, trust and treachery, pleasure and pain, and the passing of time. As a piece of work, it is just about perfect, and just about magical in the way it is done.”

– Eudora Welty, The New York Times Book Review E. B. White’s beloved children’s book tells the story of Wilbur—a young, runt of a pig—whose life is saved by the friendship of a young girl named Fern and a gifted, grey barn spider named Charlotte. Part of our Field Trip Series of school-day matinees, Charlotte’s Web will also play matinees on Saturdays and Sundays for our general audiences.

The Glass Menagerie

By Tennessee Williams

Directed by Christian Lebano

May 6 to June 12

"No ifs, ands or buts — “The Glass Menagerie” should break your heart."

- New York Daily News

The play that made Williams' career, The Glass Menagerie tells the semi-

autobiographical story of the Wingfield family, comprised of faded Southern

belle Amanda and her two children, Tom and Laura. Tom is a restless dreamer

frustratingly tethered to home, while Laura is a shy, crippled girl. At

Amanda's urging Tom brings home a "gentleman caller" for Laura and sets in

motion an upheaval that changes all of their lives. One of the greatest American

plays in its first production at the Playhouse.