The Prompter - The Village Players of Birmingham

The Prompter
93nd season, Issue 7
Table of Contents
Page 1
Prez Says
Page 2
To Kill a Mockingbird
Page 3
South Pacific Cast
Page 4
VYT News and Events
Page 5
Member News
Page 6
VP History
Page 7
Murder Mystery
Page 8
New Members
Page 9
Auditions/Members
Appearing Elsewhere
Page 10
Upcoming Events
March
Prez Says
Time for VP
As I write you this missive, VP just opened its fourth show
of this season: To Kill a Mockingbird. With a little bias, I
think it's a great show: I hope that you will come enjoy
this enduring, timeless and meaningful story. I have been
honored to be part of this production and fortunate to
work with so many talented people, many of whom are
new to VP.
It takes a great deal of time on the part of all our members
to keep this place running at the pace it does. I know that
I personally have fallen a bit short on some of my goals for
the year as president, in part because of the time given to
troubleshooting things that pop up almost every day. But
your board continues to strive to make VP the best it can
be, and I encourage each of you to get involved in whatever capacity works for you.
Thanks for all you do for VP, and I look forward to seeing
you at the theatre!
Paul A. Gillin
Directed by Tim Wittlinger
March 4-20, 2016
March 18, 19 and 20 are the final performance dates for To Kill A Mockingbird. The cast and crew
have been honored to bring this treasured novel to the stage. The show has performed to sold-out
audiences and has received rave reviews. There are a few tickets left to this weekend’s show. If you
haven’t seen it, don’t miss your chance.
According to Director, Tim Wittlinger, “Mockingbird is a director’s dream as well as a challenge. The
show's timeless aura, complex themes and myriad of emotions need to be woven together with the
director’s input without changing the author’s intent. I love challenges. The cast has worked overtime
to portray the true feelings and dilemmas about their characters' lives, hopes and fears. I hope the
audience appreciates how closely these stories reflect their own, and, like Scout, learns the importance of loving and respecting each other.” As Scout says in the final moments of the show;
“There isn’t much else left for me to learn, except possibly algebra.”
The talented cast of To Kill a Mockingbird includes local veteran actors and some exciting new faces
to the Village Players stage:
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VYT NEWS
Disney's High School Musical Auditions,:
Audition Date, Times and Location: Saturday, March 19 (attend one session)
Session 1, Register at 9:00 a.m., audition from 9:30 a.m. - noon, or
Session 2, Register at 12:30 p.m., audition from 1:00 - 3:30 p.m .
Complete details and audition materials on the website:
www.birmimghamvillageplayers.com
Summer Theater Arts Camp: Enrollment is now full. We
are accepting names for our wait list. Contact Cathie
Badalamenti at cathiebadalamenti@gmail.com for more
information or to be placed on the wait list.
Announcing our 2016-17 Season:
December 2016
Our 10th Anniversary Production
June 2017
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March 2016
Member News
Long time Village Players member Julie Candler died in January. She was an
editor of the Birmingham-Bloomfield Eccentric from late 1950s to early
1960s. She owned her own public relations firm. She wrote a monthly column
entitled "Woman at the Wheel" for Women's Day from 1964 to 1982. Her
interests were centered on all aspects of the automotive industry at a time
when few women were journalists and even fewer were writing about the auto
industry.
“A wonderful and intelligent woman,” says Larry Weis, president of AutoCom
Associates in Bloomfield Hills.
“She was a pioneer and a trailblazer — an elegant and lovely person. But what I especially admired about her
was her love of life and people. She never withdrew from the world or stepped away. She showed up until the
end. I will miss her,” says Detroit News columnist Laura Berman, who recently retired.
Longtime Village Players member Virginia "Ginny" Dickson died in September. She
had taught school in Royal Oak until her retirement in 1984. For many years, she was
a docent at the Detroit Institute of Arts and often travelled in pursuit of her interest
in art. She was also a long-time member of the AAUW. Her father had painted the
murals on the walls of the original Village Players Playhouse; when it was rebuilt, she
arranged for copies to be made of them. These copies are now hanging on the walls
of the playhouse.
Virginia had the honor of cutting the ribbon for the various grand openings of the
Birmingham Theater three different times.
Please change home phone number for BOTH Jerry & Dianne McKeon to 248-731-7195
Please ADD email for John Stevens at Jalden123@aol.com
Please correct email for Edmond Guay - REMOVE the "dot" between his first and last name in the email
address
Please CHANGE mailing address for Lori Champagne to:
2135 Watkins Lake Road
Waterford, MI 48328
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March 2016
Looking Back at Village Players History – March
By Tania Velinsky
I thought we might look back at the first additions made to our little theatre building. Not the additions
made in 1998 that many longtime members will remember vividly, but the addition completed for our 25th
anniversary that added the kitchen and dressing rooms.
Although not much documentation exists, it is easy to understand that as the group approached the silver
anniversary, the 280 members would be feeling cramped in the original theatre building with the dressing
rooms and kitchen located under the stage. A committee was formed, plans were drawn up, a capital campaign was completed, and the kitchen wing was built (almost) in time for the 25th Anniversary party on
March 21st, 1949. As you can see from the photo of the people touring the construction during the party,
what is now the women’s’ dressing room was original two rooms – one for electrical equipment, and the other for paint. But you can also see that the men’s dressing room still exists pretty much as it was planned in
1949, including the wood paneling!
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March 2016
Village Players has New Members:
Amy Pfeiffer
1079 Forest Lane
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301
PH-248-854-5463
Email- apfeiffer@belangerinc.com
ACTIVE membership
Elizabeth Rager
Christina Calderwood
23087 Vassar
807 Dartford Place Drive
Hazel Park, MI 48030
Rochester Hills, MI 48307
PH-248-259-2216
PH-248-506-2848 (cell)
Email- elizabeth.rager@gmail.com
Email- abccalderwood@gmail.com
ACTIVE membership
ACTIVE membership
John Rutherford
3309 Innsbrook Drive
Kevin Feber
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
10404 Ludlow
PH-248-375-0696 (home)
Huntington Woods, MI 48070
Email- jwrtheatre@gmail.com
PH-248-5147-1467
ACTIVE membership
Email- Kfeber@gmail.com
ACTIVE membership
Michael Trudel
900 Beaconsfield
Ronnie Glenn
Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
2400 Parmenter Blvd.
PH-313-520-0908 (cell)
Royal Oak, MI 48073
Email-miketrudel@comcast.net
PH-586-909-4313
ACTIVE membership
Email- ronnieromance247@yahoo.com
ACTIVE membership
Takesha L. Walker
14442 Asbury Park
Eric Goldstein
Detroit, MI 48227
19581 Silver Spring
PH-313-587-6190
Southfield, MI 48076-1749
Email- takeshawalker@hotmail.com
PH-248-762-8971
ACTIVE membership
Email- goldsteing4@comcast.net
ACTIVE membership
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March 2016
AUDITIONS ELSEWHERE
The Riverbank and Snug Theatres in Marine City are holding open auditions on March 28
for "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". Performances June 10-26.
Please sign up online at www.riverbanktheatre.com/auditions
GROSSE POINTE THEATRE - Choreographer Nancy Graybill will present a TAP
WORKSHOP on Saturday, March 19th from 2:00 - 4:00 pm in preparation for SINGIN'
IN THE RAIN. This workshop will be a continuation of the January workshop.
Participants will learn more of the show choreography. This workshop is not
suggested for beginners.
Cost for this workshop is $5 for members, $10 for non-members.
Oakland Theatre Arts Guild is holding auditions for Jesus Christ Superstar March 17, 19,
and 20 at the Startlight Theater, 7370 Highland Rd, Waterford. Performances June 312. www.starlighttheater.net
MEMBERS APPEARING ON OTHER STAGES
Eileen White is appearing as Ouiser Boudreaux in Grosse Pointe’s Theatre production of Steel Magnolias
thru March 19.
David Reinke and Becky Fisher are appearing in The Full Monty as Reg Willoughby and Jeanette
Burmeister at Farmington Players, April 29 - May 21, 2016.
Julie Fuller is playing Masha in Stagecrafters' production of VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE,
April 8-24 on the main stage. Tickets and more info at www.stagecrafters.org, or usher and see it for free!
Send an email to Housemanager@stagecrafters.org
Jay Kaplan is directing Casa Valentina at Stagecrafters assisted by Sue Chekaway. Appearing in it is Collen
Gentry as Rita, Suzette Ho as Eleanor and Dale Feldpausch as Theodore/Terry . May 6-8, 12-15, 2016, on
the 2nd Stage of Stagecrafters.
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March 2016
34660 Woodward Ave.
Birmingham, MI 48009
Upcoming Events
Prompter deadline March 21, 2016!!!
View the VP online calendar at www.calendar.yahoo.com/vp_calendar
March 17
March 18/19
March 19
March 20
March 21
March 30
730PM
8PM
9AM
2PM
7PM
7PM
To Kill a Mockingbird Benefit Show
To Kill a Mockingbird Performances
VYT Auditions — High School Musical
To Kill a Mockingbird Closing Performance / Strike
P@W Meeting — Green Room
Membership Committee Meeting — Green Room
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Blessed Easter & Passover Greetings to you all
This edition of The Prompter was created and compiled by your newsletter
team Michael A. Gravame & Tania L. Velinsky.
Please send all newsworthy articles, pictures and items to anyone in the new team.
Michael— littletevye@yahoo.com ◊ Tania—tania.velinsky@siemens.com
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March 2016