Tin Woman at Palestine Community Theatre

On October 6, 2017 we will open a new play at the Texas Theater here in Palestine.  Directed by Carol Moore, it's Tin Woman, by Sean Grennan.

Tin Woman is the story, based on a truth, of 5 people- a heart transplant recipient, the heart donor, and the donor's family.  The donor, Jack, is understandably very quiet during almost all of the play due to being...well...dead.  There are flashbacks of him that serve as poignant reminders of his humanity.  Joy, the recipient is in emotional turmoil as happens a lot in this type of surgery; "Why me?"  Jack's family, father Hank, mother Alice, and sister Sammy are in pain.  The loss of a child is one of the most painful things parents can go through:  the grieving process- a torture. This story is the story of their journey of healing, with Jack as silent witness to their torment.

But this is not a ghost story.  It is the story of the living.  It is the story of love and healing and forgiveness.  As the title suggests, both literally and figuratively,  the Tin Woman finally finds her heart.

We're in the final stages of rehearsal rolling up to opening night in a handful of days.  There is laughing, crying, and more than a little hoping... and I'm just talking about the cast here!

Jack...................Brandon Haygood
Joy.....................Katherine Newton
Hank..................Jim Vincill
Alice..................Dr Jan Sikes
Sammy...............Shannon Smith
Nurse/Darla.......Sandy Webb
Stage Crew........John Lamb and Laura Richardson (with subst Kathy Lamb)
Tech Crew.........Roy and Chaudra Dantin
Asst Director.....Sharie Bailey
Director.............Carol Moore

Showtimes are:
Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:30PM--- Sunday Matinees @ 2:00 PM
October 6, 7, 8 and 13, 14, 15
Opening night celebration begins one hour before curtain.

the 39 Steps at HCPAC

2/11/2015

This past Sunday, my wife and I attended the matinee performance of the farcical adaptation of Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps".  We did not know what to expect beforehand.  However, when we noticed in the program that only four actors portrayed all the characters, we knew it had the potential to be fun.  It was.

To begin with-- the four actors:
John Smith plays Richard Hannay, Canadian spending some time in England so that he can become involved in intrigue.  Smith does an excellent job of balancing his role as straight-man with the farcical aspects of the production.  He plays the farce straight up with a twist.

Cassandra Schwantes manages three roles- Annabella (exotic murder victim), Margaret, and Pamela (romantic interest).  She differentiates the characters very well, giving each a life of their own.  He best is Pamela.

Listed in the program as "Clown1 and Clown2" we have T. Gordon Mayhall and Dustin Bartee.  They play everyone else- male and female- sometimes changing roles while still on stage to hilarious effect.  They are the police, the spies, the housekeeper, and the evil spymaster.  They are the innkeeper and his wife, the train employees, and on and on.  They are fun.

The staging was quite creative and the stage crew were absolutely awesome.  Let me name them: Gary McDonlad (coordinator), J Niswonger, Anita Joblin, Teri Kirksey, and Kyra Dawson.  These fine artists created, sometimes in full view of the audience, a wildly changing and amazing set of scenes.  They would slide furniture on from offstage such that the chair came to rest exactly behind the actor already in the motion of sitting down.  There was a riotous nod to "North by Northwest" done in silhouette that blew me away.

Last, and no means least, the director, Marcia Colbert.  Imaginative direction.  Collaborative staging (if the actors are to be believed).  She took on a tough script in a tough space with a small cast and crew.  But with creativity, vision, and obvious passion she turned out a great show.

I highly recommend this production.  It runs for three more shows (Sunday matinee of course).  Athens Little Theater at Henderson County Performing Arts Center is in the black box theater just off Hwy 19 south in Athens, Texas at 400 Gibson Road.  Phone (903) 675-3908

For goodness sake, GO SEE IT!!

January Auditions in Palestine, Texas

OPEN AUDITIONS for PALESTINE COMMUNITY THEATRE's:

Love, Sex, and the IRS      (don't let the title throw you)
by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore

at the Historic Texas Theater
213 W Crawford St, Palestine, Texas
Directed by Jim Vincill

Saturday  January 24, 2015  @ 10:00 AM

Synopsis:
Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur are out of work musicians who room together in New York City.  To save money, Jon has been filing tax returns listing the pair as husband and wife.  The day of reckoning comes when the IRS informs the "couple" they're going to be investigated.  Leslie masquerades as a housewife, aided by Jon's fiancee Kate.  Complicating matters further, Leslie and Kate are having an affair behind Jon's back.  Jon's mother drops in unexpectedly to meet her son's fiancee and Leslie's ex-girlfriend shows up demanding to know why Leslie has changed and won't see her anymore.  Like a cross between I Love Lucy and Some Like it Hot!

5 men and 3 women

Leslie Arthur------------musician and Jon's roommate
Jon Trachtman----------musician and Leslie's roommate
Mr. Jansen---------------the Landlord
Floyd Spinner-----------IRS agent
Arnold Grunoin---------Shady character

Kate Dennis-------------the girlfriend
Connie--------------------Leslie's ex-girlfriend
Vivian Trachtman------Jon's mother