WARNING: This show does contain adult language and situations.

Time is such a nebulous date to wait for. A person is more than just who you see in front of you: they are the sum of every experience they have had, every person who has touched them and loved them, and the wisdom that comes from growing older. Ed Graczyk’s comedy-drama “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” essays the lives and friendships of a special group of women – breaking the laws of time and space to give us a glimpse of now - and then, sometimes at the same time.

The play, being presented at The Playhouse at McConnellstown, begins as “The Disciples of James Dean” meet up on the twentieth anniversary of his death and mull over their lives in the present and past, revealing the truth behind their intricate lives. During the course of their time together, buried secrets arise, conflicts boil over and morbid plot twists are revealed. The ladies’ congenial reminiscences continue to mingle with flash backs to their youth when the arrival of a stunning, but yet, familiar stranger sets off a series of confrontations that smash their delusions and expose bitter disappointments. WARNING: This show does contain adult language and situations.

The Broadway and screen versions were directed by Robert Altman, and starred Sandy Dennis, Cher, Mark Patton, Karen Black, Sudie Bond and Kathy Bates. Ed Graczyk originally wrote and directed “Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean” for the Players’ Theater in Columbus, Ohio, which also produced it. At the time of the Ohio production, he said of its development: “The inspiration for the play came many years ago during my five year association with the Midland Community Theatre in west Texas. While I was there I had the opportunity to visit Marfa, the site used by Warner Bros. in the filming of “Giant”. The only remaining evidence of the film was the facade of the mansion they used to film the on-location scenes, now crumbling and supported by six telephone poles. It was the memory of that site, the pace of the people and the vivid recollection of the ’50s idol James Dean on the youth of the period that resulted in the writing of this play”.

The cast features Shelby Metz and Gregory Allan Garlock of Petersburg, Mary Garvey, Emma Santos, Jeanne Nagurny, and Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon, Susan DeMetrick of State College, Erin Bark of Alexandria, Sara Holtzinger of Juniata College, and Meghan Whitesel of Mount Union. Lights and Sound in performance by Barbara Hughes, Setting Work by Don Dietz, Lighting design by Keith Sutton, Sound Design by Rick Brown. The performance is directed by Terry Ayers.

“Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”, runs July 30, 31, Aug. 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 at The Playhouse at McConnellstown. Curtain time is at 8pm except for the Sunday matinee when it is 2:30pm. Ticket prices are $10.00 for regular admission and $8.00 for any student or senior citizen age 60 or older. The Playhouse is located at 11680 Raystown Road (Rt. 26), five miles south of Huntingdon. For reservations and information call 814-627-0311 or log on to www.littletheater.com.

THE BODY EXITS SOON
AT MCCONNELLSTOWN

Exclusive to South-central Pennsylvania by
Dan53iel Weston (The 53 is silent)

How many bodies can you stuff into one small closet before they start to tumble out—especially when they appear and disappear with startling rapidity? Find out next week when The Playhouse at McConnellstown presents Fred Carmichael’s venerable 1960’s farce “Exit The Body”. “Exit the Body” is on the McConnellstown boards June 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, and 13. Performances are at 8pm except for Sunday, a 2:30pm matinee. Reservations are encouraged and can be secured at (814) 627-0311.

The year is 1961. A very successful mystery writer, Crane Hammond (Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon), has rented a quirky old house in New England so she can recharge her batteries before she tackles her next best-seller. As Crane’s secretary, confirmed city-dweller Kate (Brooke Meadows of Hollidaysburg) complains about the lack of noise and how many trees there are, we meet the odd collection of locals: Vernon (Patrick Rice of Altoona), the town sheriff and taxi driver; Jenny (Christy Stubler of McConnellstown), the incompetent housekeeper whose idea of an ice bucket is ice cubes in a washing bucket; and Helen (Susan DeMetrick of State College), the busybody realtor who constantly drops in to check on her celebrity renter.

Down the road lives Crane’s best friend Lillian (Rhiannon McClintock of State College), a famous fashion designer who has secretly married her boyfriend Lyle (Gregory Allan Garlock of Petersburg). Among various bodies lurking in that overused closet are petty hood Randolph (William Daniel Daup of Lewistown), who is seeking diamonds hidden somewhere in the old house, and amnesiac Philip (George Baumer of State College), who’s been conked on the head and can’t remember why he’s there. And to top it all off, another unknown man, (Rick Klotz of Huntingdon). Oh yes, there may or not be a murder or two.

So what we have here is are mistaken identities, a hunt to find the body, identify the killer, locate the stolen diamonds, and find out which one of the characters will be the next victim. The production is directed by Jeanne Nagurny of Huntingdon, with sets by Don Dietz of Williamsburg. Lighting is by Keith Sutton of Huntingdon and Barbara Hughes, also will helm lights and sound.

Director Nagurny effervesces when she talks about the play. “It’s just nuts,” she says. “Directing this play is like painting with color-saturated mice. I couldn’t describe the plot to save my life. But I will tell you, you’ll be screaming with laughter, and there isn’t one single morsel of redeeming social significance in the whole play!

June 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13

A mystery writer rents a New England house that is the rendezvous point for some jewel thieves. A body found in a closet promptly disappears only to be followed by another. The hunt for the jewels reaches a climax when four couples, unknown to each other, turn up to search. You’ll laugh till you cry over the hilarious series of entrances and exits.

PRESS RELEASE
The Playhouse at McConnellstown

THE SUNSHINE BOYS
April 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25
Exclusive by Mrs. Y. Y. Flerch

The situation: Two once-famous vaudeville comedians who have hated each other for half-a-century are reluctantly reunited by an ambitious nephew for a TV special. This is the premise of “The Sunshine Boys”, a comedy concocted by the brilliant and prolific Neil Simon. The 1972 smash Broadway hit opens this April for a two-weekend run at the venerable and beloved 76-seat Playhouse at McConnellstown just south of Huntingdon.

Willie Clarke and Al Lewis — Lewis & Clarke, the Sunshine Boys-had been a comedy team in vaudeville for 43 years, headliners at the Palace, no less. Like several real-life duos of the era, they worked smoothly on-stage and hated each other’s guts off-stage. For Willie, it was Al’s juicy “T’s” (”If there was some way I could have saved the spit, I would show it to you!”) and chest-poking (”The man had the sharpest finger in show business!”) that infuriated him. Plus Al’s sudden decision to retire right after an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, leaving Willie adrift in a world that had left him behind. Al, placid and conciliatory on the surface, seethes inside with resentment at Willie’s irascible and mercurial personality. The scene in which they attempt to rehearse “The Doctor and the Tax Examination” and in which Willie decides to change “Come in” to “En-taaaaaah”, is one of the funniest scenes Neil Simon ever put on paper.

Michael Norell of Three Springs plays Willie Clarke, who works himself into such a hilarious and irrational rage that he gives himself a heart attack. Mr. Norell is a grizzled veteran of Broadway and television. Last year, McConnellstown audiences saw him as Elwood P. Dowd in “Harvey”. In 2007, he was Norman Thayer in “On Golden Pond” and Jonathan Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace”. In private life, Mr. Norell is a retired screenwriter.

Keith Sutton of Huntingdon plays Al Lewis, the other Sunshine Boy. Mr. Sutton began his long amateur stage career in “The Music Man” as 10-year-old Winthrop with the Reading (PA) Civic Opera. Here he has been seen as Mr. Green in “Visiting Mr. Green”, as Gardner Church in “Painting Churches”, among many other roles. He has also directed “Steel Magnolias”, “Dancing at Lughnasa”, and “Enchanted April”. When not acting, directing and doing lighting designs in McConnellstown, Mr. Sutton is Doctor Sutton, an ER physician at JC Blair Hospital.

Terry Ayers of Petersburg appears as Ben Silverman, a theatrical agent and Willie’s nephew. Mr. Ayers has appeared as Ross Gardiner in “Visiting Mr. Green”, as Frederick in “Enchanted April” and as Mortimer Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace”. He is Executive Director of the Playhouse and works as staff accountant for Heberling Associates, Inc.

Also in the cast are Shelby Metz of Petersburg, Katie Dickey of Huntingdon, Barbara Hughes, also of Huntingdon and Samuel Carruthers of Oberlin Ohio. Ms. Metz appeared last season in “Dancing at Lughnasa” and “Harvey”. Ms. Dickey appeared at Juniata College as Bananas in “The House of Blue Leaves” and as Rosencrantz in “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”. Ms. Hughes appeared in last season’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Anita Burkhart is Production Stage Manager, Jeanne Allen is acting coach, and Don Dietz helped with the setting decoration and Jeanne Nagurny with costuming.

“The Sunshine Boys” opened on Broadway in December, 1972. Lewis and Clarke were played by Jack Albertson and Sam Levene. It’s since toured endlessly with every combination of stage, movie and TV stars imaginable in the title roles, from Jack Klugman to Woody Allen. The 1976 movie, directed by Herbert Ross, starred Walter Matthau and George Burns. For Mr. Burns, it resulted in his first and only Oscar at age 80.

Directing the Vaudeville scene is theater stalwart Howard Crouch of Huntingdon who was seen in last year’s production of “It Run’s in The Family.”

Directing “The Sunshine Boys” is Daniel Weston. Mr. Weston was one of the founders of the Playhouse at McConnellstown and reckons he has directed or acted in more than one hundred-fifty productions. Of this play, he says, “I’d always thought of Neil Simon as a jokemeister and not much more, but this play is not just about laughs — hey, our audiences will be falling out of their seats, don’t get me wrong — but it’s also about aging, friendship, irrational hatred, paranoia … it’s about ‘you can’t go home again’ and it’s about not being able to break a lifetime bond no matter how much you think you want to.” He adds, “My respect for Neil Simon has increased as we have explored this script. This cast and play is terrific.” When he isn’t being a theatrical wizard at the Playhouse, Mr. Weston is Mr. Brown, a computer wizard at Juniata College.

“Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” For most Americans, the holiday ritual means at least one viewing of the Frank Capra film classic “It’s A Wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart’s indelible performance as George Bailey, an idealistic man who struggles to do the right thing against adversity. From November 20 through December 5th, The Playhouse at McConnellstown presents “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play”, adapted by Joe Landry from the famous movie.

Directed by Jeanne Nagurny and Anita Burkhart, the stage is transformed with vintage microphones, electric “applause” signs and a table full of radio-style sound-effect devices. The Playhouse’s 76-seat theater becomes the studio of fictional WBFR Radio, Manhattan, and theatre-goers become participants in the 1946 Christmas Eve broadcast of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

The story became a classic for a reason —its profound depiction of despair and its authentically hopeful version of reality. Our need to revisit the story of George Bailey now may be more relevant than in any previous year since the movie’s release. The economic hardships and challenges of Bedford Falls in the 1930s and ’40s sound like the current events of 2009.

As vulnerable, unsophisticated and simple as George Bailey is compared to Mr. Potter, in the long run he shows that, when facing hard times, hope is the tougher vision — and deposits of kindness draw the richest and most sustainable dividends. As the angel (second class) Clarence puts it – “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

The production is directed by Jeanne Nagurny and Anita Burkhart. The sound-effects are brought to life by Barbara Hughes and Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon. The cast (many who play multiple roles) includes Shelby Metz of Petersburg, William Daniel Daup of Lewistown, Jeanne Allen , Rick Klotz, Lawr Leidy, Mark and Logan Centi, Sara Jean Brown, Keith Sutton (on piano) and Daniel Weston all from Huntingdon.

This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radiobroadcast on Friday and Saturday November 20, 21, 27, 28, December 4, 5 at 8pm. Sunday performances are scheduled for November 22, 29 at 2:30pm. The Playhouse is located at 11680 Raystown Road (State Route 26), on the south end of the village of McConnellstown, five miles south of Huntingdon and thirty-five miles south of State College. Reservations and information call (814)627-0311