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!

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

The Playhouse at McConnellstown’s summer season continues with Lawrence Roman’s Broadway comedy “Alone Together”

After 25 years of sacrifice for the kids, the last one is finally off to college in Seattle. Freedom! Your house will stay clean. You can do what you want, not worrying about anyone else’s schedule. If only things worked out that way!

George (Rick Lombard of Huntingdon) and Helene (Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon) see their youngest kid Keith (a role shared by Robert Frysinger and Scott Strait of Huntingdon) finally leave for college. Their Southern California home is now quiet and blissfully peaceful. Helene is looking foreword to getting back to her abandoned art career — George to spending more time with Helene alone, together.

Their retirement plans are quickly and loudly brought to an end when their oldest son Michael (Juniata College student from Danville Jordan Yeagley), now twenty-eight and a disenfranchised MIT post doc, comes home unannounced to “find himself”.

If one kid flying back to the nest isn’t bad enough, it quickly becomes worse when the middle son Elliot (Gregory Allan Garlock or Huntingdon) finds his way back to the nest from Dallas after his philandering non PC ways cause trouble with his new bride.

They even manage to pick up an extra kid when the scantily clad but vacantly adorable, Janie Johnson (Rhiannon McClintock of State College) moves in, which comes as quite a shock to George and Helene.

“When I was 20 years old, I saw this comedy at the Burt Reynolds Theatre in Jupiter Florida”, comments Artistic Director Daniel Weston, “and I did not ‘get’ a lot of the jokes. Now that my own son has flown the coop to go to graduate school at the University of Oregon, it’s amazing how much of the comedy rings true.”

Replacing the previously scheduled “The Last Night of Ballyhoo”, “Alone Together” is a heart-warming Broadway comedy with a wise and witty view of the true relationship between parents and their grown children. Jeanne Allen (Huntingdon) helped with coaching, and Sara Jean Brown (Huntingdon) is the production prompter. Barb Hughes (Huntingdon) will run Lights - designed by Keith Sutton (Huntingdon) and sound designed by Rick Brown (Huntingdon).

“Alone Together” will be presented the evenings of July 31, August 1, and 6, 7, 8 at 8:00 PM. There will also be a 2:30 PM matinee on Sunday August 1 and Sunday August 9. General admission is $10.00 . Student and Senior admission is $8.00. This play does contain some adult language and situations.

The Playhouse at McConnellstown is located at 11680 Raystown Road (State Route 26), on the south end of rural McConnellstown, five miles south of Huntingdon and thirty-five miles south of State College. Reservations 814-627-0311. On the web at www.littletheater.com.

If you like television shows like “Evening Shade”, “Designing Women”, and “The Golden Girls”, and plays/films like “Steel Magnolias” you will be very pleased with The Playhouse at McConnellstown’s season opener “The Dixie Swim Club” written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. Directed by Terry Ayers, performances are June 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 at 8:00 PM, Sunday matinees are June 14th and 21st at 2:30 PM.

Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. Free from husbands, kids and jobs, they meet at the same beach cottage on North Carolina’s Outer Banks to catch up, laugh, and meddle in each other’s lives.

“The Dixie Swim Club” focuses on four of those weekends and spans a period of thirty-three years. Sheree, the spunky team captain (Shelby Metz of Petersburg), desperately tries to maintain her organized and “perfect” life, and continues to be the group’s leader. Dinah, the wisecracking overachiever (Anita Burkhart of Huntingdon), is a career dynamo. However, her victories in the courtroom are in stark contrast to the frustrations of her personal life.

Lexie, pampered and outspoken(Mary Garvey of Huntingdon), is determined to hold on to her looks and youth as long as possible. She enjoys being married—over and over and over again. The self-deprecating and acerbic Vernadette, acutely aware of the dark cloud that hovers over her life (Jeanne Nagurny of Huntingdon), has decided to just give in and embrace the chaos. And sweet, eager-to-please Jeri Neal (Susan DeMetrick of State College) experiences a life changing moment that takes them all by surprise.

Director Ayers ventures, “It has been a joy to work with five outstanding actress on such a wonderful show. Watching the set and characters grow with each rehearsal has put a spring in my step. We have all worked as a “team” and we have been truly blessed to have character development direction from the wonderful Jeanne Allen. I’m going to really miss working with all of these truly fine ladies.”

As their lives unfold and the years pass, these women increasingly rely on one another. With advice and raucous repartee, they get through their challenges — men, sex, marriage, parenting, divorce, and aging. When fate throws a wrench into one of their lives these friends, proving the enduring power of “teamwork,” rally around each other with the strength and love that takes this comedy in a poignant and surprising direction, and proves that true “families” are not always biological.

The playhouse is located at 11680 Raystown Road (Route 26), five miles south of Huntingdon. For reservations and information, please call (814) 627-0311.