Mother Nature Strikes Again

 

The Return to the Forbidden Planet has left the forbidden planet and the Lebanon Community Theatre stage. The last performance was, in fact, a reverse in polarity.

          A large crowd was enjoying the first act. Intermission went well and the second act had began. The first song was performed with all the lighting effects, sound effects and electronic music. Mother Nature wanted to see a new ending. She turned the lights out.

          Met-Ed did its best to battle Mother Nature, but she was determined to see the show her way - which was in the dark. Mother Nature was rather kind. She turned out the lights during a Sunday matinee. Opening doors and weak emergency lights did make the actors able to be seen. Their voices were in fine tune.

          While Captain Prospero (Rodney Gernert) played The Last Comic Standing to entertain the audience, director James Walden and his group of musicians put their heads together and decided to perform the show the old fashion way. The theatre’s piano replaced the electronic keyboard. Electric guitars became acoustical guitars. James Waldron picked up his horn. The musical pit was moved to the end of the stage right and the actors smiled. The show went on and the audience rewarded the cast and staff with great enthusiasm for every song and a joyous standing ovation. People were dancing in the aisles.

          Hats should be tossed in the air for all those involved in a marvelous production. One audience member remarked that the folks at the Lebanon Community Theatre were not amateurs. They were pros.

          Mother Nature must have had a good idea. She proved the old adage, “The Show Must Go On.”

 

One Acts

 

          And the shows go on. The One-Acts have been cast and rehearsals are in progress. Directors for the nine shows chosen are Kitty Reist, Janet Katz, Ian Bonner, Bud Ealy, Ryan Wise, Scott Harmon, Brad Hartman and Anthony Consuegra.

          The one-acts are truly a group effort. Actors take on duel roles. Directors become actors. Families try-out together. Eight directors share rehearsal space. One director is also the lighting master. It may sound confusing. It is confusing; but after ten years it has always been a great experience for the directors, the playwrights, the actors and, most importantly, the audience. Mark your dates. The One-Acts, Campaign 2008 will be performed August 21, 22 and 23 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m.

          The price is $10. This is the only show in which we have open seating so reservations are not required. Come early and come often. Next year’s theme is “Corner, Cornered and Corners.” It is never too early to pick up your pen and become a playwright yourself.

 

Scholarships

 

          The same year we started our Play Writing Contest, we began our Lebanon Community Theater Scholarship Program. During those ten years we have awarded scholarships to LCT youngsters who have been involved in our productions and desire to pursue a higher education with an emphasis in the wide range of the arts. Scholarships awards are based upon LCT participation, grades, recommendations and financial need. This year we are proud to announce two winners of one thousand dollar scholarships named in honor of Kristin Troxel. Funds for the scholarships are not taken from performance revenues of shows. They are voluntary donations from our patrons and are very appreciated by the theater and the children we hope to aid. A tax deductible check made out to the theatre or a donation in our scholarship basket at the concession stand would be greatly appreciated and make you feel good at the same time.

This year’s deserving winners are Tim Hartman and Antonio Consuegra, both of whom appeared in Return to the Forbidden Planet.  Tim graduated from Nothern Lebanon High School and will be attending Penn State University Park Campus as a theater major.  Tim has appeared in LCT’s Crimes of the Heart, Urinetown and Return to the Forbidden Planet.  He also directed one of last year’s one acts.

Antonio graduated from Cedar Crest and will attend HACC majoring in photography and minor in directing.  He has appeared in LCT’s Damn Yankees, Guys and Dolls and Return to the Forbidden Planet.  He was an assistant director of Crimes of the Heart and will be directing one of the one acts in August.

 

Auditions

 

          There is never a dull moment at the Lebanon Community Theatre. We have just cast the One-Acts and now we are looking for actors to test their acting skills for our October show, Neil Simon’s award-winning, Lost in Yonkers. This is a touching coming-of-age tale from the pen of one of America’s favorite playwrights. Lost in Yonkers opened on Broadway in 1991where it ran for 780 performances.  It also swept the awards for that year, winning the 1991 Pulitzer Award for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Best New Play.  John Troxel will be at the director’s helm. For more information you can call him at 274-3038.

          Auditions are Sunday and Monday, August 24 and 25 at 7:00 p.m. at the theatre. The play runs from October 9 through October 19, 2008.

 

 

Reverse Polarity

 
(click for larger image)

 

The hills are alive with the sound of music. Actually, it isn’t the hills; it is outer space. The music isn’t classic Rogers and Hammerstein. It is classic rock ‘n roll.

            The Lebanon Community Theatre will be presenting the hip musical, Return to the Forbidden Planet. It is billed as “Shakespeare’s Forgotten Rock and Roll Masterpiece!” The musical won the coveted Olivier Award the year it opened, beating out Miss Saigon for Best Musical.

Blast off on a routine flight and crash into the planet D'Illyria where a sci-fi version of The Tempest, set to rock and roll golden oldies, unfolds with glee. A sinister scientist, Dr. Prospero, his delightful daughter Miranda, Ariel a faithful robot on roller skates, and an uncontrollable monster, the product of Prospero’s id, whose tentacles penetrate the spacecraft, inhabits the planet.

Audience members will embrace such songs as “Wipe Out,” “She’s Not There,” It’s A Man’s World,” “Born to Be Wild,” “Young Girl,” “Teenager in Love”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”, “Good Vibrations” and many more.

Take one plot (Shakespeare's The Tempest), one classic sci-fi movie (1956’s Forbidden Planet) Shakespearean dialogue and add all your favorite blasts from the past and you have Bob Carlton’s Return to the Forbidden Planet.

James Waldron will direct this musical. The cast includes Randy Sebastian, Bosun, Rodney Gernert, Captain Tempest, Juan Carlos Morales, Newscaster, Joan Theal, Navigational Officer, Amy Shirk, Science Officer, Tim Hartman, Cookie, Will Shaffer, Dr. Prospero, Travis Zimmerman, Ariel, Deavan Rodgers, Miranda with the Ship’s Crew, Antonio Consuegra, Scott Harmon, Harley Martin, and Juan Carlos Morales. Matt Gardner is on bass. Jim Grumbine is on guitar, Peggy Schaeffer is on drums and Ryan Wise is on keyboard.

The staff includes Pam Shaffer, assistant director, Ryan Wise, musical director, Elena Vega-Rivera, choreographer, Mike Hartman, video director and design, Bruce Kissinger, lighting director and design, James Waldron, Rodney Gernert and Will Shaffer, set design and Rebekah Smith, production assistant and stage manager.

Return to the Forbidden Planet will be performed July 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 at 8:00 p.m. with Sunday matinees July 13, 20 and 27 at 2:30 p.m. The Theater is located at E. Maple Street and Theatre Drive in Stoever’s Dam Park. For reservations call 273-5151. Tickets are only $20.

 

 

 

 

You Know You Work in Community Theatre

 

If:....your living room sofa spends more time on stage than you do

........you’ve ever gotten a part because you were the only guy to show up at auditions

........the audience recognizes you on stage the minute you walked on because they saw you take out the garbage before the show.

........your kids know your lines better than you do

........your kids say your lines better than you do

........you get home from rehearsal and have to go back to the theatre because you forgot your kids.

.......you ever had to haul a sofa off stage between scenes wearing a dinner gown and high heels - and you’re a guy.

.......you have “cleaned” a tuxedo with a black felt-tip marker.

……you think nothing of making alterations with duct tape.

 

10^th Annual

Lebanon Community Theatre

Play Writing Contest

 

Auditions

 

Auditions will be held for the Lebanon Community Theatre’s 10^th Annual production of the winning plays of LCT’s One-Act Play Writing Contest on July 13 and 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the theatre at E. Maple Street and Theatre Drive in Stoever’s Dam Park. This year the theater received 91 plays from area playwrights and writers throughout the country. Play 91 made the cut.

            Nine plays were chosen. A play reading committee of seven members judged each of the plays. The plays average 10-15 minutes in length. The nine plays call for a large cast of males and females of varying ages. In past productions many actors appeared in more than one show.  The theme for this production is Campaign 2008. The short plays range from the comedic, the serious to the heartwarming; they promise to bring a wide range of story lines to the Lebanon Community Theatre stage. A different director will direct each play.

            Winners include Brian Plank of Marion, S.C., Stephen Koppman, Oakland, CA., Susan Chamberlain, Portsmouth, NH, Pat Monsley, Baltimore, MD, Theodore Kemper, Forrest Hills, NY, Evelyn Pine, San Francisco, CA, Carl William, Houston, Texas, Fred Sohner, Chatham, NY and Chris Mandia, San Pedro. CA.

            This is a golden opportunity to get your feet wet on stage or rekindle your past and present theatre experiences and make new friends. The rehearsal schedule is quite brief and, as the plays are short, learning lines is not a burden. It is a great time to have a live theatre experience and become involved in a total play production and share in an intriguing theatre experience.

            Performances are August 21, 22, 23 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 24 at 2:30 p.m. The cast will be required at be at all performances and the three nights of dress rehearsals prior to the production. No prepared audition material is required.

            For more information call Mary Lou Kelsey at 274-0787 or visit the theatre’s web site at www.lct.cc.

 

 

Crunch

           

            We are hearing all about the gas crunch, the grocery crunch and vacation crunch. Spend part of your vacation at the cool Lebanon Community Theatre. There is no live theatre crunch in Lebanon County. Thanks for your support.

 

 

2009 Season in the Works

 

We are already in the midst of choosing plays and matching directors for LCT’s 2009 season. In consideration are The Smell of the Kill, Taking Leave, The Butler Did It, Footloose (the musical), 11^th Annual One-Act Competition, On Golden Pond and Christmas Belles.

 

Reverse Polarity

????

          Yes, well you will just have to see Return to the Forbidden Planet to figure that one out.