The Gingerbread Lady
I will be directing the play, Lessons, by Teri Foltz, for The Drama Workshop’s Home Brew Festival, featuring productions of short plays by local authors. The show dates are June 7, 8 and 9 at the Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot.
My own play, The Ten Minute Play (with a Nice Picture of Jimmy Carter), will also be part of the festival.
In the Summer of 1974, I directed my first full-length play, The Gingerbread Lady by Neil Simon. One of Simon’s more dark comedies, TGL is the story of Evy, a singer, whose career and life is destroyed by her drinking.
During the Spring of 1974, I was a student at Northern Kentucky University, as a theater major. I had had a lot of fun directing Edward Albee’s The Sandbox and a few scenes form other plays in classes, including a great version of the closing scene of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Jennifer Burkhart was one of the best actresses at NKU and frustrated because she couldn’t find a part that she wanted to play. She brought me a copy of the play and asked if I would look at it and, if I liked it, we could go to the theater head, Bill Parsons, and see if we could do it as summer show. I did like it and pitched it to Dr. Parsons, who agreed to give us a little money to put it on.
So, I was part of great group of friends with theater sound, lighting, props and production experience, so there was no doubt that they were going work on it. This was going to be the first totally student produced show at in NKU’s history. In Nunn Hall, there was a small theater, holding around 150, so after Spring semester was out, we moved in and began to work on the show.
I don’t even think we had auditions. Jennifer was going to be Evy, after all, it was her idea. I cast friends in the other roles. Greg Carstens as Jimmy, Frankie Banta as Polly, Susan Rogers as Tory, Mike Salzman as Manuel and Jerry Helm as Lou.
Mike, Jerry, Debby Wolff and me practically lived in that theater for the two months leading up to the show. Debby was our props mistress and we had a great looking set, designed by Jerry. We even had running water in the set kitchen.
We had some anxieties throughout the rehearsals. Nerves came out. It was a big show, after all, with nuances that I don’t know if we were successful in presenting, but we had fun, that I do remember.
Auditions for Home Brew’s Festival
For all of my Cincinnati actors. This is the information about auditioning for The Drama Workshop’s Home Brew Festival. As you may recall from last time, I have a play, The Ten Minute Play (with a Nice Picture of Jimmy Carter) in the festival and I’m directing one of the plays, Lessons by Teri Foltz.
The Drama Workshop Announces Home Brew Theater auditions: Sunday 3/30 and Monday 4/1.
The Drama Workshop will hold open auditions for its production of Home Brew Theater at 6pm on Sunday, March 31 and 7pm on Monday, April 1 at The TDW ANNEX Building, 3619 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, Ohio, 45211. (Location details below.)
Home Brew is TDW’s annual show case of short plays by local authors, accompanied by a reception featuring beer from West Side Brewery. Home Brew will run the weekend of June 7-9, 2019. This year Home Brew Theater is supported by a generous grant from Summer Fair Cincinnati.
There are 7 directors for the 10 plays. Auditions will be in front of the panel of directors.
There are a variety of roles for actors of all genders and ages (except children).
Auditions will consist of cold readings from selected Home Brew short plays. Please also prepare a one-minute monologue. A headshot and resume are appreciated but not required. Auditions will be recorded on video for directors who can’ t be present. Videos will NOT be posted to the public.
Please email questions to the producers at tdw.homebrew@gmail.com
***
The TDW Annex is located at 3619 Harrison Ave. between the “Game Time” bar and “American Trading”. The sign on the building still says “Angel’s Touch”.
https://goo.gl/maps/G1EjSdUWPLR2
It’s around the corner and a few doors down from the Glenmore Playhouse. Please note that you may not park in the lot directly behind 3619 Harrison. There should be ample street parking, or you may park in the public lot at the corner of Glenmore Ave and Gamble Ave.
New Production of The Ten Minute Play and Directing a Play in Cincinnati
To all my Cincinnati friends (and those that want to travel). I’m happy to announce that I will be participating in The Drama Workshop’s annual Home Brew Theater as a playwright and director.
Home Brew Theater is an annual festival featuring productions of short plays by local authors. The show dates are June 7, 8 and 9 at the Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot. There’s also a reception following the plays with craft beer from West Side Brewery.
My play, The Ten Minute Play (with a Nice Picture of Jimmy Carter), will be performed. It will be directed by Julie Jordan. The play is a comedy. Some of you may remember that this play had a reading in Kansas City last October and the audience loved it. You will love this play, too, and this gives all my Cincinnati friends the opportunity to finally see what I’ve been doing with my life.
I’m also directing a play for the festival, Lessons by Teri Foltz. This is a warm, touching play that I found absolutely delightful. I think you’ll like it, too. I’m very excited to work on this play.
I want to mention that the Drama Workshop people have been very nice to me and supportive and the Glenmore Playhouse is a wonderful theater to see a play.
I’ll have more information about the plays as the weeks progress, but I hope you’ll save the date and come and see my plays at the Festival. I’m linking to the Drama Workshop’s Facebook page, where they have information on all the plays and ticket reservations.
I’ll see you there.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDramaWorkshop/?fref=nf
Greg Hatfield: Ruminations 