February 2008

Editor, Ellie Stuck

Vice-President –

Jennifer Wertz

Secretary –

Lisa Wiley

Treasurer –

Kathlyn Stenzel

Board of Directors:

Nate Fuller

Bart Zimmerman

George Muehlhauser

Donna Jean Evans

Jim Ohlemacher

President’s Message

Hi All!

Hope to see you at press dress on Tues. Feb. 5, 2008 at 8:15 p.m.  You can sign up to help usher at that time.  All dates you need to remember should be included in here somewhere... other than that I'm exhausted from two jobs and rehearsal, so that's it for now.

More next month...Lori

F.Y.I.

Thursday, January 31st, Joyce Mulaney will be going to the Cleveland Clinic for triple by-pass and valve replacement surgery.  We hope for a speedy recovery.  Please keep Joyce and Jack in your thoughts and prayers.

Jim Ohlemacher will become the new statutory agent for Harlequins, Inc.  The position was originally held by Jack Mulaney and subsequently passed down to Dennis Baylor.  With Dennis moved from the area, Jim will take over this job.  With this "power" being passed along to Jim, please remember to bow slightly when he passes you at the theater or on the street.  A salute really isn't necessary, but it wouldn't hurt.

            The new cast pictures and bios have been sent along to our webmaster, Marc, to be put onto our website.  Marc is in the process of moving, so it may take a little longer for them to get onto the site.  If any member has something theater related or an announcement about one of our members, please send me an email with the information.  I'll make sure it gets onto our website.    ~Jim

A TRIBUTE TO JANET MICHEL (1927-2008)

According OCTA history, Jan (as she was known to OCTA members) was elected to the Board of Directors in 1962 as an at-large member. In 1965, OCTA history has her listed as the Business Manager for the association. This was a paid position that eventually became the Executive Secretary. Jan was also involved with Trumbull New Theatre (Northeast region) and Fort Findlay Playhouse (Northwest) and retired from OCTA in 1987.  Patricia Shannon succeeded Jan as OCTA's Executive Secretary.

Jan's husband, Emory, was the President of OCTA in 1956-1957. After Jan's retirement, she and Emory moved to St Mary's, Ohio.

In honor of Jan's work, the Ohio Community Theatre Association Board of Directors kept the non-profit organization progressing to the status it is today.

OCTA is well known all over the United States and received the Distinguished Merit Award from the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) in 2003 which was the 50^th anniversary for OCTA after having started in May 1953. 

In 2003, Jan was inducted into the OCTA Hall of Fame award for outstanding service to the association.

Because of Janet Michel's contributions and all the past presidents, OCTA is still performing, holding conferences, workshops, excerpt festivals and a youth performance festival to keep community theatre in the various Ohio communities and a few theatres across the Ohio borders in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia at the top level of entertainment and education.

I’ve Got Dates to remember…

Feb. 2 - Theatre cleaning - come on down at 10:00 a.m. and help

Feb. 3 - Tech Sunday

Feb. 5 - Press Dress - show starts at 8:15 p.m. come, watch and support your fellow thespians!

Feb. 7 - Opening Night!

Feb. 10 - After the show we will serve cake and hang out with friends, neighbors, patrons, whoever is there. We'll answer questions and take people on a tour if they want. Come join us!

Feb. 13 - 7:00 p.m. General meeting

Feb. 14 - HAPPY VALENTINES DAY! Also begins the second week's run of the show.

Feb. 17 - Closing night; rumor has it that the Easterwoods will be at this one if you'd like to come and say "hi".

Feb. 18 - 6:30 p.m. Auditions for "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" at the theatre.  Ages 25 and up. Women and Men needed.

Feb. 20 - 6:30 p.m. Auditions for "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" at the theatre.  Ages 25 and up. Women and Men needed.

The Fall of the House of Usher!

You thought this was going to be a message about Poe didn’t you! Well, it’s not. It’s message from Jennifer about needing ushers.

We only have ushers signed up, so far, on Sat. and Sun., Feb. 9-10 for “A Piece of my Heart”. All other nights are completely empty. So we REALLY NEED YOUR HELP! Even if you've never ushered, you can learn what little you need to know about ushering in a couple minutes. Plus you get to see the show for free!

Also, house clean up is Feb. 2. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come down to the theatre. As mom always said, "Many hands make light work" and "the more the merrier!" Even if you don't know how to clean a toilet, there are always sinks to scrub, carpets and seats to vacuum, mirrors to clean, floors to sweep, etc. And if you don't know how to do any of that, then it's time you learned (another thing my mother said)!

Please let me or Lori know if you're willing to help as an usher or house clean up or both.

And to quote Bartles and Jaymes, "We thank you for your support."

Amen!

You can ring our bell

If anyone would like any information put on the website, please send it to Jim Ohlemacher at JCOhle@landolls.com he will then send it off to Marc, our webmaster

We are trying to cut postage costs for the newsletter and would like to know if anyone receiving the newsletter would prefer to get it by e-mail instead of snail mail. If so, please let Ellie know. Her email address is: estuck@monroeville.k12.oh.us if that's not your thing, we still don't mind sending it by regular mail since we do want everyone to receive it and know what's going on.

Also, if there’s anything you want in the newsletter, please let Ellie know. Just try and have it to her by the last week of the month preceeding the month’s newsletter in which you’d like it to appear.

Currently in Production

A PIECE OF MY HEART

By Shirley Lauro

February 7, 8, 9, 10,

14, 15, 16, 17,

2008

Six women bare heart and soul as they struggle to tell their stories of serving in Vietnam and their re-entry into a world that refuses to comprehend. Nurses, career military, and uso, all there in different capacities, all affected in different ways yet all banded together by one of the most tumultuous and disturbing times in our nation’s history.

Beginning Soon

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN

By Robert Fulghum

April 24, 25, 26, 27, May 1, 2, 3, 4, 2008

Adults make life too complicated yet it's really quite simple. Play fair. Don't hit. Share everything. Don't take things that aren't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurt someone. Always hold hands and stick together. These and many more words of wisdom that we all learned in kindergarten are humorously and sagely played out. There's a little bit of each of us in these characters. And if you sit and listen quietly there'll be punch and cookies for everyone. Auditions will be held at 6:30pm on February 18th and 20th at Harlequins . Needed are 3 men and 2 women and one narrator
(can be either a man or a woman). Ages are 25 and up.

Getting to know you!

Getting to know you is a new monthly feature in the newsletter. Each month, we’ll read a little something about who our members are and what they’re doing in the theatre. We’ll also feature a photo of the member. “The Queen” decided in her infinite wisdom that I, Ellie Stuck, should go first into this foray of forced familiarity.

Well, to begin, I edit the newsletter. This was not a job I wanted, but Angie Wetzel told me that it was a new-member-initiation thing, and if I didn’t do this, my only other choice was running naked down Wayne Street.

I’m also a cast member of Harlequins’ current production of “A Piece of My Heart”.  There’s a lot I could say about being in this show. For instance, I could say: Thanks to this show, my legs between my ankles and knees are covered in bruises, and my cast-mates have given me the charming nickname “Bench Wench”. But what I’d probably say is that this show has been more fun than I even thought possible. Lori, Lisa, Ann Marie, Melinda, Valerie, Jennifer, Mike, George, Angie, Susan and Ron-I love you all, every single one.

And now…an odd assortment of tidbits about me:

I’m in a rock band; I’m a libra; I have run down the steps of the Eiffel Tower; I’ve never had a Big Mac; If it were possible, I would live on hot pretzels; I teach; I read, a lot; I laugh, a lot; I’m shy, even though no one believes it; I look like my mom; I graduated Magna Cum Laude from BGSU, thank you very much; authors are like rock stars to me; I love to draw, paint and sculpt; I’ve ridden a mechanical bull; I ski pretty well.

Oh, and I think that the featured member should get to pick the next featured member. So, Lori…you’re it!

-Ellie