Gotta love a comedy! Rehearsals are underway for this spring’s production, The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong! The show runs March 27-28-29 at the Grantland Theater in Lancaster. Show times are 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday, and 2 pm on Sunday afternoon.
You all know the classic murder mystery story. There’s been an untimely death at a country manor, everyone is a suspect, and an inspector is set on the case to find who the culprit is. However, when this play is performed by the accident-prone thespians of The Cornley Drama Society, Murphy’s Law rules, and everything that can go wrong…does! Over the course of 75-minutes, expect a plethora of disasters from missed lines to falling props. Do you ever find out who murdered Charles Haversham? You’ll have to see for yourself!
The cast comprises numerous faces familiar to regular LCP patrons, including Aubrey Vitense and Lisa Nicolai in the female roles; and Shawn Steinhoff and Michael Harding in two of the male roles. LCP is also excited to welcome Adam Wacker and Andy Nalepinski back to stage roles after a too-long absence. You’ll also enjoy LCP newcomer (but experienced actor) Jimmy Whitcomb, and LCP’s regular sound guy Tom Nicolai in a rare on-stage appearance as, well, the sound guy! The One Act Play that Goes Wrong is directed by LCP founding member Ann Dolan, with costuming by Michael Walter, sound design by Tom Nicolai, and set design by Stuart Harper.
“The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong”, by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields is coming to Lancaster! Directed by Ann Savides Dolan
Audition Times and Locations
Monday, January 12 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Lancaster City Hall Senior Center. (Please enter on the Cherry Street side of City Hall.)
Tuesday, January 13 from 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Lancaster City Hall Senior Center. (Please enter on the Cherry Street side of City Hall.)
Actors attending auditions should plan to participate in readings from the show. Scripts are available for checkout at Schreiner Memorial Library in Lancaster. Characters needed are two women and six men, all ages welcome. The show also requires numerous backstage crew members, for those who would rather not appear on stage!
Performances are set for the weekend of March 27, 28 and 29.
If you cannot audition on the above dates, please contact the director for an alternative date/time (apcdolan@gmail.com or 608.988.6772).
The play within a play is the classic murder mystery story we all know and love. There has been an untimely death at a country manor, everyone is a suspect, and an inspector is set on the case to find who the culprit is. However, when this play is performed by the accident-prone thespians of The Cornley Drama Society, everything that can go wrong…does! The actors and crew battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences!
This play is the brainchild of UK improv and comedy theatre company – Mischief, the creators of the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit “The Play That Goes Wrong”… this is the original one-act play which started everything going wrong. Over the course of 75-minutes, expect a plethora of disasters from missed lines to falling props. Do you ever find out who murdered Charles Haversham? You’ll have to see for yourself! “The One-Act Play that Goes Wrong” is directed by LCP founding member Ann Savides Dolan, with costuming by Michael Walter, sound design by Tom Nicolai, and set design by Stuart Harper.
Lancaster Community Players announces the cast for their upcoming play, “Rumors” by Neil Simon. Production dates are October 24, 25 and 26 at the Grantland Theatre in Lancaster.
Director Dakota Vaassen has successfully cast this Neil Simon comedy farce!
Some old favorites on the Grantland Theatre stage are Eileen Duschek-Manthe, Bill Haskins, Michael Steffel, Lisa Nicolai, and Bill Mahaney. We also welcome back Michael Harding, Matthew Harper and Andrea Washa. New to our stage will be Aubrey Vitense and Megan Wilson. We are so excited about this mix of theatre veterans and newbies.
“Rumors” takes place in New York City where the Deputy Mayor has accidentally just shot himself. Though it’s only a flesh wound, this self-inflected injury sets off a series of events causing four couples to experience a severe attack of farce!
Mark your calendars to be sure and see this fabulous, energetic, deeply funny play!
Lancaster Community Players will be holding auditions for Neil Simon’s hilarious farcical comedy, Rumors! Directed by Dakota Vaassen.
Audition Times and Locations
Wednesday, September 3 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on the third floor of Lancaster’s City Hall (206 S Madison St, Lancaster, WI)
Thursday, September 4 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on the third floor of Lancaster’s City Hall (206 S Madison St, Lancaster, WI)
Nothing is needed to prepare for auditioning as scenes from the script will be provided. Just bring your scheduling conflicts and your enthusiasm! For anyone interested in reading the script prior to auditions, they will be made available at Lancaster’s public library
Performances are set for the weekend of October 24, 25 @ 26. All actors must be made available all evenings the week going into the performances.
Synopsis of play: Chris and Ken Gorman arrive at a fancy dinner party for their friend, Charley Brock. They quickly discover that all is not well, and Charley has had an accident involving a shotgun and his earlobe. This could be damaging to Charley’s reputation, as he is deputy mayor of New York City. Chris and Ken, along with their elite group of friends, begin to arrive, and as they attempt to cover up the facts, hilarity ensues.
Characters: We will need 4 men and 4 women, with two smaller roles that can be either.
Chris Gorman (female, 30’s-40’s): Chris is Ken’s wife and a lawyer. While elegant and attractive, Chris is also a very nervous and neurotic individual who gets easily flustered. She recently quit smoking but quickly falls off the wagon and has a few too many vodka martinis which causes her to become drunker and drunker throughout the show. Chris does some physical comedy and will have to trip over a phone cord and fall on her face.
Ken Gorman (male, 30’s-40’s): Ken is Chris’ husband who quickly takes charge of the very dicey situation. He is Charley’s lawyer and friend. Ken is a pompous know-it-all who has a slight accident with a shotgun causing hearing impairment. Ken is the main driver of the show, and the actor cast must be able to handle fast paced comedy.
Claire Ganz (female, 30’s-40’s): Lenny’s wife and a smart-mouth gossip monger. She is very concerned with her appearances as well as everyone else’s and seems to be amused by everything that is going on. She starts the play with a swollen lip from a car accident on the way to the party and has some difficulty speaking. Claire is a typical New York socialite who is sharp as a tack with a witty sense of humor.
Lenny Ganz (male, 30’s-40’s): Lenny is Claire’s husband and Charley’s accountant. He wrecked his brand new BMW in a car accident on the way to the party and his neck keeps locking up on him. Lenny is by far the most foulmouthed and sarcastic member of the cast. He is very intolerant of the gossipy lifestyle that he is often involved in which causes tension between him and Claire. Lenny has a bizarre three-page monologue at the end of the show where he is posing as “Charley” and tells his version of the night’s happenings. Lenny is also one of the main drivers of the comedy.
Ernie Cusack (male, 50’s-60’s): Ernie is Cookie’s husband and Charley’s psychiatrist. Although slightly eccentric, Ernie is smug and is a somewhat calming presence in the midst of all the confusion–although he does lose it a couple of times. He tries to be as helpful as possible by assisting Cookie prepare the meal for the evening and is mistaken for the butler at one point. Ernie smokes a pipe.
Cookie Cusack (female, 50’s-60’s): Ernie’s wife and the very flamboyant host of her own cooking show. Cookie is garish, a bit ditzy and has a dramatic personality. She has a bad back that regularly goes out with much screaming and gyration. A couple of times Cookie is actually forced to crawl on and off the stage due to her back ailments. The actress who plays this role must have great physical comedy skills.
Glenn Cooper (male, 40’s-50’s): Married to Cassie and the next candidate preparing to run for the New York State Senate. Glenn is arrogant and quite ambitious and handsome. The TV cameras love him and he is constantly worried about his polished image and how his involvement in the night’s crimes being committed all around him might impact his candidacy. Struggles with placating his wife, who is convinced he is having an affair (which he may or may not be having.)
Cassie Cooper (female, 30’s-40’s): Cassie is Glenn’s slightly younger, beautiful, jealous and totally nuts trophy wife. Cassie and Glenn hate each other, and she doesn’t want to be at the party. She is constantly fighting with Glenn, threatens divorce and obsesses over her husband’s relationships with other women. Cassie is a believer in the power of crystals and contestantly rubs her quartz crystal to calm herself down.
Officer Welch (either gender, 40’s-60’s): A no-nonsense veteran police officer who does not tolerate lying and sees through the facade that the others put up. Has a couple of smaller monologues and only appears near the end of the play.
Officer Pudney (either gender, 20’s-40’s): Officer Welch’s partner. A rookie cop with a slightly goofy demeanor but tries to appear professional. Has minimal lines and only appears near the end of the play.
Hope to see you all there! I can’t wait to get started on this project
Dakota V.
vaassen5513@gmail.com
What a great weekend Lancaster Community Players had producing “The Curious Savage!” I had an amazing cast and crew to work with the past nine weeks. I’m so grateful and proud of what we created together. Kudos to playwright John Patrick for his skill in creating a show that is not only funny but compassionate. Until next time! – Eileen Dushek-Manthe
“The Curious Savage” by John Patrick, takes the stage April 11-13
Reserved seats downstairs are $12 and general seats in the balcony are $10. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets, contact Angela Walter at 608-778-7726.
Set in the 1950’s, Ethel Savage has always been a dreamer, wanting to explore life. When her husband dies, entrusting her with his vast fortune, she plans on making others’ dreams come true with a fund. However, her stepchildren have other ideas for that money, and commit her to a home to try and wrestle control away from her. At the home, Ethel befriends the other residents, a colorful crew of kind, generous and misfit souls. They quickly become connected, and the group demonstrates their loyalty as Mrs. Savage leads her stepchildren through clever escapades that expose their greed.
The cast for this show is a mix of veteran LCP actors, and newcomers. Michael Harding, Summer Cohen, Sarah Imhoff, and Joanne Pereira join LCP for their first performance at the Grantland.
Sarah Imhoff is from Fennimore, and took on her role as a challenge to try something “outside my comfort zone.” Joanne Pereira is currently a student at Lancaster High School, where she fell in love with being part of a production and performing on stage. Michael Harding was drawn to this first role because he gets to play a character that is the near opposite of himself. “Titus is a confrontational, angry person… I am not,” Harding opined. Summer Cohen, a graduate of Potosi High School, had been in prominent roles throughout middle and high school while a student.
This group joins longtime LCP members Mike Steffel, Ann Savides Dolan, Lisa Nicolai, Sally Harper, Andrea Washa, Joel Ingebritsen, and Bill Haskins.
Ann Savides Dolan is a founding member of LCP, and has countless credits on stage, as well as off, having directed numerous plays, her last two directorial productions being “Rehearsal for Murder” and “Murdered to Death” back to back (the latter being a comedy, and the former not). Bill Haskins has been part of some of the biggest draws the theatre troupe has ever put on, having directed “The Producers”, “Mamma Mia!”, and “A Chorus Line”. Mike Steffel has been a mainstay in the cast of nearly every recent play, having been the lead in comedies like “Lucky Stiff”, and when not on stage heads the lighting crew. Dr. Sally Harper has been a part of every production since her debut in “Mamma Mia!”, with “The Curious Savage” being her fifth straight outing. Sally’s husband, Lancaster Mayor Stuart Harper, is also a mainstay having been the head of set construction for many of the performances. Joel Ingebritsen is returning with his acting talent, having made his LCP debut in “Soup de Jour” in 2012, and really shining as Sam Carmichael in the hit “Mamma Mia!”. Lisa Nicolai has been a vital part of LCP for over 25 years, first introduced through her father, LCP musical accompanist the late Don Pagni. Lisa’s husband, Dr. Tom Nicolai, has been LCP’s go-to sound guy, performing his audio production magic for over 20 years. Andrea Washa returns to the lead after being the irrepressible Miss Maple in the comedy caper “Murdered to Death”.
Directing this performance is Eileen Dushek-Manthe, who is no stranger to being onstage or off it, having been a performer in numerous LCP productions, as well as directing several plays, including “Buying the Moose”, in addition to helping produce several plays, creating the write-ups for playbills and publicity materials.
LCP will be holding auditions for our spring show, ‘The Curious Savage’
Production dates for ‘The Curious Savage’ by John Patrick, will be Friday through Sunday, April 11-13, 2025, at the Grantland Theatre in Lancaster, Wis. Rehearsals will be held Saturday mornings and Monday and Thursday evenings.
Audition Times and Locations
Thursday, January 30 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. in the Senior Center of Lancaster City Hall.
Monday, February 3 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. in the Senior Center of Lancaster City Hall.
Director Eileen Dushek-Manthe said the theme is based on Mrs. Savage, who has always been curious in life. She just didn’t get a chance to experience everything she wanted to do. Her deceased husband left her 10 million dollars, and Mrs. Savage decided it was time to make her own and others’ dreams come true–until her three adult stepchildren decided otherwise. She has foiled them though–she had the money put in negotiable securities. Hence, they have their stepmother committed to a care facility so she cannot continue freely spending her money (their inheritance). As we meet the other five residents of the care facility, Mrs. Savage sees what each offers to herself and others. They quickly become connected, and the group demonstrates their loyalty as Mrs. Savage leads her stepchildren through clever escapades that expose their greed. A doctor and staff person round out the cast of 11, which includes roles for six women and five men. The playwright asks that the residents of the care facility be played with warmth and dignity, not creating a caricature. Dushek-Manthe said, “That is some of what drew me to this show.”
All those interested in community theatre are invited to audition. Scripts are available for review at Schreiner Memorial Library, Lancaster. LCP also welcomes those who want to work behind the scenes. Contact Dushek-Manthe with questions at 608-345-5626 or if you are interested and cannot attend the scheduled audition times.
Tickets for Lancaster Community Players’ (LCP) production of the Broadway musical “A Chorus Line” are now on sale. The show is set to run at the Grantland Theatre in Lancaster, Wis., April 25-28, 2024.
Reserved seats downstairs are $20 and general seats in the balcony are $18. Showtimes for April 25, 26 and 27 are 7:30 p.m. and for April 28 is 2 p.m. For tickets, contact Angela Walter at 608-778-7726. Please note the show contains language and adult themes (PG-13).
LCP is comprised of individuals who direct, act, and do numerous behind-the-scenes tasks to make a show happen well before the audience gets to enjoy it. Rehearsals for this show began in January. Of course, it all begins with the vision of a director, this time being Bill Haskins. Our 26 actors sing and dance their way through the story of what it takes to audition for and make the cut of a Broadway chorus line. Every musical number is learned and then choreographed and rehearsed. Lisa Swanson is vocal director, and Brandi Dreher is choreographer. Larry Busch leads the orchestra.
Behind the scenes, Tom Nicolai has updated sound equipment in place to enhance the overall sound quality for our audience. The stage lights have been professionally designed specifically for this show. A crew built the stage set, another painted or applied its design, and a third will be adjusting it during the show. Other behind the scenes volunteers include costumes and props, a production team, and an usher caption.
LCP is grateful to have many tristate area community members active in our theatre troupe. We welcome anyone interested in sharing their talents, on stage or off. Our home is the vaudeville-era Grantland Theatre, which has a storied history of live shows dating back to the 1920s. Please join us in celebrating the continuation of live theatre in Lancaster’s historic Grantland Theatre!
Rehearsals have begun for the Lancaster Community Players’ production of A Chorus Line, which will be performed at the Grantland Theatre April 25, 26, 27 and 28. Director Bill Haskins is working with another large cast of 26 performers. Stay tuned for more glimpses of the work happening behind the scenes.
Lancaster Community Players holds auditions for ‘A Chorus Line’
LANCASTER, WIS–Lancaster Community Players (LCP) announces auditions for “A Chorus Line” to be held April 25-28, 2024, at the Grantland Theatre, Lancaster. Two audition times are scheduled: 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 6, in the Council Chambers of Lancaster City Hall and 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8, at the Grantland Theatre. Those auditioning are to prepare a 60-to-90-second musical selection and come in appropriate attire for a short group dance lesson. Please bring the music for the accompanist. There are roles for 12 women and 14 men. Those interested in auditioning who cannot make the scheduled audition times should contact Director Bill Haskins at 608-723-6600.
“A Chorus Line” is a stunning concept musical capturing the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus audition, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Exploring the inner lives and poignant ambitions of professional Broadway gypsies, the show features one powerhouse number after another. Memorable musical numbers include “What I Did for Love,” “One,” “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet,” “The Music and the Mirror” and “I Hope I Get It.” A brilliantly complex fusion of song, dance and compellingly authentic drama, “A Chorus Line” is a celebration of those unsung heroes of the American musical theatre: the chorus dancers—those valiant, over dedicated, underpaid, highly trained performers who back up the star or stars and often make them look even more talented than they are. It is also a celebration of the American musical itself.
About “A Chorus Line,” Haskins said “This is one of those timeless musicals which I have admired for years. It touches on timeless themes, including love, rejection, joy, and many more. We look forward to bringing it to life!” Haskins previously directed “Mamma Mia!” and “The Producers” and several more musicals for LCP. Join him and local theatre lovers as they produce another great Broadway hit!
Lancaster Community Players announces the cast for their upcoming play, “Rumors” by Neil Simon. Production dates are October 24, 25 and 26 at the Grantland Theatre in Lancaster.
“The Curious Savage” by John Patrick, takes the stage April 11-13
