Producer Judi Brauns, with costume chair Susan Schweitzer.Producer Judi Brauns, with costume chair Susan Schweitzer.
Fall Dinner Theatre rehearsals are cooking along
Andrea Molberg
SaddleBrooke’s theatre troupe Community Circle Players (CCP) is offering, for the first time, two different dinner theatre productions this season. Rehearsals for the November dinner show Cookin’ With Gus, written by Jim Brochu and produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc, are cooking right along. The four-person cast is going over lines and practicing in Director Shawne Cryderman’s home, so watching them rehearse the show’s food fight must be quite a sight.
The hilarious comedy Cookin’ With Gus is about Gussie, a famous food columnist and cookbook author, who has been offered her own daily network television show but is terrified of speaking in front of the camera. To cure her stage fright her husband tries hypnotism, her agent employs threats, and her gypsy neighbor casts spells. The antics will serve up lots of fun for the dinner theatre goers who will be dining at round tables in “half moon” seating with six to a table and everyone comfortably facing the stage. From last year’s proceeds, CCP is helping to fund improvements to the SaddleBrooke TWO audio system for audience enjoyment.
The menu is straight out of Gussie’s Cookbook (or at least those items mentioned in the play) and will include grilled shrimp skewer with margarita butter for an appetizer, chicken pesto with roasted red pepper relish, angel hair pasta, and grilled zucchini and coffee chocolate chip gelato with almond biscotti for dessert plus rolls & butter and coffee/tea. Vegetarian options available for appetizer and/or entree. The bar opens at 5:30 p.m. with dinner and show starting at 6 p.m.
CCP’s Cookin’ With Gus performances are Nov. 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, and 17 on the stage of SaddleBrooke TWO’s MountainView Ballroom. The $49 tickets (for the dinner plus show) will be available for purchase starting October 1 at the SaddleBrooke TWO administration building.
Cast members are CCP co-founder Susan Sterling as Gussie, community theatre veterans Tim Morsani as Gussie’s complacent husband, JP Blount, taking on the part of Gussie’s agent, and Connie Ward playing the wacky next-door neighbor. This show will be performed on the stage in the MVCC ballroom.
No doubt, folks will be lined up when tickets go on sale Oct. 1 for the autumn performances. Need more information? Contact Shawne Cryderman at [email protected] or Judi Brauns at [email protected].
November auditions for spring dinner theatre show
Andrea Molberg
Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 18 and 19, auditions for Community Circle Players’(CCPs’) spring dinner theatre treat will take place from 9:30 a.m. to noon in the MountainView Ballroom West. Yes, CCP is preparing for the political satire The Outsider by Paul Slade Smith, produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com), its March production, while at the same time rehearsing its fall show.
Do not let inexperience hold you back from auditioning, because an actor completely new to the stage played a prominent role in last year’s spring production. Tim Morsani will be directing the CCP’s’ comedy and is eager for a good turnout at the November reading-from-the-script auditions. If you wish to see the script in advance, please contact him at [email protected] or 520-954-4542. Producer [email protected] is another resource for additional information.
Well written and very funny, the show is perfect for an election year with interesting, challenging characters (four male and three female). The Outsider will be presented in a dinner theatre format with the action taking place right in the middle of the audience. The spring performances of The Outsider will be held March 8 through 11 in the SaddleBrooke One Vistas and March 13 through 15 in the SaddleBrooke TWO Ballroom.