Dinner theatre performances this fall

Andrea Molberg

This November SaddleBrooke’s theatre troupe will be offering dinner theatre with a twist. Having consistently sold out their spring dinner-theatre-in-the-round performances and entertained close to a 1,000 each season, Community Circle Players will offer a stage-production-with-dinner this fall, as well as another show in the spring.

CCP’s founders Shawne Cryderman and Susan Sterling are excited about their upcoming dinner theatre show Cookin’ with Gus written by Jim Brochu and produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. The hilarious comedy 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. Their antics, which even include a full-blown food fight, will serve up lots of fun for the audience.

“It’s a project I’ve been wanting to do for years,” said Director Cryderman who played the part of Gussie years ago. Susan Sterling will fill that role for CCP this fall. The other three members of the cast are veteran performers Tim Morsani, playing Gussie’s complacent and teddy bearish husband; JP Blount, as her fast-talking theatrical agent and Connie Ward, as her wacky next-door neighbor. Judi Brauns serves as producer.

The seven performances will be held on the stage of SaddleBrooke TWO’s MountainView Ballroom on November 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17. Even though tickets won’t go on sale until October 1, start planning. No doubt they will sell fast.

In addition, CCP will hold auditions November 18 and 19 for its spring dinner theatre production which will be directed by Tim Morsani. The dates for the spring show have been selected, but the script hasn’t. Those CCP spring dinner theatre performances will be March 8, 9, 10 and 11 at SaddleBrooke One’s Vistas Restaurant and March 13, 14, and 15 in the SaddleBrooke TWO MountainView Ballroom.