Mrs. McThing

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STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE PRESENTS

IN THE ROUND

A COMIC FANTASY BY

MARY CHASE 2010 SEASON JUNE 8–12 & 15–19 THE BOAL BARN PLAYHOUSE

STATE COLLEGE THEATRE.COM /MCTHING


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FROM THE PRODUCERS Welcome to the 2010 State College Community Theatre Season! We’re so pleased to offer a diverse group of shows sure to make you think, laugh, cry and sing along. We are fortunate to live in such a vibrant arts and theatre community, and from that community, we’ve found a great deal of talent that we’re excited to share with you this season. It’s our community – performers, designers, musicians, volunteers, and our patrons – that all come together to transform the words and music on paper into an enjoyable evening of live theatre. You might notice that some things look a little different than you might remember from past seasons. We’ve even got a new logo! All thanks to our community of volunteers. And we’d love to have you. If you’re interested, ask any of our ushers, box office workers, or snack bar volunteers. They’ll be glad to help. You can also visit our website for more information. We invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Let us entertain you!

David Price & Amber Daughtry producers

2010 season

The State College Community Theatre Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1250 University Drive State College, PA 16801 Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . 814-234-SCCT (7228) Silo Box Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 814-466-7141

12 Angry Men May 18–29

Mrs. McThing

StateCollegeTheatre.com

June 8–19

Administrative Staff Producers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Price Amber Daughtry

Wonderful Town June 29–July 10

2010 Board of Directors

A Streetcar Named Desire

President • David Price Vice President • Amber Daughtry

July 20–31

Secretary • Rob Arnold Treasurer • Margaret Higgins

Hello, Dolly!

Jeff Brown • Michelle Miller-Day Laura Saxe • Phillip Torbert Courtney Wozetek • Kenneth Wozetek Jerry Henry, Jr. (Immediate Past President)

The Curious Savage

August 10–21

September 7–18

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The Boal Mansion Museum, home of the internationally renowned Columbus Chapel, extends best wishes for a successful 2010 season to the State College Community Theatre at the Boal Barn Playhouse and invites patrons, actors and staff to come next door and visit the

Columbus Chapel and Boal Mansion Museum Open May 1 to October 31, six days a week (closed Mondays) Summer hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM, Sundays, Noon to 5 PM

Also, come dance at the Boalsburg Columbus Ball Saturday, October 9, 2010, 7:30 PM For details, visit our web site at http://boalmuseum.com or call 814-466-6210



ABOUT THE PLAY The following synopsis was provided by an article published in LIFE magazine, March 1952.

WHAT A WITCH CAN DO The moral behind Mrs. McThing, a comic fantasy, is that small boys shouldn’t always scrub their ears, and that perfection is a terrible thing. The dispenser of this wisdom is Mary Chase, who wrote before about imperfect mortals in her play, Harvey. The Hero of Mrs. McThing is Howay Larue. A normally mischievous youngster, Howay is spirited away from his mansion by vengeful Witch McThing because she feels Howay’s mother has snubbed her urchinlike daughter. Gleefully Howay finds himself in a pool-hall lunchroom, where he joins a gang of comic mobsters. Meanwhile, a substitute Howay, a hateful prig, is created by the witch out of an old stick and palmed off on Mrs. Larue. Unaware of the replacement, she is glad at first to see how Howay has reformed. But soon she grows uneasy over Howay the Good, and is deeply mystified when Howay the Bad phones her from the lunchroom. Before the witch gets through, Mrs. Larue herself is changed into a scrubwoman, helps rob her own home, adopts the witch’s daughter as a playmate for Howay, and returns to her unbewitched state with a firm conviction that it is best to let kids be kids.

Susanna Ritti director

This theatre has been equipped with an audio loop system for those patrons who need hearing assistance. It can be accessed directly through a hearing aid’s telecoil or with a receiver that can be borrowed from the box office for the performance. No cameras, video cameras, or audio recording devices allowed during the show.

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SUPPORTING CAST Producers

Gold Circle ($1,000+)

Best Buy Co., Inc.

on behalf of Rob Arnold

Skip Smith

Producers

Gary & Becky Messing

directors

Wayne Koch Stan & Pat Mayers Valerie & John Nisbet Sam & Linda Ranaudo Laura & Dave Saxe Tom & Carolyn Smith Geoff & Pat Wilson

Silver Circle ($600–1000)

($300–600)

Jean & Gert Aron June & Tom Brown Robert & Virginia Custard Peg & Joe French

featured stars

($150–300)

East Coast Health & Fitness Jack & Rosemary Gido Susan & Buzz Graham

leading players

($50–150)

John Andrews Michael & Amy Blake Robert E. Bloom Lynn Donald Breon Cynthia & Ann Brewer Eric and Sharon Childs Steve & Sandy Elbin Charles & Phyllis Forney Brent Frank & Steven Romig In Honor of Ruth Frank Hayes & Elaine Gearhart Ellen M. Grubb

Cyrus Klingsberg Dick Kustin Jane & Herman Richey Lon & Shirley Stanton Mark, Sharon & Alaina Symanovich Roger & B.J. Wurst Margaret M. Hardy George & Sue Henning Pat Hess Helen Hull Chris & Rhonda Lope David Maneval Marian & Joseph O’Leary Dave & Jan Phillips Ken & Beth Raney Joe & Myrtle Rech Alyce Ritti Peg & Bill Shuffstall Ron & Sue Smith John & Dorothy Ziegler

SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY THEATRE!

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SYNOPSIS Place. Larue Towers, Shantyland Pool Hall act 1. Late afternoon of a summer day Scene 1. Larue Towers Scene 2. Shantyland Scene 3. Shantyland act 2. A few days later Scene 1. Shantyland Scene 2. Larue Towers

THE CAST Mrs. Howard V. Larue III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Margaret Higgins Carrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Susan Boardman Sybil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kizzy Nicholas Evva Lewis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Gates Maude Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melissa Brannen Grace Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Baker Nelson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lloyd Short Howay/Stick Boy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helen Fleischer Chef/Ellsworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Farkas Virgil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Raybuck Dirty Joe McGinnis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lyn Freymiller Stinker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gordon Robinson Poison Eddie Schellenbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shaun McMurtrie Mrs. Schellenbach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diana Ingersoll-Cope Mimi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morgan Higgins Policeman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Farmer Mrs. McThing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Andreea Sarbu 10


THE STATE COLLEGE COMMUNITY THEATRE PROUDLY PRESENTS

A COMIC FANTASY BY

MARY CHASE DIRECTED BY

SUSANNA RITTI STAGE MANAGER

SOUND DESIGN BY

KATIE CARRIERO

MAGGIE EDER

SCENIC DESIGN BY

LIGHTING DESIGN BY

JON VICKERS-JONES

GREG RAY

PRODUCED BY

DAVID PRICE AND

AMBER DAUGHTRY Mrs. McThing is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Playbill design and layout by Tara Tallman and Phillip Mackenzie Cover design by Phillip Mackenzie

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ON STAGE TONIGHT STEPHANIE BAKER (Grace Lewis) has been involved with SCCT for many years. Her most recent roles include Georgie in The Full Monty and Mollie Ralston in last season’s The Mousetrap. This season, in addition to performing in Mrs. McThing, Stephanie is one of the co-coordinators for the apprentice program (sign up! www.scctonline.org) and will also be appearing in The Curious Savage. Stephanie is a student at Penn State pursuing dual degrees in music education and theatre. She is a member of Essence of Joy and Concert Choir, as well as being involved onstage and offstage in various theater projects on campus.

are working backstage on this show and Chris will be performing in Wonderful Town and Hello, Dolly! later in the season! Thanks to the cast and crew for making Mrs. McThing such a fun show! AMY FARKAS (Chef/Ellsworth) is returning for her second season with SCCT, after appearing in The Columbus Capers last year. She is the Township Manager in Harris Township. She thanks her parents for encouraging her dramatic side (even though it meant she was often a handful) and her family and friends for their love, support and willingness to make the trek to State College during Penn State’s off-season to see some quality theater.

SUSAN BOARDMAN (Carrie), a professional singer, retired in 2008 from Penn State’s School of Music, where she taught singing and directed the Penn State Opera Theatre for 15 years. In 1999, she played the role of Ouiser Boudreaux in the SCCT production of Steel Magnolias. Susan is glad to be part of the charming Mrs. McThing, because in 1952, as a ten-yearold girl scout, she saw it in Chicago starring Helen Hayes!!

MARK FARMER (Policeman) is a lab-technician at Penn State University. He finds it challenging to make his character fit into the pace and energy of the play while being a believable counterpart to the other actor’s characters. HELEN FLEISCHER (Howay/ Stick Boy) is an 8th grader at Mt. Nittany Middle School. This is her third show at the Boal Barn, including She loves Me and West Side Story, and she has enjoyed them all. At MNMS she has had roles in The Velveteen

MELISSA BRANNEN (Maude Lewis) This is Melissa’s fourth season and seventh show at the Boal Barn and on the heels of her wedding and honeymoon to her love and fellow SCCT actor Chris Brannen. Her favorite SCCT roles have been Belinda in Ramshackle Inn, Aunt Queenie in Bell, Book and Candle and Gwendolyn Pigeon in The Odd Couple. She is looking forward to a great season at the barn acting and volunteering with her husband Chris and daughters Emma and Sarah. Both Emma and Sarah 12


ON STAGE TONIGHT Rabbit, The Just So Stories, State Fair, and Meet Me in St. Louis. She is so thrilled to be performing the part of Howay and would like to thank the cast and crew for this wonderful experience. Enjoy the show.

Tenor, and To Kill a Mockingbird. When she’s not cataloging videos for the Penn State Libraries, she can most often be found splitting her time between keeping her cat Daniel Striped Tiger happy and serving as a Production Stage Manager for Tempest Studios in Bellefonte (and occasionally for their educational theater program in New Jersey).

LYN J. FREYMILLER (Dirty Joe McGinnis) Boal Barn-storms for the 6th time with the strange and delightful Mrs. McThing, his first ‘gangsta’ role ever. Previous Barn credits include The Mousetrap, The Columbus Caper, Bell, Book, and Candle, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, and The Unexpected Guest. Back in his native Wisconsin, he appeared in major roles in college and community theater productions including The Importance of Being Earnest, A Few Good Men, Biloxi Blues, Master Harold…and the Boys, The Adding Machine, and The Foreigner. Lyn holds a Ph.D. from, and currently teaches in, the Communication Arts & Sciences Department at Penn State.

MARGARET ARNOLD HIGGINS (Mrs. Howard V. LaRue III) seems to have found her niche playing maternal roles. Recently she appeared as Mrs. Webb in Our Town with The Next Stage, and last summer as Lillian Gilbreth in SCCT’s Cheaper By The Dozen. She is happy to share the stage once again with her real life daughter, Morgan, as well as many friends and former castmates. A State College native, Margaret works for the Computer Services Department of State College Area School District and is the Treasurer of SCCT’s Board of Directors.

STEPHANIE J. GATES (Evva Lewis) A 25-year veteran of local theater in Central Pennsylvania, Stephanie is happy to be back at the Boal Barn this summer. You may also have seen her being a bossy boots in Murder on the Nile, Picnic, Lend Me a

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ON STAGE TONIGHT MORGAN HIGGINS (Mimi) is happy to be part of Mrs. McThing! At the age of 10 she has already been in about 15 productions since she was 7! In the past year she appeared as Louise in Sunday in the Park with George at PSU, as Beth in All My Sons with No Refund Theatre, and in SCCT’s Children of Eden. When she is not acting she can be found reading, listening to Wicked, or hanging out with friends. She is finishing 4th grade and is in the band and choir at Easterly Parkway Elementary. She would like to thank her Mom (her real one) who is also in the play, for not acting like her Mom during this performance!

cast member Stephanie Gates). Professionally, Shaun is a National Board Certified Teacher in Mathematics at the Bellefonte Area High School and is currently working on his thesis for his Master’s Degree at Penn State. To see him in a more dramatic role, come back later this season for his portrayal of Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire. KIZZY NICHOLAS (Sybil) is happy to be returning to the barn after a 4 year absence. Kizzy has played in The Wizard of Oz, Interlewd, and You Can’t Take it With You. Kizzy is a teacher at Mount Nittany Middle School. She lives with her Husband, Kurt, and son, Augustus. Live like tomorrow is your last.

DIANA INGERSOLL-COPE (Mrs. Schellenbach) graduated magna cum laude in 2006 from Cornell College with a B.A. in Theatre and Women’s Studies. While at Cornell she served as assistant director for The Laramie Project and ASM for Charles Mee’s Big Love and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well directing Harold Pinter’s Ashes to Ashes and her original one-act, Silver Sixpence. Last summer she was seen in the role of Marie Dindon in La Cage aux Folles, and she has worked previously with SCCT as the stage manager for Nunsense and To Kill a Mockingbird during the 2008 season and director for A Bright Room Called Day and the 2009 Halloween show.

STEVE RAYBUCK (Virgil) has been in a number of productions at the Boal Barn. He has been in Arsenic and Old Lace, Damn Yankees and most recently The Columbus Caper. He is employed by The Transportaion Security Administration and works at the University Park Airport.

SHAUN T. MCMURTRIE (Poison Eddie Schellenbach) A member of SCCT since 1999, Shaun has performed in such hits as Baby, Babes in Arms, The Full Monty, Lend Me a Tenor, Picnic, and last year in both La Cage aux Folles and The Odd Couple. In addition to acting, Shaun is also a past SCCT Board Member, Director (Broadway Bound, Rehearsal for Murder), and Playwright (with fellow 14


ON STAGE TONIGHT GORDON ROBINSON (Stinker) is delighted to be working again with the wonderful people in front of and behind the scenes at the State College Community Theatre. Last fall he appeared in both Playhouse of the Damned and The Odd Couple, and last summer he appeared in La Cage aux Folles.

and German, Ms. Sarbu knew precious little English, yet graduated fifth in her high school class of 250 just a few scant years after arriving in America. Little is known of her years after high school, as she preferred to explore the dark underbelly of St. Louis while earning her American citizenship. You, the audience of Mrs. McThing, are witness to Ms. Sarbu’s premiere stage appearance. LLOYD SHORT (Nelson) This is Mr. Short’s 5th consecutive season at the Barn, appearing last year as the father in Cheaper by the Dozen and the previous year as Horse in The Full Monty. He has performed in 7 NextStage productions in the past 5 years, most recently as The Stage Manager in Our Town, and also in several Fred Waring shows: 1776, and 9/11: A Day in the Life of a People. He lives in State College with 3 of his 4 children.

ANDREEA SARBU (Mrs. McThing) Born and raised in the foothills of the Transylvanian mountains, Andreea Sarbu grew up in the dark shadow of Romania’s repressive Communist regime. After personally experiencing the 1989 Romanian Revolution, Ms. Sarbu, a youngster at the time, was hustled on an airplane in Bucharest, landing at New York’s JFK airport. While fluent in French

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J O I N US FO R O U R N E XT S H OW!

JUNE 29–JULY 10

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ARTISTIC STAFF SUSANNA RITTI (Director) has been involved with SCCT since attending Penn State as a Theatre Major. She has been active both onstage and offstage, and has served as a member of the Board of Directors as well as a summer season producer. Starting in the summer of 2000, Susanna has directed numerous productions at the Boal Barn, most recently last season’s Cheaper By The Dozen and the previous season’s To Kill a Mockingbird. Her most recent performance onstage was as a proud cast member of the reader’s theatre version of Under Milkwood, a successful fundraising production for the State Theatre’s acquisition of lifesaving Defibrillators. She wants to thank the cast for its incredible energy and dedication and to dedicate this production to the late Minnie Ritti, Canine Patron of the Arts.

such a great time working with such a fun and wonderful cast. This show has taught her a lot of things, including what the material of her coffin will be (newspaper) and the definition of a “velociraptor dance,” a lesson she cannot see herself living without. Thank you to everyone involved in this show for constantly teaching me new and exciting things. MAGGIE EDER (Sound Designer) is glad to be back at the Boal Barn for her second show of the season after just recently finishing running sound for Twelve Angry Men. She is currently a senior earning her B.S. in Neuro Psychology at Penn State and an active member of Penn State Thespians and a MasquerAIDS co-chair within the club. On-stage roles include Hair (ensemble), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (tango dancer), The Vagina Monologues (Memory of her face), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Apostle Woman). Back stage credits include

KATIE CARRIERO (Stage Manager) is very proud to participate in her 3rd season at the barn. She had

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MasquerAIDS 2009 and 2010 (stage manager), Once Upon a Mattress (run crew), and Jekyll and Hyde (sound crew). Thanks to everyone who has let her indulge in her theatrical side.

Helpers wanted! This past year, Amy has been hard at work fine-tuning her makeup skills and will hopefully be attending Tom Savini’s Special Effects Program at Douglas in the Fall. Amy would like to thank her family and friends for their constant support!

GREG RAY (Lighting Designer) is the resident lighting designer at the State Theatre here in State College. He has been in this position for two-and-a-half years. So if you’ve seen anything there, you have probably seen his lighting. Greg also lights the Next Stage theater company and the Nittany Valley Shakespeare Festival. This is his first show with SCCT. He has a pit bull named Binks and a girfriend named Ginger who thinks all this theater stuff is for the birds.

JON VICKERS-JONES (Scenic Designer) is a professional storyteller and creativity instructor from Britain. He performed in the Cumberland Valley area for many years sharing British folk tales and legends, medieval facts and fiction, and historical information about The Blitz in London. He was an instructor for Adventures in Learning at Penn State, Arts Express with the Chambersburg Area Council for the Arts, Storytelling and European history classes at schools in PA and Maryland, and Stage Odyssey at the Cumberland Valley School of Music.

AMY SILVERMAN (Costume Designer) is returning to the barn after a four year hiatus. She is enjoying a comfortable start to a busy summer. Amy will also be designing Wonderful Town and Hello, Dolly! Costume

J.W. Blasko Scholarship at the Dickinson School of Law Schlow Memorial Library Campaign Center for the Performing Arts Judge Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship Bellefonte High School

We’re Proud To Play A Leading Role In The Community.

Each of the organizations listed plays an integral part in our community. Supporting them helps to ensure that the people in our community realize their full potential. It also helps us reach ours.

Centre Community Foundation Centre County United Way Central PA Festival of the Arts WPSU

State College 814-238-4926 Hollidaysburg 814-283-2000 Hershey 717-531-1199 www.mqblaw.com 19


PHOTOGRAPHY BY PHILLIP MACKENZIE


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