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GENERAL MEETING!!
September 13th, 7:00p.m.
United Lutheran Church
Cooper Road, Bella Vista
Please plan to attend our general meeting this month. This is our annual meeting and we will be voting on our newest board members. We have some great candidates this year . Come and meet them and be a part of our future. The candidates running to fill THREE board positions are:
Carl Ballou
Debbie Reynolds
Lynette Goss
Patrick Kunnecke
Sam Nemecek
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JUMPING IN with Marty Johnson!
If you ever doubt the value of our involvement with First Friday on the Bentonville Square, look no further than Marty Johnson. Kathy Forbes discovered this hidden treasure last summer while working our booth. Marty started getting our online information and decided that if she was going to get involved with the Players that she needed to attend a General Meeting. She immediately signed up to work First Fridays, followed by attending a Production Meeting for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Marty had never done costumes before, she had no script, she had no costume plot, but costuming was what was needed, so Marty started shopping, measuring and sewing. One of the biggest challenges was that most of the women were expected to dress like courtesans, but didn’t want to expose too much skin. Marty has already started to build a can-do reputation and is currently heading up Costumes for Harvey.
In order to find out what is happening with the Village Players, she feels that it is necessary to attend meetings. For instance, if she had not been at the August General Meeting she would not be working the NWACC 1940s Radio Scholarship Gala and getting to wear her vintage 1940s costume, hair and makeup.
Jumping right in is a good description of how Marty does things. Five years ago she was laid off up in Michigan, so when an Arkansas friend suggested that vendors were clamoring for administrative assistants; she packed up leaving an unsold house and a college age daughter(currently living in L.A.) and moved to Arkansas. Marty is now in the Logistics Department with Wal-Mart.
Currently she has no particular desire to be in front of the curtain, in spite of her background in modeling for Patricia Stevens (including a stint for Pontiac) and a background in theater from the University of Detroit. The Players are delighted to have Marty with us and are anxiously waiting to see what she jumps into next.
(Special thanks to FRAN for getting to know Marty and writing this great Membership Minute!)
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Harvey Sighting!
Elwood (Bill Hesse) was proud to introduce Harvey to persons attending Bentonville's First Friday! Several cast members were on hand to make apologies for his behavior! Thanks so much to Marion, Lynette, Debbie, Sam (Betty Chumley), Sonja (Veta Louise) and Anna (Myrtle Mae) for helping pass out flyers and be in photographs. Special thanks to Carl B. for bringing his photo equipment and lovely wife to take pictures of attendees with Harvey and cast. Pictures will be edited to include a rabbit and then emailed with an invite to see the play!
There are still positioins open for hlping with the production of Harvey!
- Production Manager
- Make-up and Hair
- Concessions
- Cast Party
If you have suggestions or ideas or would like to help, pelase contact Debbie at dlreynolds48@hotmail.com
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~*~*~HARVEY AUDITION DATES HAVE CHANGED~*~*~
Auditions for Harvey will be held August 15th 16th and 18th from 7-9pm in White auditorium at NWACC. The Thursday night audition will probably be in another room, but we will have someone out front to give directions or post the change on the front door.
Mary and I would like to encourage all member and friends to come to at least one of these auditions. We are going to need people backstage and many other jobs have not yet been assigned. Please come and see auditions and meet and greet old friends and hopefully meet some new ones. We were fortunate to have so many new people in "Forum". I hope to see them all again. I would also like to say that even if you don't get cast in this production, there is so much coming up for the VP that I am sure you would like to take part in.
Thanks to all of you. See you at auditions.
Mary Solliday and Debbie Reynolds
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General Meeting
August 9th
Please make plans to attend our general meeting on August 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Bella Vista Lutheran Church on Cooper Rd. you will have the opportunity to enjoy quality time with your fellow Village Players AND meet the nominees for our Board!! (Bio's of those running can be found below!)
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In July the Village Players partnered with the Bella Vista Country Club for another successful Mystery Dinner Theater! If you haven't made it to one yet, you owe it to yourself to catch the next one! Pam Marks has done a fabulous job once again! Something exciting about the MDT--they cost nearly nothing to put on. --they are almost all profit! MDT have minimal costumes and props by focusing on the characters and their surroundings in the restaurant. What a great way to raise funds to help supplement our regular season. Stay tuned to your Informer and blasts from Sarah for more information about how to participate in future Mystery Dinner Theaters!
Eric and Erin Fields have relocated to Iowa! Here is their contact information so you can keep in touch!
1200 Kirstin Court, Apartment 101
Muscatine, IA 52761
Eric:
ericrussellfield@hotmail.com
Erin:
eringargiulo@hotmail.com
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BOARD ELECTIONS
Bill Correll, Mary Solliday and Pam Marks will be vacating their seats on the Village Players Board. There are five wonderful candidates who will be running for the three open seats. Below you will read biographies that they have submitted and you can attend the General Meeting on the 9th to meet them in person!
(Candidates listed in alphabetical order by last name)
Carl Ballou I grew up in San Jose CA, and began performing onstage in children's musical theater productions at age 10. At 16, I became involved with 3 community groups that shared a theater in Saratoga, CA. It was then that I was given a chance to work on sets, lights and other technical aspects in addition to performing. I became a theater gypsy, performing in one show, then helping the next group move in their sets and equipment and get it "on the boards" in two weeks, sometimes getting pulled into the cast or just helping out backstage.
I was a Theater Arts - Tech major at San Jose State University, learning all aspects of theater, film, radio, and TV production. Shortly after graduating, I was hired by the City of Sunnyvale as theater tech director, where I designed and installed their theater sound system, was instrumental in the upgrading of the lighting system, maintained the shop tools and equipment, and supervised all tech aspects of the theater. (I was also taking photos for various groups, expanding my business to include portraiture and weddings and eventually providing theatrical photographic services for 16 semi-professional and community groups and 3 colleges.)
Over 25+ years, I performed in over 50 shows, and worked as Tech Director, Lighting Designer/ Technician, Sound Designer/Technician, Scenic Designer, Assistant Director, Stage Manager, and Producer. I also served on the board of directors of Saratoga Drama Group for 3 years and was Chairman of the Board for 1 season.
Since moving to the midwest, I have performed, designed lights and sets, and provided photographic services for Rogers Little Theater, Village Players and other local groups and high schools.
I hope to bring insight, inspiration, and growth to this vital community organization.
Lynette Goss is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in music. She studied music education with an emphasis on vocal performance. She enjoyed participating in musicals, recitals and operas during her college career.
Lynette has experience teaching music to children 3-12 years of age. She started the music program at Walnut Farm Montessori School and has been their music teacher for 7 years. She is a trained Montessori teacher in pre-school as well as elementary, and she has taught as a classroom teacher for 6 years. She now only teaches music with the hopes of spending more time being a musician and giving back to the community. Lynette has enjoyed performing with The Village Players in Hello Dolly and A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum.
She would like to serve on The Village Players Board of Directors to help insure that it remains a thriving community theatre for the Bentonville/ Bella Vista area. “Crystal Bridges will only bring more love and support for the arts in our community. Now is the time to establish The Village Players as this area’s community theatre with gusto! I want to help do that in any way I can.”
Patrick Kunnecke I am a recent graduate from the University of Arkansas with a degree in Landscape Architecture. I have been in theater productions since I was a small child and joined the village players for a pre-show of Moon over Buffalo (approx. 2003). Since then I have been in productions such as Sight Unseen, I'll Get My Man, Cinderalla, 1940's Radio Hour, They're Playing Our Song, and more. I have worked as a sounds and lighting technician and assistant directed. More recently in college I took on a couple short plays for MFA students thesis work. I also started serving on the State Board of Community Theater as a representative of Northwest Arkansas area and the Village Players. My main passion is music followed closely by theater and the environment. I am not sure what the future holds in respects to where I will find work, but I hope to continue living in the NWA area and helping build the Village Players into a multi city community theater organization with a name and reputation for quality performing arts.
Sam Nemecek Moved to Bella Vista from Omaha, Nebraska in 2000 with my husband, Ladislav. I teach adult tap and jazz at Riordan Hall on Saturdays. I enjoy playing cards in many groups in the Village (it's still a village to me!) I have 3 stepson's, 8 grandchildren, and one biological daughter, Nicole.
While growing up, my involvement in dance, gymnastics and cheer never left me time to participate in Drama. Joining Village Players has let me fulfill that lifelong dream. As I always say, "you are NEVER too old to learn something new."
Although I have only been a part of the Village Players of NWA for over one year, I have been involved on many levels. Hello Dolly was my first stage appearance. Choreographing and adding the tap number to the kick line was received with great enthusiasm by the audience. I thought Garry Bruch did a great job of thinking “outside the box” by doing this.
The demographics of our theatre group are changing. More young people want to be involved, and I think we should welcome them and also welcome their ideas for making VP one of the premiere community theatres in NWA. There is so much talent in our area high schools and community colleges such as NWACC and Crowder. We need to tap that talent and make sure we contact these facilities about our upcoming productions.
I also think the Mystery Dinner Theatre is a great idea. I would love to be involved in an acting capacity, as well as writing a script down the road. When I was involved in a local TV production of Bella Vista Moments, I wrote all my own scripts for the 3 characters I portrayed.
Doing the choreography for Forum was a great learning experience. Being the Director/Choreographer for my own dance group, Divine Dancing Divas allowed me to be creative in a new direction. Assisting in the Directing was also a learning experience, one of which I hope to expand on in the future.
With new faces, new ideas and new interest in the Village Players of NWA, I know we will reach out to more people who love theatre, both as participants and audience members.
Debbie Reynolds I have been a member of the Village Players since 2001. I have served on the Board of Directors previously. I served for a short time this past year to fill in for ones who have had to resign.
I have done set design for a number of years in addition to set dressing, make-up, painting, construction, props and costuming. The only aspect of stage productions I have not done is sound and lighting.
Previous onstage experience includes:
See How They Run ( both VP productions)
Nunsense ( both VP productions)
Cactus Flower
Whose Wives Are They Anyway
Steel Magnolias
Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
Out of Sight Out Of Murder
Rumors ( VP Production and Sager Creek Production)
Play On
Hello Dolly
Octette Bridge Club ( ACO Production)
Her Comes The Bride And There Goes The Groom ( Presbyterian Players - BV )
I have also been an Assistant Director four times and now in the process of preparing to co-direct "Harvey". I hope to direct again.
The Village Board of Directors many and various duties. I sincerely hope we elect new and vibrant people to fill the vacated positions. My best wishes to those who are elected and "thank you" to the board members who are leaving office. You have all done a great job.
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A Murder In The VillageDirected by Pam Marks
Presented by the Village Players in conjunction with the Bella Vista Country Club
Here’s the synopsis:
The actors are preparing for their next performance when their theater director sadly informs them that the building they have been rehearsing and performing in has been sold to developers who plan to tear it down. Everyone is distraught about breaking up their troupe except for one egocentric, callous actor. When he suddenly turns up dead, the rest of the cast quickly learns that his death was no accident. Who among his fellow thespians could have committed the dastardly deed? The devastated director, the jilted ex girlfriend, the jealous supporting actor and the prima donna teen actress all had a motive. They all had an opportunity.
One of them is responsible for the victim's final curtain call.
Join us for an evening of fine dining, intrigue and laughter. Help solve the mystery and you could win a prize!
Friday, July 8th, Saturday, July 9th and Friday, July 15th at 6:30.
Enjoy your choice of Prime Rib or Oscar Salmon.
Reservations are $26, may be purchased in advance with menu option selected.
Price includes dinner, non-alcoholic drinks and dessert.
For reservations, visit the Village Players website at www.bvvillageplayers.org
or Bella Vista Country Club Restaurant 876-2522
(Restaurant closed Mondays)
Questions? call the Village Players at 876-1481
~Cool~Crisp~Fall~
HARVEY!!!
Auditions: August 22, 23 & 25th, 7:00pm at White Auditorium, NWACC
Mark your calendars and get ready for the FALL Village Players Production
This show will be directed by Debbie Reynolds and Mary Solliday (The Gemini Twins from the Forum). There are parts for 6 men and 6 women, and lots of folks are needed behind the scenes. Behind the scene work is also lots of fun and rewarding. It takes at least two folks behind the curtain for every one in front. Come, volunteer! We need you.
Board Member Spotlight...Jan Reidmueller
I joined the Village Players 5 years ago when I auditioned for “They’re Playing our Song.” I had wanted to try out for years, but felt that working full time and trying to be at rehearsals every night would be overwhelming. But I took the plunge and found out that work may deplete my energy, but being in the theater fills me back up again. I had forgotten how much I loved the whole process of putting on a production from beginning to end. The best part if the wonderful relationships you form with the cast and crew. The applause is nice, but the journey is better.
My mother might say that when I entered the world I posed for the doctor. From as far back as I can remember, I wanted to sing and act. But the clincher happened when I was 12 and my mother brought home an album of this new artist named Barbra Streisand. From then on I did everything I could to look like her, sound like and act like her. Of course, as I grew older I came into my own, but she was my obsession when I was young and convinced me that there was nothing I would rather do than perform.
I did get my big chance when I was signed with Columbia Records in 1977. It was under my maiden name and called ‘The Jan Park Band.”. I did well for a couple of years and then on a black Friday they released over 300 groups and I was one of them. It was a recession year even for the music industry. But I will always be grateful for that experience and all that I learned. In addition I was a theater major in college from 1970-1973.
In 2009 I became a member of the board for the Village Players and in 2011 became the President. The Village Players fit me perfectly and I was happy to be a part of the planning. One my biggest goals when I took office was to make sure that everyone and anyone wanting to try theater got their chance, and in doing so had a fun, friendly and wonderful experience. From all indications on our last production of Forum, we have accomplished this and more. I loved seeing all the new people in the show, with such talent and energy. This is what community theater is to me. We aren’t Broadway, but we sure put on some great shows with folks both experienced and new. And we provide the opportunity for all who have a love of theater - to once again grace the stage, appear on stage for the first time, work behind the scenes, or to be an audience member.
It is an honor to serve and please feel free to let me know anything on your minds about the present and the future of Village Players. We will soon be planning our next season and hope to see you all in the future at our auditions.
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Why participate in a show? Here are a few testimonials...
Having just completed my second musical with The Village Players, I am compelled to share with others what a fun, energizing, and rewarding experience it can be. Not only do I get to do things that I love, (sing and act) but I get to meet and bond with so many other people that share the same interests. It is like going to play with friends. Is it hard work and sometimes frustrating? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Definitely! I would never give up the wonderful experiences that I have had with this great group of people.
Sincerely,
Lynette Goss
I am so thankful for all of the wonderful new friends I made during this experience!!! Hope to see you all soon!!! ; ) We should plan group outings once a month or something... I think I have a most of you on FB now... Have a great day!
~Christi
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Village Players gives me an opportunity to expand a skill learned in 4-H as a young girl...sewing! I love to design costumes and "embellish" thrift shop buys. The robe for one of the main characters in "Forum" was made from a tablecloth purchased from Community Thrift at a cost of $6.00! Thank you Village Players, I had a ball!
Sandy Andrews
I am not one to really get out and speak in front of strangers. So, when I was asked to audition for a part in the "Forum", I was happy but scared. I have done other auditions and wasn't comfortable with the people around me. I felt "outa place". When I went for the auditions, I was one of them as I walked in the door. The people in the Village Players make Everyone a part of their Family. It was the most exciting time of my life. I got to be me and then some... lol. I am a new member of the Village Players and I have gotten my family wanting to join as well. If you would like the chance of getting out and showing your talents, meeting some of the most wonderful people, laugh till you cry, and have the most fun of your life, I truly encourage you to come and give the Village Players a try. You will not be disappointed.
Laurie Pearson
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Add Content...
Forum rehearsals are going great, but we still need your help. We still have several jobs available for performance nights. If you would like to usher, run box office, sell concessions, or help backstage with makeup, hair, dressing, or props, please contact Sarah at princessmaidenwarrior@gmail.com. Don’t forget, if you volunteer, you get to see the show for free that night as long as seats are available.
HARVEY...
Hey Gang, don't forget we have auditions coming up for "HARVEY" August 22th,23th & 25th. Production dates October 7th,8th & 9th.
Let's all go support "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". I've seen a little of the rehearsal and it really looks like fun. If you haven't been in awhile...Now is the time...... See you all there.
Debbie Reynolds
ANNOUNCEMENT:
The June General Meeting will be cancelled due to it being so close to Forum performance dates. We hope to see you at the next scheduled meeting on August 9, 2011.
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 Patrick...
The Village Players welcome back Patrick Kunnecke to the stage. Playing Hero in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, Patrick has a long history with The Players. His first performance was 9 years ago, at the age of 18, Patrick did a pre-show performance. In 2004 he starred opposite Jennifer Leaton in Neil Simon’s “They’re Playing Our Song” playing the role of Vernon Gerschand we got to know his outstanding singing voice. He’s also acted in “Sight Unseen”, “1940s Radio Hour”, “I’ll Get My Man”, and his personal favorite performance “Barbecuing with Hamlet” where he got to share the stage with his mom Melody Kunnecke. We’ve really enjoyed having him back with Forum. According to Pamela Marks, “Patrick is all talent and no ego.” Patrick would love to someday take on a dramatic role or something opposite Angelina Jolie, whichever becomes available first. A recent graduate of University of Arkansas with a degree in Landscape Architecture, Patrick is currently working at Bloom, a flower shop in downtown Bentonville. He has kept quite active by serving on the Arkansas State Board for Community Theatre, representing The Village Players. Patrick is also very proactive in environmental issues and sustainability. Please come join us June 23rd-June 26th, and watch Patrick, along with the rest of the Forum cast sing, dance, and make us laugh till we are rolling out of our seats.
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Congrats to our Scholarship Winner...
We are pleased to announce our 2011 Bentonville High Scholarship Winner, Tyler Volz! Some of you may remember him from Hello Dolly, last summer. He was the one riding the unicycle! Tyler will be studying at The University of the Ozarks in the fall. His plan is to major in Communications in television and radio. He is a huge lover of the stage, performing locally in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Beggar and the Wolf . He’s also been the mascot for Bentonville High School as well as the Naturals baseball team.
How to apply:
How do you become a Village Players Scholarship Winner? At this time, The Village Players offer two scholarships a year, one to a Bentonville High School senior and one to a NWACC student. To apply for a scholarship talk to your school counselor. For more information please email Bill Correll at bcorrell@cox.net.
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Production Report
~Sarah McKinney
Rehearsals have begun for A Funny Thing on the Way to the Forum and they are going GREAT. These guys are going to make you laugh your socks off! I am pleased to share with you our cast and crew. We are still in need of a “Few Good Men” to be proteans, so if you’ve wanted to be on stage, please email Eric Field at r5efield@swr5.k12.mo.us for more information.
If you would like to help please email me at princessmaidenwarrior@gmail.comif you’d like to do any of the following:
Assistant Properties Manager
Box Office/Concessions (need 1-2 each evening)
Ushers (need 1-2 each evening)
Hair & Wigs Designer
Costume Committee (we need more people!)
Prompter
Set Construction
Spot Light Technicians
Stage Manager
Sound Designer
To view the cast list, please click HERE!
Director's Notes:
~Eric Field
As we start preparing for the 2011 Village Players summer musical, my cast is very serious about not being taken too seriously, which I all right for me because I would be in a seriously serious mess if my cast took themselves too seriously. We promise a tour de force of sight gags, running (or should we say walking?) gags, disguises, pratfalls, low-brow comedy, and a little high-brow comedy. (I may include some EYEbrow comedy, but we're still looking for a place to insert Groucho Marx jokes into the show.) The ensemble is tackling the challenging score very nicely (although jaws are still dropping to the floor when they realize that they are singing Stephen Sondheim's EASIEST score). Marc Turner is definitely a strong asset to the show as he needs to put forth a command of the stage effortlessly at every moment. However, it is truly the ensemble that keep the chaos and the reactions going as Marc schemes and lies as the irrepressible slave Pseudolus trying to earn his freedom. Recent research from Vanderbilt University shows that laughter can burn calories; if that is the case, each audience member can expect a week's worth of exercise just from sitting and being entertained in White Auditorium June 23-26 with "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum."
Special Event
The Workshop cleanup was a tremendous success. We even had volunteers who arrived in response to our e-mail pleas. Wow! In all, 18 people showed up!
The main room downstairs has been cleaned and cleared of lots of stuff. There's plenty of room for a board meeting in that space, or even a rehearsal in a pinch. The office has been reorganized so marketing can actually have a place to work.
We got rid of a lot of unneeded props, organized the fabrics and make-up and accessories. (Jan said she found an old pair of earrings she'd been missing for three years! Hah! Pays to come help. You never know what's there!)
Rich Albert and his wife Karen cooked a gourmet hamburger, potato salad meal complete with all kinds of desserts. Rich hopes to do another clean-up in the fall. Great idea!!!
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Players For Community Causes
~Pamela Marks
Members of the Village Players dressed as famous characters and celebrities made a guest appearance at Dancing With the Stars of NWA. This annual event features local community leaders as the star dancers and benefits the NWA Children's Museum. Tony Rogers, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Walmart; Peter Lane, President, Walton Arts Center; Kasie Yokley, co-founder, 3W Magazine; Meza Harris, Realtor, Harris-McHaney Realty; Meredith Brunen, Executive director of development, Northwest Arkansas Community College; and Lauren Boozman, Realtor, Portfolio Luxury Real Estate were all paired with professional dancers for six weeks of training before taking the stage to compete for the most donations.
The Village Players were well represented - Jennifer Leaton was a lovely, lost Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Melody Kunneke was a paparazzi's dream as Roxy Hart from Chicago, Keith Marks was wonderful as Elwood P. Dowd from Harvey (of course Harvey tagged along and behaved himself!), Paise Rainor beautifully portrayed 50's screen actress Susan Hayward, Savannah Marks played a sassy, big haired, fist pumping Snookie, Megan Marks was adorable as Little Orphan Annie - she even sang "Tomorrow" for a small group of guests - and Pam Marks enjoyed meeting Senator John Boozman while dressed as Lady Gaga. We worked the crowd, cracked some jokes and helped raise money for a wonderful cause. This is the second year our players have donated time and talent and it looks like it's going to be an on- going tradition because we were a hit! The event was a wonderful opportunity to introduce the Village Players to some new friends while supporting the NWA Children's Museum.
Pictured above: Melody Kunneke as Roxy Hart and Jennifer Leaton as Dorothy
Pictured below: Jared Holt of Viva Photography took a break to strike a pose with Pam Marks (Lady Gaga)
Photo courtesy of Brenda Wyatt of Brenda Wyatt Photography.
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Mystery Dinner Theater
~Pamela Marks
The Village Players proudly presented Mystery Dinner Theater at the Bella Vista Country Club Restaurant April 1st and 8th. Bubbles The Clown's Last Giggle featured a wonderful cast, delicious three course dinner and was a great success! The script, written by our own Mike Mondl was full of laughter, suspense and surprise. Carl Ballou, Tom Redwine, Laura Cathey, Anna Hope and Kim Eckert were delightful as the clowns being interrogated by Detective Holmes played by Marcus Moore in the funny "who dunnit" hit. We are very thankful to Ken Phillips, Debbie, Connie and the great staff at the restaurant for their warmth, hospitality and scrumptious cuisine. Watch for the next Mystery Dinner Theater to be announced and make plans to join us!
Just who is Marc Turner??
Marc Turner plays Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. This is his first speaking role with The Village Players. He was elected to their board of directors last year and played bass for The Taffetas. Marc has been active in theatre since before he played John Wilkes Booth in a 4thgrade play. That play sparked his interest in Abraham Lincoln, and since then he has written several plays concerning Lincoln, currently finishing a musical Bringing Lincoln Back.
Since his days at Arkansas Tech University in the early 1980s, Marc has played bass for several bands. He was the house bassist for the Tuesday Night Blues Jam at Juanita’s in Little Rock every week for 13 years (’88-’01). He has played bass for Albert King, Pinetop Perkins, Mitch Ryder, Spencer Davis, Frank Gorshin, and many more. In recent years he has produced the backing music for ASU/Beebe’s Jesus Christ Superstar and NWACC’s Tommy.
During ’86-’96 he hosted Arkansas Toast on KABF Community radio in Little Rock which featured original radio drama and sketch comedy as well as local musicians. In ’91 he co-founded Red Octopus, an original Little Rock sketch comedy group which is still active. Marc got his Master’s from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in ’01. Since then he has taught at different community colleges winding up at NWACC in 2007 where he is the faculty coordinator for the Speech / Drama department.
At NWACC he has directed King Lear,Tommy, and J.B. Forum is the first show Marc has auditioned for in NorthWest Arkansas. “I am thrilled everything has worked out for me to be in this show,” he says. “We’ve got a great cast and crew and they tolerate me well.”
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Taffetas
"Not only are the costumes gorgeous and the girls super-talented, but the songs----oh my, the songs will steal your heart and make you young again." ~Mary Solliday
For one of the happiest, memorable, adorable evenings of solid music, go see the "Taffetas" at White Auditorium, NWACC, Friday (this evening) at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 7:30 pm, and/or Sunday at 2:00 p m. I say this because you are going to wish you could see this one again and again. Not only are the costumes gorgeous and the girls super-talented, but the songs----oh my, the songs will steal your heart and make you young again. Take everyone you can; send this e-mail on to everyone you know; and go see the "Taffetas." All the songs you loved in the 1950's, sung by the cutest, loveliest collection of ladies yet to grace the stage at Northwest Arkansas Community College. At the give-away price of only $12, you'll love every golden minute. They will lighten your heart!!! Well worth your while!!
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Kelly Heartquist
(Pictured above left to right are: Marion Heath, Kelly Heartquist, Fran Kolbe, Jan Riedmueller, Janet Mott and Jan Mortenson who are all members of the marketing team or members of the VP board.
Kelly recently joined The Village Players. Her husband, David, works for Walmart. They have just recently returned to the Benton County area after living the last three years in Shenzhen, China. They have four children, Christopher 14, Andrew 13, Tommy 11, and Amy 6. Kelly has a background in marketing, advertising. She has degrees in International Relations and Photography. She enjoys hiking, travel, languages and theater. We are very happy to have her join Village Players and volunteer to be on the Marketing Committee.
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Board Notes:
Since our last newsletter we have been in rehearsal for Taffetas, and will be performing this weekend at White Auditorium. We’ve also set our summer musical as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, directed by Eric Fields. You might want to mark your calendar for auditions the week of April 11 with performances, June 24, 25, and 26th. The fall show will be Harvey, performance dates to be set later for sometime in October.
You should have received your membership renewal information and season ticket brochure in your mailbox. Please encourage your friends and family to buy season tickets.
~VP Board of Directors
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March Meeting
March 8, 2011~7:00p.m.
Bella Vista United Lutheran Church (On Cooper Rd.)
Each month the general membership gathers for a great meeting! The meetings are packed full of information, fun and fellowship!
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Board Members
Mary Solliday
Bill Correll
Pam Marks
Karen McCaulley
Jan Riedmueller
Sarah McKinney
Rich Alberts
Janet Mott
Marc Turner
Visit our website to contact the board members.
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CENTER STAGE...
The Village Players is pleased to announce that we will present a Children’s Mystery Theatre at Northwest Arkansas Community College in White auditorium December 18th at 7pm and December 19th at 2pm.
Ticket prices for this event are $5.00 for all persons 14 and older. $1.00 for all persons 13 and under.
There will be music and fun for the entire family. There will be no advance ticket orders taken all persons will be asked to pay at the door, and seating will be first come first seated. The name of the show is The Selfish Elf written by Mike Mondl of Bella Vista and directed by Christy Lawson this promises to be a wonderful entertainment for all ages.
For additional information please contact the Village Players.
AUDITIONS...
The Taffeta’s
Auditions will be held one evening only January 4th from 6:30 to 8:30PM for the wonderful 1950’s style musical “The Taffeta’s” The show calls for 4 very talented women to play sisters and will require due to the difficulty of the music that all persons interested in auditioning to be able to read music. The sisters sing a great deal of Harmony so we will be looking for voices that work well together.
We are asking that persons interested in auditioning come prepared to sing “Johnny Angel” with the piano. No taped music will be allowed.
We are also asking that all persons auditioning come dressed in a 1950’s similar dress or skirt (Full skirts) with flat shoes ( we need to see how you move in the full skirt dress styles of the period).
The ages of the women in the show can vary but we are looking primarily for women 30 to 60 years of age
There is very little spoken dialogue in the show so we are asking persons auditioning to memorize the first 10 lines of the Gettysburg address for presentation at auditions.
There will be evening Monday –Friday rehearsals and some weekend rehearsals but there will be on average a commitment of four days a week between January 4th and the performance dates the first weekend in March 2011. Please bring a list of ALL CONFLICTS with you to auditions.
This show promises to be great fun so if you are a woman with an excellent singing voice come out and join us at Northwest Arkansas Community College in White auditorium January 4th at 6:30 pm.
Karen McCaulley will be the shows Director, Carolyn Springer Smith will be Musical Director and S. Michael Shuman will be adding his many talents as a musician, singer, and actor to what promises to be a delightful theatre experience.
Music for Johnny Angel is easily downloaded from the web or available at any local music store. Questions regarding the audition should be sent to karen.mccaulley@gmail.com
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
Celeste Lee and her husband Ron moved to Bella Vista from Minnesota eleven years ago. Originally she came here to open a Walgreen store, but they decided to stay and make this their home.
Celeste joined the Players after performing with the Dancing Divas this summer in Hello, Dolly! She had previously attended several of our meetings and knew both Sam Nemecek and Paula Fettig; she had never quite clicked with our group, but decided to give us one final try. That was when Janet Mott invited Celeste to come work with the Membership Committee. At her very first committee meeting, we were designing the new Member Packet (anyone attending the November General meeting got an early release of this newest membership tool); Celeste’s input about what a new member wants to know was the guiding force for virtually every item in the packet.
While her main interest is to continue dancing, she also wants to learn more about theater, especially what happens backstage. The Players welcome Celeste Lee and thank her for coming back one more time and then saying “yes” to getting involved.
BOARD BIOS
In order to help new members identify The Village Players’ Board of Directors, we are starting a series of brief bios telling a little about the nine people leading our organization.
In the summer of 1992, Ben and Mary moved from Indiana to Bella Vista to be closer to family. Looking for a creative outlet for her son, she contacted Helen Anderson (a board member of the VP) and talked excitedly for two hours about theater. As a result of that conversation, the Players have had four of her five children, three grandchildren and two daughter-in-laws…yes, eleven Sollidays in all.
Mary is a retired elementary school teacher. Her husband, Ben, is still operating his own company, Form Technology. She has served on the Board of Directors since September of 2005. She has been our vice president, and is currently the Secretary. Mary says, “The Village Players has entertained my family and friends for nearly twenty years. Helping provide quality entertainment to your family and friends is what it’s all about. My goal for this coming year is to see that we continue to do so and to help us keep our programs financially responsible.”
BACKSTAGE HAPPENINGS
John and Brandy Solliday welcomed Benjamin H. Solliday, IV, born on November 3, 2010. He weighed 7 pounds and measured 19 inches long. Needless to say, all the Solliday's share in their great joy, especially his grandfather, Ben (III).
NWACC is proud to present "We All Hear Voices" which you can see December 3,4,10, 11 at 7:30 or December 5 or 12 at 2:00. Performances are at the White Auditorium. Village Players will enjoy seeing Marion Heath as Joy and Anna Hope as Mary Ann!!
IN MEMORIAL
It is with great sadness we report the passing of Harlan Van Heel on Friday after Thanksgiving. The viewing will be today, November 29, from 4 to 6 at the Bella Vista Funeral Home. Harlan was involved with The Village Players for many years, performing in many of our productions, including Two By Two, Kiss Me Kate, Breath of Spring, 1776, and as "Dracula" in Dracula, the Musical. The funeral will take place in Minneapolis at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery on December 2. Memorials may be sent to Northwest Arkansas Children's Shelter, 7702 Southwest Regional Airport Drive in Bentonville, or Children's Advocacy Group at 2113 Little Flock Drive in Rogers, Arkansas.
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GENERAL MEETING
No December general meeting--please join us for the Christmas Party instead!! Please note the party is for members only, if you haven't yet paid your dues, please take care of that first so you don't miss the fun!.
Upcoming Events at a glance...
First two weekends in December
"We All Hear Voices"
December 14, 6:00-9:00
Christmas Party (members only)
December 18 7:00
December 19 2:00
"The Selfish Elf" at NWACC
January 4, 6:30-8:30
"Taffeta" Auditions
Board Members...can be contacted via links provided at Village Players
Mary Solliday
Bill Correll
Pam Marks
Karen McCaulley
Jan Riedmueller
Sarah McKinney
Rich Alberts
Janet Mott
Marc Turner
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Backstage Happenings
First Friday in Bentonville
November 5th!
Join us on the square this Friday for a Toyland Spectacular! Village Players will have a booth where we will be sharing membership information and news about our upcoming season! This is the last First Friday for 2010! If you would like to help, please contact Kathy at kathy@csarecruiters.com
November 9th, 7:00 pm
General Meeting
United Lutheran Church
Bella Vista (on Cooper Rd.)
You won't want to miss entertainment by:
Kathy Forbes-a comedic monologue from Parallel Lives AND
Theo Puckett-a dramatic monologue from Inherit the Wind
Board Members...can be contacted via links provided at Village Players
Mary Solliday
Bill Correll
Pam Marks
Karen McCaulley
Jan Riedmueller
Sarah McKinney
Rich Alberts
Janet Mott
Marc Turner
NWACC Flying Tomato Cabaret
November 5, 6, 7, 12, 13 and 14
7:00 pm, Shewmaker Center
Tickets $18 from
www.NWACCChamberSingers.org
Sections from Glee performed by the NWACC Chamber Singers including former scholarship winner Luke Heffron and Village Players member Anna Hope
Congratulations to:
Marion Heath and Anna Hope who were recently cast in the upcoming production of We All Hear Voices at NWACC. Performances will be the first two weekends in December at NWACC White Auditorium |
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WELCOME and THANK YOU!!!
Village Players are giving a warm welcome to our new board members!! Janet Mott, Rich Alberts and Marc Turner!! Thank you so much Fran Kolbe and Mary Mondl for your years of faithful service to the Village Players! Also thank you to Debbie Reynolds for stepping in to finish the year! A list of the board members and committee chairs is in the column to the right.
Members Matter:
FeaturingSam Nemecek (back row on the right)
Sam Nemecek recently made her stage debut in Hello, Dolly!, but she is no stranger to the stage. Acting is something that she has wanted to do as far back as high school in Omaha Nebraska, but she was so busy with acrobatics, dancing and cheering that she could never work it into her schedule. Sam and her husband, Lad, have been semi-retired in Bella Vista for over 11 years; somewhere between teaching dance classes and leading the Silver Sneakers program (no-impact aerobic exercise classes) she decided she was going to make time to audition and give theater a try.
In 2008 Sam started the Dancing Diva classes at Riordan Hall on Saturday mornings (so working women could join too). The idea behind her class was that while they would be a performing troupe, they would also be a service group with performances in small venues like USO clubs, nursing homes and senior centers. If you attended Hello, Dolly! you know how the audience reacted to the number that Sam’s Dancing Divas performed. When the Membership Committee began formulating our mission statement, one of the key concepts was the importance or growing the Arts in Northwest Arkansas and how crucial it is to partner with other groups and share resources. The onstage appearance of Sam’s dance troupe this summer is a good example of how this symbiotic relation works to everyone’s advantage.
Not only did Sam become a member of The Village Players this summer, but before the show was over she had committed to working with Sarah McKinney as Assistant Props Mistress on The Importance of Being Earnest. Part of what Sam wants from the Players is to learn more about theater craft to help her puts together quality shows for the Dancing Divas. Now she has been bitten by the acting bug and hopes to get a chance to work with the VP’s Mystery Dinner Theater group sometime soon.
In Production...
This weekend (October 8, 9 and 10) the Village Players are pleased to present The Importance of Being Earnest this cast and crew have been hard at work to bring you an evening of entertainment! Performances will be at NWACC in White Auditorium 7:30 on Friday and Saturday then at 2:00 on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online using via paypal, at select Arvest locations or at the door.
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Backstage news...
The October General Meeting will be on Tuesday the 12th at 7:00pm at the United Lutheran Church on Cooper Rd. in Bella Vista.
Board Members...
Mary Solliday
Bill Correll
Pam Marks
Karen McCaulley
Jan Riedmueller
Sarah McKinney
Rich Alberts
Janet Mott
Marc Turner
Peripheral Entertainment...
Village Players have partnered with World Garden in presenting Mystery Dinner Theater to the residents of northwest Arkansas! The committee has been hard at work making plans to bring you some exciting performances.
Mark your calendars for:
November 20
December 11
February 12
Tickets are $30 each and will include a four course dinner and an evening of entertainment! ($15 of each ticket is tax deductible. All proceeds will go to World Garden's nonprofit soup kitchen and to Village Players nonprofit fund.)
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 LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!! |
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This fall is FULL of opportunities!!
Production for The Importance of Being Earnest is in rehearsals! Performances will be October 8, 9 and 10 at the NWACC White Auditorium in Bentonville.
Membership Committee-works hard keeping track of all members and persons who express interest in receiving information about our events! This group has worked hard to organize the members list by groups-actors, singers, backstage volunteers, ushers, etc. A big "Thank You" to Janet Mott for the incredible spreadsheet you have created!
Marketing Committee-this group gets the word out-literally! They work with newspapers, television stations, radios and local businesses to make sure the public is informed about our performances! It is obvious they are doing a great job-the very first Mystery Dinner Theater was SOLD OUT! Great job Marketing Team!!
Board Members-have extra meetings to help guide the Village Players toward quality shows and growth! See below for an article about the September general meeting where we will elect three new board members!!
Mystery Dinner Theater-wow! What a great opportunity. Karen McCaulley did an incredible job directing the first script which was written by our very own Mike Mondl. World Garden was packed with excited guests who were entertained with an evening of mystery and fun! See below on how you can be involved!
MEMBERSHIP
As the Village Players continue to grow, it becomes more difficult for us to get to know our new members; so the newly formed Membership Committee is going to take advantage of the Informer to periodically introduce our newest Players.
Velda Waters and her sons, Austin and Huston, came to us in an interesting way. Huston plays trumpet in the Lincoln Junior High School Band, which happened to be having its spring concert at Arend Auditorium on the same night we were auditioning for Hello, Dolly! Velda was drawn to our audition table by the posters, costumes and people; but it was her boys who talked her into coming back the next night to tryout. Soon Velda returned the favor to her boys and got them involved backstage during the production. Currently Austin is playing the role of Moulton in The Importance of Being Earnest. Before Dolly even closed, Velda was already working with the Marketing group and is now a major Player on the Membership team. We also need to thank Janet Mott for making the sales pitch and closing the deal that moved Velda from a chorus member to a working committee member.
When she is not working with us, Velda’s other job is as a Sales Agent for Allan Davis State Farm Office in Bentonville. Austin is a junior at Bentonville High School and Huston is entering 8th grade at Lincoln Junior High School. We feel very fortunate to have the entire Waters family as part of our group.
Over the summer we have added a number of individuals and families to our membership list; so another new member will be featured in the Informer next month. We think it is very important for us to get acquainted with our new people, because we all need to know something about them in order to be able to help them become active, involved and feel like they are a part of the The Village Players’ Community Theater family.
***On another note, the Village Players will miss friends who have passed on.
Our dear friend Bill Hodge passed away Sunday, August 29, 2010. Bill was our Director of "Rumors" that we were part of about a year or so ago. (Jennifer, Pam, Debbie & Earl) What a treat that was. We met new friends and extended the Village Players contact to another theater family. I think we all learned a lot from Bill. He was a sweet sprit that will be truly missed by all who knew him.
The Village Players lost their good friend, Dr. Mary Margaret Roberts. She has been a member, a season ticket holder and a long time donor to the Players, as well as a great champions of the Arts throughout Northwest Arkansas. Mary Margaret and her sister, Lucile Roberts, Col. (Ret.) have been two of our most faithful supporters for many years. We will miss her greatly.
BOARD MEMBERS
The September General Meeting will be on Tuesday the 14th at 7:00pm at the United Luthern Church on Cooper Rd. in Bella Vista. We will be electing THREE new board members.
Those running for the board positions are:
Janet Mott
Rich Alberts
Marc Turner
For more information about them, you can read their biographies by clicking HERE.
MYSTERY DINNER THEATER
The Peripheral Entertainment committee is interested in hearing from Actors and Directors interested in working on shows at The World Garden. We recently did The Case of The Suicidal Secretary and all who attended really liked the concept of dinner and a show. We plan to schedule additional shows. To do this we need actors and directors.
Potential Directors should submit a script they would like to do. The script must be royalty free and can not be longer than 1 hour and 15 to 30 minutes total. Costumes are possible as are props but there is no availability for Sets or Lighting, Space is currently limited for performance to approximately an 8' x 12' area. Costumes and Props used must be portable and removed at the end of all rehearsals and performances.There is no dressing or storage spaces available at the venue. Shows are not limited to mystery but must be made available for advance reading to determine if content is suitable for the performance situation. Persons interested in directing or acting in the Peripheral Entertainments at World Garden should contact Karen McCaulley at mccaulleykaren@gmail.com.
We are currently putting together players for a September 17th and 18th performance and persons interested will need to memorize lines quickly and independently of rehearsals as rehearsals are limited to five to eight.
Interested persons should email mccaulleykaren@gmail.com
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OPEN AUDITIONS
for the Village Players
New Mystery Dinner Theatre and Cabaret Troupe
On the heels of the Village Players "SOLD OUT" first Mystery Dinner Theater performance, and having five more scripts in our hands and audience wanting more, we have decided to form a troup of actors, singers, performers & Directors to cast shows that will run monthly at the World Garden restaurant.
Cabaret shows and the Mystery Dinner Theatre shows will be cast from this troupe.
Even of you cannot commit to a certain show please come and find out more about this exciting new opportunity to "Play".
Audition Information
When:
Sunday
September 12,
4:00pm
auditions will consist of cold reading from one of the mystery scripts.
If you are singing please bring a cd as accompaniment or you can sing a capella.
Where: World Garden Restaurant 2905 Walton Blvd Bentonville
For more information please call Karen McCauley at 479-531-4518
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Our mailing address is:
Village Players
P.O. Box 5184
Bella Vista, AR 72714
Copyright (C) 2010 Village Players All rights reserved.
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