Monsters and mayhem, World War II and the Bible all figure
prominently in the upcoming theatrical season for a decade-old
local theatre company.
The season should have something for everyone, Bradford Little
Theatre President Diane Kerner Arnett said. We have some serious
dramas, some seriously funny comedies and our first-ever holiday
show featuring children and seasonal music. It promises to be a
well-rounded season in a year were promoting as A Perfect 10 for
our anniversary.
Currently, season tickets are available through BLTs Web site at
www.bradfordlittletheatre.org or by contacting the group at P.O.
Box 255, Bradford, Pa. 16701. Season subscribers pay 25 percent
less for tickets than those who buy them at the door.
The season begins Oct. 6-8 with Frankenstein based on the famous
1818 novel by Mary Shelley. Little monsters are on the loose in the
second offering, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Dec. 8-10.
Januarys offering is a staged reading of Holy Sacrifice by the Rev.
Bill Kemp, part of the former Bradford residents appearance in BLTs
annual Playwright-in-Residence program.
World War II in the Philippines is the background for Waiting
for MacArthur on March 9-11. The season ends on a comedic note with
Laughing Matters, a collection of humorous one-act plays May
11-13.
All full-length productions will be at OKain Auditorium in
Swarts Hall on the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford campus;
Laughing Matters is tentatively slated for the black box theater in
Blaisdell Hall. The staged reading is co-sponsored by and held at
the Bradford Area Public Library.
Frankenstein is much more than just a story about a monster,
points out veteran director Chris Mackowski, BLT President
Emeritus. In fact, the issues of science and morality in the work
mirror controversies which are very much alive today, considering
cloning, organ donations and stem cell research. Mackowski also
notes that the novel is the most adapted story in the English
language the basis for numerous plays and movies.
Little monsters are on the loose in the comedy The Best
Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. The plot revolves
around a forthcoming Christmas pageant at a community church. When
the six Herdman siblings worst, most horrible group of children in
town hear there is free food at Sunday school, they decide to
attend. When they hear about the annual pageant, they decide to
take the main roles even though they have no idea what the
production is about.
Director Nanci K. Garris said she has been familiar with the
tale since it was first a short story, later adapted for a TV
movie. After reading the script for the play, she felt compelled to
bring the story, at once hilarious and heartwarming, to Bradford
audiences.
In the end, it is a profound statement about the true meaning of
Christmas, Garris said. A BLT veteran both on and off-stage, she
adds that she is especially looking forward to working with
children and offering a family-oriented production for the holiday
season.
Jan. 26 will bring the staged reading of Holy Sacrifice by Kemp,
who as pastor of Hill Memorial United Methodist Church in Bradford
during the 1990s also was active in the local ministerium and
produced several original plays during his tenure here and
elsewhere. This offering is a parallel retelling of the Old
Testament story of Abraham and the New Testament passion of Jesus
Christ. Mackowski will direct the reading and coordinate Kemps
appearances at area schools and universities during the
residency.
In Waiting for MacArthur on Mach 9-11, an Army nurse stationed
on the island of Corregidor in Manila harbor corresponds with
people at home as the Japanese come closer to capturing her
post.
Director Dick Marcott, another seasoned BLT actor and director,
notes that the play portrays the impact of war on young people who
entered the service to do their patriotic duty. The story
illuminates some little-known events of World War II, including the
actions of Army nurses.
If you have forgotten or never understood the role dedicated
women have played in wartime, you need to see this play, Marcott
said.
The season ends on a comedic note with Laughing Matters May
11-13. The one-act plays will be offered by an ensemble of BLT
folks, including Cindy Matteson, Barbara Gee and Rick Frederick.
The subject matter includes a piano-less piano teacher and
befuddled student; a carload of folks out for a family outing who
pick up a stranded motorist who isnt really what he seems (but
neither are they!); and some elderly ladies who experience a
life-changing moment at a funeral home.
