Barn honored with world premiere of 'fun and funny' play
- Details
- Published on 13 March 2014
- Written by Paul Gordon
Mary Simon has been directing and staging comedies at Conklin's Barn II Dinner Theatre for many years. But none of the productions have made her more nervous than the one now playing at the Goodfield theater.
The reason? No other audiences have ever seen this show, "Another Round of Beer for Breakfast." Conklin's has been granted the good fortune of staging the World Premiere of a play written by an accomplished professional playwright, Sean Grennan.
"This is something special, I'll tell you. To get to do the world premiere of a show by an established playwright is usually something big, regional theatres do, in Chicago or wherever. We are very honored," Simon said just before the Thursday, March 13 performance of the show that opened March 6.
With the honor, however, comes the realization that nobody knows which jokes will work for an audience and which ones fall flat, whether this part of the play should be done like this or like that. In that regard, Simon said, she and the playwright are collaborating to "work out the kinks of the show. We're kind of shaking it out for him."
Grennan himself will see it staged for the first time when he comes to Goodfield to attend the April 4 performance. "Oh, I am very nervous about that. But at the same time, I'm confident he will be pleased with our performance on his work. One thing about Sean is that he knows the pulse of the audience that enjoys good comedy. His work is hip, and he really knows how to set up a punch line. Audiences get his humor," Simon said.
"Another Round of Beer for Breakfast" is the sequel to the Grennan comedy "Beer for Breakfast" that played at the Barn last year. The show was so well received audiences suggested it be done again, so Simon planned to do that. Then when she found out there was a sequel, "I jumped at the chance" to do it and to get the world premiere, to boot.
"I knew once I read it that audiences would love it," she said.
That was evident on the night I went to see the show. It is laugh-at-loud funny, from one of the first lines about the problem with wearing cashmere in the rain ("This thing gets wet, it's a pot holder") to the outfits one of the male characters is forced to wear (a purple sequined blouse over purple leggings) to perhaps the most pointed line of the show ("Nothing brings women together like a common enemy, especially if it's a guy").
With sight gags to descriptive comedy that works so well the audience can almost smell the fumes coming from the broken septic pipe in the basement of the cabin where the play takes place, "Another Round of Beer for Breakfast" also blends references to some of the funniest things that have actually happened in the world the past decade.
The audience was even able to laugh heartily at the character Richard, portrayed beautifully by Dan Challacombe, who has had a stroke that left him able to use only one arm and with a noticeable speech problem. That is because, first Challacombe is so funny, and second, because the character makes light of the situation and thus sets the audience at ease.
Grennan said that was his intention. While he was a little concerned how it would be received when "Beer for Breakfast" premiered a couple years ago at a regional professional theatre in Kansas City, he was put at ease when he heard from people who'd had strokes who thanked him for portraying Richard as a real, everyday person and not someone to be pitied. "They said, 'hey, it's real, it happens and it's ok to talk about,'" Grennan said.
Grennan is a native of Chicago and now lives in New York with his wife Kathy Santen, who currently is performing on Broadway in "Wicked." In a recent telephone interview he said he was an actor himself and didn't start writing until about 15 years ago. Since then he's had 10 plays published and produced, including several musicals for which he wrote the book and lyrics, including one called "Luck" that received an honorable mention from the National Writer's Association before being produced in New York.
While his non-musicals have all been comedies, including some bearing elements of farce, Grennan said a play he will premiere this summer at a regional theatre in Wisconsin has a more serious nature. Called "The Tin Woman," it's about a woman who has received a heart transplant and meets the family of the organ donor.
"I tend to write wacky comedies, but they are comedies that have a heart amid all the jokes. With my next play it seems I'm getting a little more serious as I get older," he said. "Every time out I strive to write better than I did the last time."
Grennan said he originally planned to premiere "Another Round of Beer" at the American Heartland Theatre in Kansas City since it had premiered "Beer for Breakfast." But that theatre closed after 28 years in business just as he was finishing writing the sequel. "When Mary asked to premiere 'Another Round,' I said yes because the Barn was only the second theatre to do the first one and because she and I get along so well. I knew she and her cast would do their best. I can't wait to see it," he said.
Seeing a play you've written get produced and staged "is kind of fantastic," Grennan said. "To see really smart people on stage and the genius things to do to make it even better is amazing. The way I look at writing a play is I am taking it to the 50-yard-line; it's up to the cast to take it the rest of the way to the goal. Watching it happen is intoxicating."
The dialogue is the most important part of any script but also important is the staging, the props, the costumes. And, of course, the way the dialogue is delivered. At the Barn, all the elements are brought together to make a very funny and well-done production. Besides the afore-mentioned Dan Challacombe, terrific performances are turned in by Simon, the always funny Bob Lane Jr. and Pat Gaik and the young and talented April Wyant.
Much of the dialogue, while generating laughs, hits home for many in the audience. When the characters TJ and Jessie, portrayed by Lane and Simon, talk about the fact they are going to have a baby despite being older than most couples of child-bearing age, TJ quips, "The only plans we had for diapers were for me."
When Jessie is talking about her ex-husband's much younger wife she says, "I see her and I want to buy some thin mints."
Challacombe makes audiences laugh without saying a word because of expressive facial expressions and actions, and Gaik can fill out women's clothing as well as any man. Wyant throws out a few zingers about the older generation with perfect timing. Throw in a wardrobe malfunction or two, particularly during the birth scene, and... Well, I don't want to give too much away.
This is a fun and funny show. You will be able to relate not only to the characters, but to many of the situations they fall into; you'll realize you may just be laughing at yourself.
For sure, "Another Round of Beer for Breakfast" is worth the drive to Goodfield and the great food from the buffet. Nothing goes better with a belly full of food than a belly full of laughs.
"Another Round of Beer for Breakfast" continues on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday brunch now through April 19. Prices are $33 on Thursdays, $35 on Friday and Sunday and $37 on Saturday and include the buffet and show.
For reservations call (309) 965-2545.
Frizzi: A Tale of Three Cities
- Details
- Published on 13 March 2014
- Written by Donn Frizzi
What two things do Peoria, IL, Jamestown, NY and Vincennes, IN have in common?
1) They're the birthplaces of three of America's greatest comedians.
2) Nobody knows where they're located.
That sounds pretty callous from somebody who is not originally from Peoria. But I've lived here for a couple of decades and, as such, can comment. Besides, how many people in the Peoria-Bloomington Metroplex know where either Jamestown or Vincennes are located?
The three comedians are Richard Pryor (Peoria), Lucille Ball (Jamestown) and Red Skelton (Vincennes).
Kevin Kizer's recent "Peorian" article on the new Pryor book, "Furious Cool, Richard Pryor and the World That Made Him" (David Henry and Joel Henry – Algonquin Books), has reopened the question of why Peoria hasn't done more to honor Pryor. The article revisits the several excuses as to why. What is troubling is that, according to the article, the newly created Peoria Riverfront Museum does not mention Pryor on its website. Pryor is almost an afterthought in the museum's exhibits. If Peoria's hometown museum can't treat Richard Pryor with any more respect than they would a box of junk in Fibber McGee's closet, then something's sadly wrong.
When I moved here in 1992, I wondered the same thing. I was living in Dallas before I moved and my friends asked me where Peoria was. I told them that it was in between Chicago and St. Louis and that it was the international headquarters of Caterpillar Inc. I even explained to them what was meant by "It plays in Peoria."
But they were more impressed when I told them that Peoria was the birthplace of Richard Pryor.
Heddy (wife) and I were in Cleveland a couple of years ago. We visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a venue that put a place known as "The Mistake on the Lake" back into a positive light. And although Clevelanders had heard of Peoria, they didn't know where or what it was.
But they were impressed when I told them that Peoria was the birthplace of Richard Pryor.
Vincennes, IN is a city of just under 19,000 people. It was the site of one of many river forts that bounced back and forth from French to British hands during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. Vincennes is in the southwestern part of the state. It sits on the Wabash River, right on the Indiana-Illinois state line.
By the time we moved to Vincennes, Red Skelton had a bridge named for him. He even came back to dedicate it in front of cheering crowds. The other bridge in town that spanned the Wabash was named after Abraham Lincoln. That bridge was built at the site where Abe first crossed the Wabash River into Illinois.
Skelton was one of the top radio and movie comedians of his day. His TV variety show was a household staple for twenty years, last airing in 1971. Skelton passed away in 1997 at 84.
According to Pryor's autobiography, "Pryor Convictions and Other Life Sentences" (1995, Random House), Richard said Red, as well as Jerry Lewis and Sid Caesar, influenced his comedy routine.
A private residence, just two blocks from Vincennes University, was marked with a sign indicating that it was Skelton's birthplace. Red became friends with the residents. From time to time, when he would sneak into Vincennes, Red was welcomed to visit his old home.
When people would visit us, those would be the two places we would show them. And when they left, they knew that Vincennes was the birthplace of Red Skelton.
The city, in conjunction with Vincennes University, decided to honor its favorite son with a theater and museum. The Red Skelton Theater opened in 2006. The museum opened in July 2013 in celebration of Skelton's 100th birthday. Both sit on the campus of Vincennes University and are located just one block away from Skelton's birthplace. Every July, Vincennes hosts a Red Skelton festival complete with a parade and a show at the theater. A mural of Red and the many characters he played also exists on the side of a downtown building.
Jamestown is located in the farthest western portion of the Empire State. It has a population of just over 31,000. It is 75 miles south of Buffalo, 145 miles east of Cleveland and 171 miles north of my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. A few years back, we stopped in Jamestown on our way to Pittsburgh from Cooperstown, NY (Baseball Hall of Fame), mainly because Jamestown was the birthplace of Lucy.
The Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Museum and Center of Comedy sits in the center of downtown Jamestown, right on the corner of Third and Main. The center features an annual comedy festival as well as a comedy film festival. Both are intended to influence up-and-coming young comedians. The center also sponsors a Legacy of Laughter Award that honors comedians who best exemplifies Lucy and Desi and the center's mission.
The street that Lucy grew up on was renamed Lucy Lane. Lucy lived there from the age of 8 until she moved to New York City to attend acting school. The house is still a private residence. However, the owners are planning to restore it to the way it looked when Lucy and her family lived there. It should available for tours in conjunction with the Lucy and Desi Museum. Lucy's birthplace, not far from her childhood home, is also a private residence.
Nearby The Lucy and Desi Museum is The Desilu Theater. It's a refurbished downtown theater with replicas of the sets that appeared on "I Love Lucy".
The show ran from 1951 to 1957 and was the number one TV show four out of six seasons. It's still considered the best television sitcom ever created and is still viewed all over the world.
Lucy died in 1989. She and her Mother were originally interred in a cemetery in Hollywood. Her children, actors Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr., transferred the ashes of both to the family plot at Jamestown's Lake View Cemetery.
Like Richard Pryor, both Lucy and Red had rugged childhoods. Lucy's Father, a telephone lineman, died of typhoid fever when Lucy was 4 years old. She and her Mother moved in with her maternal grandparents, the Hunts.
Richard Red Skelton was an urchin. He never knew his father, a traveling clown who died two months before his fourth son's birth. His Mother worked as a janitor in a theater. Red went to work at the age of 7 as a paperboy to help make ends meet. In 1923, Skelton was hawking papers in front of The Pantheon Theater when a gentleman came up to him and asked him what there was to do in Vincennes. Skelton told him that a comedian named Ed Wynn was playing there and he had heard that Wynn was very good. The man asked Red if he was going to the show. Red told him that he'd like to, but had to sell his papers first. The man bought all of Red's papers and got him a ticket for the show.
Sitting in the balcony, Skelton was surprised to see that his new friend was Ed Wynn. He enjoyed the laughs Wynn got and decided to do the same for a living.
For years, the Pantheon Theater was used for various storefronts, with walls built within the lobby. In 2006, renovation began to return the theater to the way it looked back in 1921. I got to go inside the Pantheon Theater before they started remodeling. The "Colored Only" sign painted on the staircase leading to the segregated balcony, very similar to the Peorian theaters in Pryor's day, could still be seen on the staircase wall.
It was having to endure this and other indignities that helped mold Pryor's comedy and outlook on life.
According to his autobiography, Richard Pryor grew up at 317 NE Washington. His Grandmother's house was at 313. The site is where Eaton Street runs under Interstate 74 before it passes the Kelly Seed store. Just to the right of the site is Townsquare Media Inc. Peoria, which houses five radio stations, including 95.5 GLO and 97.3 River Country. Past that is Taft Homes of the Peoria Housing Authority. Yet, there is no marker or anything to indicate that Richard Pryor grew up there. The site is a scant seven blocks south of Peoria's Riverfront Park, which features a memorial to singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, also a Peoria native.
Back in January 2006, I worked with the Apollo Theater to organize a Richard Pryor Film Festival. It was a weekend event where three movies, "Live on the Sunset Strip", "Stir Crazy" and "Jo-Jo Dancer" were shown. I would've liked to have seen it become an annual and bigger event. Perhaps Kizer's article reignites such a festival.
I was lucky enough to watch "Live on the Sunset Strip" at the Apollo with the late Percy Baker, who, at that time, was director of Carver Recreational Center, where Pryor would hang out as a child and participate in plays under the guidance of his mentor, Miss Juliette Whittaker. We laughed hard and Percy was kind enough to share a story or two. He also was kind enough to include me in any plans they had to attempt to honor Pryor in Peoria. Baker himself passed away in 2008.
Albeit very slowly, Pryor is finally starting to get some credit from his hometown. A bust of Pryor, called "Olmec Pryor" was unveiled in 2012 at The John H. Gwynn Park in South Peoria. The bust sits across from Carver Center. A portion of Sheridan Road, running east of the center, was renamed Richard Pryor Place in 2001. The Peoria Housing Authority is located on South Richard Pryor Place.
Two years before his death in 2005, Pryor and his wife, Jennifer Lee, approved of local artist Preston Jackson to create a statue of Pryor. The statue has been completed. Fundraising to finance the bronzing of the statue continues.
Countless other towns have their own "favorite son or daughter" that they honor or remember in some way, shape or form. It might be a statue, a plaque on their childhood home, renaming a street in their honor or a festival. Galesburg, just about 40 miles west of here, marked the birthplace of and named a college and other buildings for poet Carl Sandburg.
Many communities did it for some financial gain acquired through tourism. Mostly, they were proud of their association for the local person who "made it big". And, as Kizer's article stated, there is no bigger person in the art of stand-up comedy that is bigger than Pryor. He became the first recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. Incidentally, the small town of Hannibal, Missouri is very proud to honor Twain, who grew up there.
Whether it be the Civic Center or the legendary Jukebox Comedy Club, many stand-up comedians make it a point to "play in Peoria," mainly because Pryor is from here. Like it or not, Peoria, you are known in the outside world as the birthplace of Richard Pryor.
Pryor died in December of 2005. He's been gone nine years. A newer generation of Peorians have an opportunity to correct the mistakes of the past.
When people visit Jamestown or Vincennes or similar cities where a famous citizen grew up, they expect to see the house where Lucy grew up or see Red Skelton's museum. Visitors are greeted with signs welcoming them to their respective cities, and, on those signs, are very proud to tell them that Lucille Ball or Red Skelton were born there.
Heddy and I get visitors from out of town. And when we show them around Peoria, the birthplace of Richard Pryor, we'd like to actually have something similar to show them.
'Superior Donuts' set for regional premiere at Corn Stock
- Details
- Published on 10 March 2014
- Written by Paul Gordon
We all know the wonderful smell that greets us when we walk into a donut shop. Something that pleasant can only mean good things, right?
When you walk into Corn Stock Theatre's Winter Playhouse to see the final show of its 2013-14 season, the same smell will permeate the air. But aside from that, there won't be much sweetness in what the shop set up inside the theater will be offering.
"This is no flight of fancy. This show is gritty," said Alex Larson, director of "Superior Donuts," which is making its regional premiere starting Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the theatre center in Upper Bradley Park. "It does have a lot of humor, but the story line is about our culture and how it has had to evolve through a lot of issues. It's real, there is no question about that. That's why I wanted to do it."
Based in an outdated and rundown donut shop in Chicago, "Superior Donuts" tells the story of shop owner Arthur Prsybyszewski, an aging hippie who is meandering through what is left of his life, and Franco, an energetic young man who talks his way into a job at the donut shop with an eye toward updating it.
Mix in several other characters, a word that in this case could be an understatement, a "Superior Donuts" is a reminder that all of us, though different, have a role in life that affects all those around us.
Written by Tracy Letts, who also wrote "August, Osage County" and other hit dramas, "Superior Donuts" looks at such human condition issues as race, healthy eating, homelessness, gambling addictions, gangs, depression, and even love. But it doesn't get preachy about any of those subjects; in fact, the only one that generates much more than a smattering of dialogue is race and that is because Arthur is white, Franco is African-American.
Some of the best and even funniest dialogue between Arthur and Franco centers on Franco's questioning whether his new boss is racist or just stubborn.
"What we get in this play is not only an evolution of story lines but we see real evolutions in the characters. It's tough to explain but audiences will see it in every character," Larson said. "Everybody in the cast, every character, has a reason for being there. Sure, the focus is on Arthur and Franco but it has human touch for all of the characters."
Larson said he believes audiences will be able to relate in some way to the characters; if not who they are, than in the dialogue. "It has some really funny dialogue that touches home," he said.
Portraying Arthur Prsybyszewski is Bob Grimson, a veteran of many Corn Stock shows but now playing his largest role to date. Larson said it's as if the role was written for Grimson, a former history teacher and journalist. "Here we have Arthur, who lived through the turmoil of the 60s, and Bob knows well what happened in those days. He knows the times, he knows the way they affected people. He's great as Arthur," he said.
Brian McKinley, seen last fall in "Relatively Speaking," portrays Franco and brings to the role an energy and cockiness befitting the character.
Seth Katz, a professor at Bradley University who speaks four languages and a veteran of the Corn Stock stage, isn't playing around when he speaks Russian as Max, who owns the appliance shop next door and wants desperately to buy the donut shop space so he can expand.
Christine Takata makes her Corn Stock debut in the role of Randy, a police officer with a thing for Arthur, and stage veteran Eric Gore is her Star Trek-loving partner James. GayNell German portrays the homeless character Lady, who can pack a whollop in just a small bit of dialogue each time she's on stage, Michael Wohl as Luther and Scott O'Neal as Kevin are the bad guys in this show and Chris Herring is Max's enforcer.
The set was built by Brian Peelle, who succeeded in turning the small Corn Stock space into what could be a working donut shop.
"I have the smartest cast anywhere, I think. I have a history teacher/journalist, a professor who speaks four languages, a recent biology graduate from Bradley (McKinley) a lawyer (Takata), an antique dealer (Wohl) and a guy with a film degree from Columbia (O'Neal). And they all do a great job with this script," Larson said.
"Superior Donuts" is performed at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, at 7:30 p.m. on March 21 and 22 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $7 for students and can be reserved by calling the Corn Stock Theatre box office at 676-2196.
'The Miracle Worker' to open at Peoria Players Threatre
- Details
- Published on 12 March 2014
- Written by Paul Gordon
There are art works, whether visual or written, that can be disturbing while also inspiring, tense but uplifting. And often, those based on true stories can touch people deeply.
“The Miracle Worker” is one of those works. The drama written by William Gibson is based on a small yet pivotal part of the life of Helen Keller, who became blind, deaf and consequently mute when stricken by illness as an infant.
It opens a seven-show run Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Peoria Players Theatre in Lakeview Park. It is directed by Charles Killen.
In “The Miracle Worker,” a teacher named Anne Sullivan is hired by Helen Keller’s parent to help control the child by teaching her to trust and communicate. By this time, the parents’ pity on Helen has made her unable to communicate beyond basic needs and is uncontrollable.
Sullivan eventually succeeds but not without painstaking trials and parental interference. Largely because of Sullivan, Keller grew up to become a well-known lecturer, political activist and author; she was the first deaf/blind person to earn a college degree.
“This is a piece that really is timeless because it shows us that we need to focus on the abilities of people instead of their disabilities,” said Killen, who has directed many shows in local community theatre and often focuses on historical pieces and classic literature. He directed “The Diary of Anne Frank” at Peoria Players three years ago and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” in 2009.
What appealed to Killen about “The Miracle Worker” was the strength of the story and the characters. He was in the play about 20 years ago when it was produced by the Artistic Community Theatre in Pekin and decided then he would direct it his way on a bigger stage.
“I remember coming away from the show 20 years ago thinking this was an important story people need to see, not just read. Anne Sullivan, through tough love and hard work, unleashed the person inside Helen Keller and we know what the person she became. What happened can change everybody’s perspective about people with disabilities,” Killen said.
“This is a heartwarming story, really. And when the breakthrough finally occurs, the one that changes her life, you feel it. It is powerful and uplifting.”
Helen Keller is portrayed by 9-year-old Anna Hsu and handles the role with aplomb. “Anna does very well with it. She came into the audition with her own interpretation and without trying to copy anybody else. She wasn’t trying to play Patty Duke playing Helen Keller,” Killen said in reference to the actress who originated the role in the play and the 1962 film by the same name.
“Anna came in with her own thoughts about the role. She was confident and she was ready to be molded into the character.”
Lindsay Nevells portrays Annie Sullivan, performing on stage for the first time in several years, Killen said. However, he added, she brings an understanding of the character and what it takes to be that person Anne Sullivan was because of similar disabilities in her family background. She has had training in sign language not to teach it, but because she wanted to learn it.
Other performers include Dave Montague as Captain Keller and Katlyn Linsley as Kate Keller, Helen’s parents. Will Swain portrays her brother James.
Gwyneth Mitchell portrays a young Anne Sullivan and Gareth Mitchell her brother Jimmy Sullivan in poignant scenes that tell the audience about Anne Sullivan’s upbringing.
Killen said he hopes this play, like others he has directed that are based on history or the classics, will introduce people to local theatre who don’t normally attend.
“The Winter Playhouse at Corn Stock (Theatre) does a great job with the newer and edgier pieces, which is great for Peoria. But there is a void for this kind of dramatic theatre. We need more of it,” he said.
“The Miracle Worker” opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. and continues at 7:30 p.m. March 15, 20, 21, and 22 and at 2 p.m. on March 16 and 23. Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for those 18 and under and are on sale at the Peoria Players box office, 688-4473 or www.peoriaplayers.org.
Streight: Mystery Surrounding Disappearance of Malaysia Airliner
- Details
- Published on 09 March 2014
- Written by Steve Streight
It's very unusual for a large airliner to just vanish. There are of course many nutty conspiracy theories floating around, but something seems extremely fishy here.
Fast Company states:
"Here's what we do know: The flight disappeared on Friday night/Saturday morning en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The plane was at cruising altitude (35,000 feet) and weather was more or less clear. Air traffic controllers in Vietnam say contact with the crew disappeared about 120 nautical miles east of the Malaysian town of Kota Bharu, and radar signals suggest the plane may have turned around before losing contact.
We know that the world's military operations have secret weapons, so there is at least a possibility that this could have been a test of something like a particle beam disintegrator that would leave no trace, turn a large object into dust.
Some say it's possible for an entire jet airplane to sink to the bottom of the ocean, but what happened to cell phone communications, emergency beacon system (activated upon impact), the radar and satellite surveillance, and the black box signals?
But then again, we can never rule out human incompetence along with disinformation from official sources.
If this was terrorist attack against China, you can expect Chinese authorities to cover it up, because they are fanatical about preventing the spread of "Chinese government cannot protect or care for its people" concept.
Hijacking? Lightning? Meteorite strike? Accidental Global Hawk or MQ-4C Triton drone collision? Cold fusion? Particle beam disintegration? Pilot suicide? Passenger revolt against terrorist hijackers?
READ MORE:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/09/malaysia-airlines-missing-plane-possible-explanations
http://www.naturalnews.com/044244_Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370_vanished.html
http://www.reddit.com/search?q=malaysia+airliner
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/world/asia/malaysia-airlines-flight.html?_r=0