The Future
39
thePeorian.com
The troupe believes anybody
can be an actor. Factors such as
passion and how fun it will be to
work with someone are usually
considered over other issues like
acting experience.
If people want to get involved
in the group, they can simply
message the troupe’s Facebook
page at
com/TheGreatWorkBeginsThe-
atreTroupe or email it at thegreat-
.
Although it has seen success
with its
Shakespeare
produc-
tions and is
thinking of
doing Hamlet
next, the
troupe wants
to expand
beyond his
work and do
newer, rarely
seen shows,
something it
started when
it did its one
acts last year.
Providing
Peoria with
shows they
have not seen before, however, is
only part of Great Work’s mission
statement. The organization also
seeks to bring theater to people
and give back to businesses by
performing shows in unusual
places. The troupe believes if it
performs shows at settings like
Kelleher’s Irish Pub, where it
did “Taming of the Shrew,” or
Champs bar, where it performed
the one-acts, that it will not only
help promote the show but also
promote the local business.
Hemmis believes the different
types of venues challenge the
actors and the audience but also
frees both parties from worrying
about the more technical side of
theater, instead allowing them
to focus on the story and the
characters.
Moreover, a setting like a bar
brings in people who would
never come to a theater and
watch a play, she added.
Camp Wokanda, Kelleher’s
and Champs all allowed the
troupe to perform there for free,
and in return the group gave
some of the donations to the
establishments.
Great Work Begins is continu-
ing to look
for unique
places in
which to
perform.
Patrnchak,
for example,
is searching
for an empty
pool to use
for a show.
“
This town
is rife with
empty spaces
that are very
interesting
physically
and histori-
cally,” Tony
Pagan, a
Great Work actor, said. “We’d
like to capitalize on that great
resource that Peoria has. We
have a lot of old infrastructure,
old buildings, and unique spaces
that we can not only” perform in
“
but also draw people’s attention
to (and show them) some of the
beautiful structures and places to
hang out and socialize we have
in town.”
Great Work is currently pre-
paring for future shows, such
as a second series of one-acts
in September. The five one-acts
will be more adult and serious in
nature than previous shows and
will contain the theme of conver-
sation.
The co-founders of The Great Work
Begins Theatre Troupe are, from left,
Sara Jean Tilford, Andrew Rhodenbaugh
and Natalie Patrnchak.
Continued on page 40
