Debbie Linzmaier "Sheila Winter"

Rick has appeared in a number of WRCT productions, the most recent being One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2003) as Dr. Spivey. He is the president of Stensberg printing, and enjoys fishing, hunting, and bicycling with his family.

James Craig "John Martin"

We are glad to have Bonnie back on the WRCT stage after a long hiatus. You have previously seen her in I Never Sang for My Father (1995) and Play On (1995). Bonnie works part-time at McCray Chiropractic, and enjoys travelling with her husband and visiting with friends.

Libby Strub "Laurette Winter"

This is also the first time on the WRCT boards for Blake. He is honored to be onstage with his Grandma, Joan Joseph. Blake is a ninth-grader at East Junior High School, and enjoys reading, working on the computer, and playing video games with his friends.

John Wellens "Mr. Farrington"

Christopher has performed in several WRCT Youth Productions, and made his regular season debut in Damn Yankees (2004). Christopher is a sixth-grader at Immanuel Lutheran School, and enjoys video games and hanging out with his friends.

Auditions were exciting!

23 people auditioned for the 10 roles in the play, and many more came just to watch! Auditions were fun—there was a lot of laughing, a lot of clapping, and in the end, 10 people showed just the right stuff to get a part in the play.

The rehearsal process begins...

Chris (Homer), Libby (Laurette), and John (Mr. Farrington) wait their turn to rehearse.

Joan (as Gracie) and Chris (as Homer) share a warm hug.

After blocking, the fun began! As the actors learned their lines, they began adding depth to their characters—turning them into three-dimensional people. Each actor lends a bit of themselves to their character, making the end result interesting and enjoyable for the audience.

It takes concentration to act when you are trying to learn your lines! When the actors are not rehearsing a scene, they spend their time studying the lines that need to sound natural onstage. Everyone is glued to their book, learning the lines as exact as possible, as the other actors depend on their "cue" lines being just right.

As the actors get more comfortable with their lines, they begin to drop their books. This is where the characters really start to develop! Not holding a script frees the actors eyes and hands to become more expressive. People are really turning into the characters they are playing, and a bond has formed within the group—you begin to believe that this is a real family.

The set goes up...

On April 2, the process of building the set began. The first thing that had to be done was to haul all of our set construction materials from our storage facility at the Rapids Mall to the library. A large group of volunteers, including most of the cast members, was eager and ready to get the job done. After everything was at the library, the work began. As you can see from the pictures below, a lot of the materials that set builder Bob Kell used had been part of the set for previous shows, including the fireplace in the center. The fireplace is actually made of wood and styrofoam, so it's light and easy to move. The walls were constucted with 2 X 4 frames and covered with muslin. These walls are called "flats," and can be reused for years if properly cared for.

Here's the left side of the stage...

...and the right.

The whole thing looked like a patchwork quilt—until the painters came in!

Chuck and Joyce Huhnke transformed the set into what appears to be the light and breezy interior of a home.

Look how great it looks after the props people come in and do their magic!

Linda Garski Director, A Wind Between the Houses

Linda Garski returns to the director's chair after taking a break last season. She is thrilled to be directing A Wind Between the Houses, a relatively unknown play that she is sure will make a big impression on our audiences. (Linda answered a few questions in February, before the rehearsal process began.)

Linda answers a few questions concerning the production as they begin the process of putting the show together:

I first read this play years ago as a member of the Play Selection Committee, and have loved it ever since. The plot of A Wind Between the Houses involves something that we are all affected by at some time or another— the death of someone we love. The play is NOT maudlin—we learn that everyone deals with their loss in a different way, and that's okay. The Martin family's situation is treated with dignity and a bit of humor, and shows us that life does indeed go on for those who are left behind when someone passes on.

What were you looking for in the actors that you cast?

I was looking for people with good hearts and sincerity. To hear the plot of the show a person might think that it was a dark comedy, with irreverant humor, similar to one of my previous plays; Dearly Departed (1999). This play requires actors who understand that the best way to play the humor is to say every line like they mean it, not like they are waiting for a rim shot. I was not looking for people who turned the roles into caricatures, which as far as I'm concerned only belong in farces and sitcoms. I wanted intelligent people who understand that to do this subject matter irreverantly is likely to insult anyone in our audience who has been through the loss of a loved one. (Don't get me wrong—this is a funny play, but the subject matter is given the respect it deserves.) These characters have to come across as family and friends—people who might not always agree on everything, but still have a strong bond of love between them.

I had 23 people audition, and wish there were more parts in the play so I could have used more of them. But I'm thrilled with the people I've chosen. When we read through the parts the first time, I already saw great characters developing. And I closed my eyes once and realized that each person has a wonderful, melodious voice. We could do this show on the radio and it would be great!

We have 4 brand new actors in this show, about which I'm thrilled. Rookies always bring with them a level of excitement that is fun to watch for both me and the audience. The veteran actors I've chosen will make wonderful examples for the new ones. This whole group is going to make my job really easy!

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A good support team makes a director's job a lot easier!. Shown with Linda are Production Manager Lisa Sandvik and Stage Manager Jimm Zabel .

I honestly don't think this show is going to be that hard for me to do. I've done the biggest part already—I've chosen a wonderful cast. And the support people I surround myself with are the best in our business as far as I'm concerned—notably Jimm Zabel, who has Stage Managed 5 of the shows I've directed and is my right-hand man, and Lisa Sandvik, who is a hard working and dependable Production Manager. I hope that everyone involved with this production has as much fun as I plan on having, because after all, isn't that why we do theater?

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James and Debbie are talented enough to take
unsympathetic characters and give them heart.

Young actors Libby and Blake are part of WRCT's bright future. They both come from strong acting stock—Libby's dad is WRCT actor Mike Strub, (Arsenic and Old Lace and The Odd Couple)
and Blake's grandma is our own Joan (right)!