From the President

What is a “war story”? Obviously the term derives from soldiers bringing back tales of whatever war they were returning from. But the term has come to refer to any memorable event. As you might suspect, community theater is rife with war stories. Here are just a few I remember over my years with the Wisconsin Rapids Community Theatre and its predecessor, the Community Company of Players.

The shoe in the wall - Way back in the early 80’s when the Community Company of Players was putting on Barefoot in the Park, the actors on stage were having a marital spat. The female lead threw a shoe at the male lead which missed – as planned. What was not planned was the heel of the shoe going through the flat and the shoe hanging up on the wall for the rest of the scene.

The five pages - During a production of Little Foxes, it was noted in the lighting booth that the cast was not saying the words that were printed in the script. After some quick page turning, it was determined that the actors had inadvertently skipped five pages of dialogue! Fortunately, no lighting cues occurred during that stretch and the actors did a highly professional job of covering the loss of the dialogue. While standing in the lobby after the show, the only comment I heard was one female senior citizen saying to another that the show seemed shorter than most productions.

The church is dark! - In a production of Our Town, there was a church sequence set up in the back of the Library auditorium out of site of the lighting personnel. The serenity of the lighting booth was interrupted by screaming in the earphones that the church scene lights had not come on. This was before the days of computer driven lighting and it set off a mad scramble of pulling levers and pushing buttons. Evidently the right actions were taken as the church finally lit up.

It didn’t break - In the play Wind Between the Houses, an urn holding the ashes of a loved one is accidently dropped and the urn breaks spilling the ashes on the ground; or at least it is supposed to. This leads into the crux of the story as the protagonists try to figure out what to do. One night, the urn didn’t break, it just bounced. Again the actors were able to cover and the show went on. However, I think the audience knew the urn was supposed to break. One of the fun parts of being involved in community theater is that you will accumulate your own list of great war stories to share with friends both in and out of the theater community. If you’re not involved in community theater, we invite you to join us and perhaps you can accumulate, or even be part of, one or more of those great war stories.

From the Executive Director

On September 17, 2011 the Youth Drama Club had their first field trip. Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Greater South Wood County, members of the club were able to attend the American Players Theatre production of Taming of the Shrew in Spring Green. The folks at Spring Green made it an unforgettable experience for them, including a tour of their facilities in the package.

But the experience didn’t end with the performance. On the 19th, the group’s regular monthly meeting was turned into a Shakespeare workshop, led by WRCT’s Mike & Susan Edgren and Cory Shaw. Shakespeare is daunting to most of us; performing Shakespeare makes even the most seasoned actor quake in their boots. Making Shakespeare fun opens up a whole new world of experience and understanding, and that’s what this workshop did.

Activities included shared experiences by those who attended the APT production, improv-style exercises in understanding the language of Shakespeare, and scene readings from Macbeth and Midsummer Night’s Dream. Throughout the workshop, Shakespeare’s language, its rhythm and its meaning was discussed and clarified for the children. The group was very receptive to the information and the activities. So much so that when presented with the idea of doing a reader’s theater performance for Halloween using classical texts, including Shakespeare, the children were very enthusiastic about pursuing it.

WRCT is very grateful for the support of our community, volunteers and patrons for these kinds of activities. We are so blessed with the talent and commitment of those who give of their time and resources to others. When you help a child expand their mind, you open up possibilities for their lives and every life that touches theirs. Thank you to everyone who made this experience possible!

AUDITIONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY OCTOBER 10 and 11 6:30 PM WRCT Studio Theatre Performance Dates: December 2-4; 8-10, 2011 7:30 PM Gilbert and Jaylee Mead Auditorium Centralia Center 220 3rd Ave. S.

Originally produced by the American Folklore Theatre in Door County, Wisconsin in 2002, Packer Fans went on to play in Green Bay and received this high praise -- "Packer Fans From Outer Space is a wonderful show and should be seen by everyone in Wisconsin, as well as our 'naturalized' brethren around the U.S. who share our devotion to Packers football," says Packers Executive Vice President John Jones.

THE STORY: Based (very) loosely on actual events, PFOS follows the exploits of Juddville fruit farmer Harvey Keister. Harvey, a big fan of the Green Bay Packers, is called upon by a group of Packer aliens to save their planet from the evil Space Bears. Marge, his Chicago Bears-loving wife, fears for his sanity. The actual events that were the inspiration for this offbeat musical are several UFO sightings over the skies of Door County in the Spring of 1952, and the 1953 tie game between the Packers and the Bears.

It’s that time again, time for the WRCT Silver Foxes Annual Halloween Studio Production. This annual production has become a fan favorite and one the actors enjoying rehearsing and performing.

This year we will present a “Ghoul School 50th Class Reunion”. You will meet and greet some familiar former graduates. The former class president, Dracula will host the reunion. Some of the graduates that will be in attendance are the class prom King and Queen, a school jock and his ghoul friend, Vampira. and the Mean Spirited Meanies to name a few. A few former members of the drama club will entertain with a ghost story and a witches’ shopping experience. The former Homecoming Queen is expected to belt out her favorite number “I’ve Got You”.

There will be singing, dancing, and refreshments as former students get reacquainted and learn how life has treated them over the years. This reunion (Halloween Studio Production) will take place on Thursday, October 27 in the WRCT Studio Theatre. Two performances are scheduled at 1:00 P.M. and another at 3:00 P.M.

Admission is $5.00 per ticket. Call 715-421-0435 for reservations. Tickets can be purchased at the theatre office located at 220 3rd Ave. S. Suite #6, East End of Rapids Mall (across from the bank).

In addition to our Studio productions, we also go out into the community and bring theatre to clubs, churches, service organizations and senior living facilities. For details call 715-421-0435. We hold meetings on the first and third Thursdays at 1:00 P.M. in the WRCT Studio Theatre. Interested? Please come.

Joan Joseph
WRCT Silver Foxes Coordinator

In the Studio Theatre

WRCT WISH LIST

If you are interested in contributing any of the items below, please contact the office:

Want a great place to hold an event?
RENT OUR THEATRE!

The Gilbert and Jaylee Mead Auditorium and the Studio Theatre are avaiable for rent. The auditorium seats 223 and is designed for a performance venue but is also ideal for a speaker's forum.

The Studio Theatre is nultifunctional and seats up to 60 people. To date, we have accomodated small theatrical events, workshops, childrens' activities, meetings, luncheons, and even a wedding. Whatever your needs, WRCT personnel are happy to work with your particular group or occasion. Call the office at 421-0435 for a fee schedule and reservation form.