"August: Osage County" – Spring cleaning in summer

The cast of “August: Osage County” is filled with talented EPAC veterans

It’s not quite the first day of spring, and the Weston clan is already heavily into spring cleaning. Spiritual, psychological spring cleaning.

Beverly Weston is making sure his cancer-ridden, drug-addicted wife, Violet, is taken care of by a housekeeper he’s hiring. Violet is trying to get her middle daughter, Ivy, to spruce herself up and attract a man. Beverly and Violet’s three daughters are trying, half-heartedly, to fix all that’s wrong with their mother, and they’re all in the process of making significant changes in their lives with respect to the men they’re in relationships with.

OK. It isn’t really spring within the world of “August: Osage County.” In fact, it is summer in a non-air-conditioned house, and it’s as hot as H-E-Double-Hockey-Stick –too hot to be doing the kind of cleaning that's about to be done.

Welcome to the Weston household in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Relatives are returning to the family homestead on the Plains, which eldest Weston daughter Barbara describes in the play’s first act this way: "This is the Plains: A state of mind ... some spiritual affliction, like the Blues." 

But the Plains aren't her spiritual affliction at the moment. Her family is.

“August: Osage County,” Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play the Ephrata Performing Arts Center is presenting beginning tonight – Thursday, the eve of the first day of spring – is filled with people trying to cleanse themselves of their pasts, their toxic relationships with other family members, their issues and their pathological patterns. But, as if they’re foundering in quicksand, the harder the Westons struggle to spring clean, the deeper they sink into the muck.

Not far into the play, Beverly – a poet and professor – winds up missing, and the family must gather to deal with this crisis, and many more in each of their personal lives. Pretty quickly, the issues siblings have with their parents, each other and their partners come spilling out in chaotic, unconstructive and nasty ways. Drug-addled Violet wants everyone to engage in “truth-telling.” She should be careful what she wishes for.

In this production of “August: Osage County,” the terrific cast of veteran EPAC actors basically had to learn stage-combat choreography for a domestic dinner-table scene. This play – this family – is not for the faint of heart.

Elizabeth Pattey, left, is Violet, Ken Seigh is Bill and Susan Kresge is Barbara in “August: Osage County” at EPAC.

But the play IS for anyone who has experienced moments of dysfunctional family drama. It’s for those who want to laugh and gasp at a black comedy that’s an examination of human foibles, parent-child relationships and the ways in which relatives can wound each other.

It’s for those who can feel sadness for feckless characters the audience can see are headed for disaster. It’s for those who don’t mind adult themes and some fairly salty language. The Westons, you see, don’t speak nicely to each other when they’re spring cleaning.

It’s for you, if you love challenging theater that examines family relationships and the human condition. It’s for you, if you want to try to hold on for a wild ride of a play that may leave you exhausted at the end of the evening.

And it’s for you, if you start your spring by ordering tickets from EPAC for “August: Osage County,” playing Thursday through April 4 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre. Call the box office at 733-7966.

'Cabaret' entertains – and gets under your skin

Martha Wasser, center, as Sally Bowles, dances with the girls of the Kit Kat Club in EPAC's "Cabaret," now through Nov. 1 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

If you think you know the “Cabaret” story from watching the 1972 Liza Minnelli / Joel Grey movie, think again.

The stage musical, which opens tonight and runs through Nov. 1 at EPAC, came first (opening on Broadway in 1966). And it remains a deeper exploration than the film of both the 1930s decadence of Berlin and the menace bubbling just under the surface as the Nazis began to assert their authority during their rise to power.

I watched the last rehearsal before “Cabaret’s” preview at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre earlier this week, and found it to be a really well-cast show, firing on all cylinders!

As the show opens, the writer character Cliff Bradshaw (played by Sean Deffley) tells us of his eye-opening experience in Berlin: “It was the end of the world … and I was dancing with Sally Bowles, and we were both fast asleep.” It’s a provocative invitation for us, as audience members, to lean forward in our seats, to watch Cliff’s story unfold, and learn why he described his Berlin sojourn in those terms.

In addition to Cliff, we meet the one-and-only Sally Bowles, an English girl who dreamed she’d be fascinating, and woke up to realize she’d made herself fascinating – creating a persona right at home on the Kit Kat Club stage. Sally’s not really supposed to be all that talented, but we can suspend disbelief and forgive EPAC’s Martha Wasser for being VERY talented, as she sings the heck out of Sally’s familiar songs!

We meet the Emcee of the seedy, decadent Kit Kat Club. As played by Nick Smith, he’s a sly, androgynous version of the Shakespearean fool – the guy who uses art, wit and performance to help us understand the truth about what’s going on in frightening outside world.

There’s Cliff’s friend, Ernst, portrayed by Preston Schreffler, whose persona, and politics, aren’t what they initially seem. And there’s the emotion-stirring relationship between Herr Schultz and Fraulein Schneider (Gene Ellis and Tricia Corcoran) – struggling to embrace love in middle age, amid the menacing change that’s coming to Germany.

Elements of the story alternate with wild numbers beneath the theatrical lighting of the Kit Kat Club; the performances enhance the creepiness of what’s happening to German society, and how it’s affecting all the characters’ lives. The song-and-dance numbers will delight you; the romances in the show will engage you; and the realization of what lies beyond the walls of the Kit Kat Club will make your skin crawl.

You don’t want to miss this show!

One word of caution: This show is definitely not for kids.  EPAC recommends it for adult audiences. The musical deals with adult issues and situations, and performances in the Kit Kat Club are sexually suggestive. You’ll see plenty of very flexible ladies and gents in their underwear – it’s a seedy club in decadent Berlin, after all!

Kudos, in advance, to the cast, crew and creative team … and thanks to the sponsors who are helping EPAC provide “theater that matters” in our community:

12:34 MicroTechnologies (show sponsor)

Blue RidgeCommunications (season media sponsor)

Hill Top Inn (individual show sponsor)

Lily’s on Main (opening night party sponsor).

Thanks for your support!

For tickets to “Cabaret,” call (717) 733-7966, or visit our website to order online. 

-- Merv Wright

'DEATH OF A SALESMAN' SELLS POWERFUL FAMILY STORY

From left, John Kleimo, Keven Fennell, Josh Kirwin and Elizabeth Pattey 

star in EPAC's "Death of a Salesman" 

There’s something terribly wrong with Willy Loman, who has been a traveling salesman for more than three decades. He talks to himself. He has lost confidence in himself. He dreams about the past, and wonders aloud how he might have changed things along the way for himself and his family.

And he’s a working man who’s worn out.

Willy must contend with unfamiliar faces in his present working life, and all-too-familiar ghosts from his past that box in his mind the way newly constructed buildings have boxed in the house where he lives with his loyal, supportive wife, Linda.

Who hasn’t felt at least some of the things Willy is feeling as “Death of a Salesman” opens? Who hasn’t examined his or her life – work or personal – and tried to figure out how things might have been different for us? Who hasn’t known someone like Willy, and been concerned for his welfare, and tried to be a supportive friend?

When the façade you present to the world doesn’t match the person inside, it can be as exhausting as carrying those sales valises up and down New England for thirty-something  years. Just ask Willy. Or his son, Biff, who is also in the midst of a personal, self-examining crisis during this play, which he discusses with his younger brother, Happy.

There’s a reason “Death of a Salesman” is a theater classic. It deals with the American dream, capitalism, self-awareness, the relationship between parents and their adult children, how the past informs the present and so much more. But, beyond all that, it’s a play about a family in crisis. It will engage you, touch your heart and make you think.

And EPAC has assembled a marvelous cast for this production of this play – led by John Kleimo as Willy, Elizabeth Pattey as Linda, Josh Kirwin as Biff and Kevin Fennell as Happy.  I watched a recent rehearsal of the play, and was blown away by all the fresh, new things I noticed about the show – which I’ve studied in many classes, seen a couple of times on stage and watched many times in its film versions. 

It’s the cast, and how they’re approaching their roles under Michael Swanson’s direction, that taught me so many new things about this American standard, and made me emotional to the point of tears about the Loman family’s plight.

Whether you’ve never seen “Death of a Salesman,” or feel as if you’ve seen it a hundred times, this production will give you a fresh perspective on an evergreen classic; it will grab you and not let you go. It’s a pure expression of EPAC’s mission of presenting “Theater That Matters!”

The show runs through Sept. 20 at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre; call 717-733-7966 for tickets, or visit our website to order online.

EPAC extends a huge THANK YOU to the sponsors for this show: Season Media Sponsor Blue RidgeCommunications;  Show Co-Sponsor EphrataNational Bank; Opening Night Sponsors Dr. Evan and Dr. Karen Cooper;  Opening Night Party Sponsors Larry and Dr. Cindy Gessler;  Individual Performance Sponsors Karl and Marilyn Soutner; and Closing Night Sponsor PPL!

EPAC could not present this play without you!

See you at the theater!

-- merv wright

"LEGALLY BLONDE" HAS A GREAT STORY TO TELL

Amy Ward, seated, is Elle Woods and Niki Boyer Swatski is Paulette in the Ephrata Performing Arts Center's production of "Legally Blonde: The Musical," opening Thursday at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.  

On his public radio show, “This American Life,” Ira Glass recently remarked that he learned a lot about storytelling by going to musical theater a lot as a kid.

If you want a great example of what Glass is talking about, then check out “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” opening Thursday (7/24 – tomorrow!) at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

A lawyer’s daughter, Amanda Brown wrote the novel “Legally Blonde,” based on her own experiences at Stanford Law School. It told a great story about a young woman who, because of personal heartbreak, works hard to get into law school – a place decidedly outside her comfort zone. Once there, she must defy other people’s stereotypical view of her as a dumb-blonde sorority alumna. And she learns that, once she stops trying to conform and decides to be true to herself and the gifts she recognizes in herself, she can triumph and be useful in ways beyond anything she’d previously imagined.

The 2001 film, “Legally Blonde,” changed some of the details, but kept true to that wonderful story about Elle Woods, a protagonist the audience can’t help falling in love with and rooting for.

The musical takes that great story and layers on songs, dance numbers and extra complexity to some of the other characters we all loved from the movie.

You’ll love the story of Elle Woods; her dog, Bruiser (played at EPAC by an adorable, rescued Chihuahua who’s available for adoption at the end of the run of the show!); her college BFFs; her manicurist buddy, Paulette; the men in her life, and her Harvard Law School frenemies. Director/choreographer Cody Smith, an EPAC veteran (as performer, director and choreographer), has assembled a young, talented cast that fills the stage with energy, great dance moves and clever, catchy songs.

It’s a fun show with a lot of heart and a great message about self-confidence, defying other’s expectations, not judging a book by its cover and being true to oneself.

And, at its core, “Legally Blonde: The Musical” has a great story to tell. Call 733-7966 or visit our website, and get your ticket today (the show runs till Aug. 9). Oh-my-God-you-guys! Let this great cast tell you a wonderful story!

--Merv Wright

  

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM AN EPAC VOLUNTEER

Twenty years ago this week, I was standing in the wings at the sweltering “old” Ephrata Playhouse, waiting to step onstage as part of the ensemble in the musical “The Robber Bridegroom.” Our darling, now-departed Brian Adams, who played Little Harp, was making funny faces at me to help calm my nerves.

 Our rehearsals in an Elizabethtown church basement had been filled with laughter along with the hard work; our cast had bonded into a family. We went out together nearly every night during rehearsals and the run of the show, and had a great time enjoying each other’s company.

While I’d been an audience member at the playhouse for years before those nights in July 1994, “The Robber Bridegroom” marked my first practical involvement with the Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

Here we are, 20 years later. I’m still friends with several people I met while doing that 1994 show. I’ve helped out around the theater, from ushering to working the concession stand, from posting on social media to passing out brochures to helping out during school-day performances.

In those 20 years, I’ve sat in the audience and marveled at the theater being created by this community troupe that rivals professional theaters in the quality of the shows and the talent of the casts and creative teams.

I’ve watched young kids grow up on EPAC’s stage and become wonderful adult performers. I’ve seen EPAC veterans come and go, and watched newbies fill the stage with talent and magic. I’ve laughed my head off; I’ve bawled my eyes out; I’ve scratched my head, and let characters get under my skin.

And, in the last 10 years, I’ve watched creative teams make fabulous use of the beautifully renovated theater space that’s now the (air-conditioned!) Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

Through it all, I’ve remembered that sense of FAMILY I first experienced during the run of “The Robber Bridegroom.”  EPAC is, indeed a family – a family of performers, directors, technical wizards, creative teams, crew members, volunteers, sponsors, patrons, supporters and audience members.

And that family comes together dozens of times every year to create evenings of THEATER THAT MATTERS – plays and musicals that are thought-provoking, joyous, heart-rending, toe-tapping and glorious – sometimes all at the same time.

Whether you move set pieces, direct the pit orchestra, act, direct, throw the opening-night party, show people to their chairs or buy tickets and sit in those seats, you, too, are a part of the EPAC FAMILY.

With the delightful, high-energy musical, “Legally Blonde,” opening next Thursday, we’re about halfway through EPAC’s 2014 season. We’ve experienced great theater so far, and have plenty more to see through the end of the year.

Welcome, family, and thanks for your continued support. It’s been a great 20 years!

-- Merv Wright, proud EPAC volunteer

HAPPY RE-BIRTH-DAY TO EPAC!

More than 10 years ago, the old Ephtata Playhouse was stripped to its essentials and rebuilt as the lovely Sharadin Bigler Theatre space you enjoy today. 

Ten years ago tonight, the Ephrata Performing Arts Center’s theater space reopened – bigger, taller, cooler and better equipped – after extensive renovations.

Hundreds of seats had been added in the theater, rehearsal and dressing rooms had been installed downstairs, the roof had been raised 9 feet – and the place finally had indoor restrooms!! 

The venue was eventually renamed the Sharadin Bigler Theatre in honor of the decades of generous financial support EPAC has received from Terry Bigler and the late Michael Sharadin.

 Here's a snippet from one of the Lancaster Newspaper accounts of how that evening began for the audience 10 years ago – just before the start of the first show of the 2004 season, “1776”:

"Before the show got under way Thursday night, Ephrata Performing Arts Center artistic director Ed Fernandez bounced onto the stage and said with open arms and a grin, 'What a dump!' "The audience, laughing, erupted in thunderous applause, and looked around the revamped theater with a sense of pride. " 'Welcome to our new home,' Fernandez said. 'Isn’t she beautiful?' " “Though the new Ephrata Performing Arts Center, formerly Ephrata Playhouse, looks shiny and new, its history – with its numerous transformations – runs deep, as far back as the 1700s. "Fittingly, the theater’s debut production is '1776: A Musical,' a hilarious show about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. "... Fernandez calls the building’s architecture 'techno–rustic.' " 'It’s very modern,' he said. 'But yet there is a 200-year-old wood beam running through the ceiling. … Tonight is when theater really starts to happen here again.'
“... The spacious 23,400-foot facility has 300 seats – 200 more than the old pavilion. The roof also was raised 9 feet.  'Lights used to sometimes hit actors on their heads,' Fernandez said. There are dressing rooms, classrooms, laundry rooms and a kitchen downstairs now. ..."

For 10 years since that night, the EPAC family has continued to celebrate the creation of “theater that matters” here at EPAC.

The psychological thriller “Agnes of God” continues in this lovely, air-conditioned theater space Wednesday through Saturday this week. Call 733-7966 for tickets, and help celebrate the anniversary of this theater’s rebirth.

'Sunday in the Park' connects with audiences

Have you ever had a bright, bold new idea that no one else at the office understood or embraced? Have you ever had to make a difficult choice between two important things – or people – in your life?

Have you ever felt like your creative energy was at a low ebb, or that you can’t find a new voice or vision in your work? Have you ever felt like you don’t live up to the standards of your ancestors who went before you? 

If you’ve experienced at least one of these feelings – and who among us hasn’t? – you’ll find something to connect deeply with in EPAC’s production of “Sunday in the Park with George,” playing now through Saturday at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

The musical presents a version of what composer Stephen Sondheim and writer (and Franklin & Marshall College alumnus) James Lapine imagined artist Georges Seurat’s life might have been like – along with the lives of the characters in his paintings, and those of Seurat’s descendants, if he’d had any.

The show also explores how Seurat rebelled against the French art establishment by using pointillist techniques – replacing the Impressionists’ brush strokes with dots of pure color arranged in such a way that the human eye would “combine” the dots to see blended colors and shimmering light in his painting. The show is also about the heart-rending sacrifices an artist must sometimes make in his personal life.

And the musical is about Seurat’s (fictional) artist great-grandson in America, also named George, who has lost his unique vision amid his mad scramble to woo patrons and attract commissions. 

Sondheim’s music is glorious, and Lapine’s book is emotional and thought-provoking. Many audience members have regretted leaving their Kleenex at home!

And EPAC has pulled out all the stops to make this a memorable production of a wonderful musical. You’ll be delighted with the show’s creative vision, the acting, the singing, the musicianship, the set and the costumes. Kudos to the cast, crew, creative team and musicians who have been “Putting it Together” for weeks, to the delight of audiences and critics.

The show only runs through this Saturday, May 17^th. You do NOT want to miss your chance to see this show that EPAC audiences will be talking about for years.

Thanks to EPAC’s season sponsor, BlueRidge Communications, and “Sunday’s” show co-sponsors, Lily’s on Main and SugarArts at Donecker's. When you patronize these sponsors, or run into their employees, please give them a huge "THANK YOU!!" for supporting “theater that matters” at Ephrata Performing Arts Center.

Order your tickets to “Sunday in the Park …” online, or call the box office at (717) 733-7966.

-       -- Merv Wright 

Auditions fill EPAC's May calendar

Welcome back to the EPAC blog! The blog has been on hiatus for a few months, but we're firing it back up for our busy spring, as we celebrate 10 years since the old Ephrata Playhouse was renovated into the marvelous Sharadin Bigler Theatre performing arts space it is today!

May brings a few audition dates you'll want to know about.

Saturday, May 3, is the audition date for EPAC's YOUNG ARTISTS CABARET, which will celebrate the talents of the younger members of our EPAC family with a performance Sunday, June 22.. The May 3 audition involves both dance and vocal auditions for children ages 6-16. Ages 6-10 should arrive at 1 p.m., and those 11-16 at 3 p.m. Parents or guardians get more information, and can sign up their children for auditions by visiting the auditions section of our website.

Saturday, May 10, brings a 3 p.m. audition for the roles of Willy Loman's sons, Biff and Happy, in EPAC's September production of "DEATH OF A SALESMAN." The audition is open to men between the ages of 20 and 40, including anyone who tried out during the general auditions in January and/or the callbacks in March. Performances are Sept. 4-20. For information, contact director Michael Swanson at 717-361-1160 or email swansonm@etown.edu.

Finally, on Monday, May 12, at 6:30 p.m., EPAC will hold an open audition for the role of one Cabaret Girl for its production of "CABARET" (Oct. 16-Nov. 1). The audition, which will take place in the downstairs rehearsal room of the Sharadin Bigler Theatre, will involve both a vocal and dance audition. For more information, email EPAC's Artistic Director, Edward R. Fernandez, at epac@ptd.net.

Click the "Auditions" tab on the EPAC website to find out all the details.

Funny, poignant 'Fiddler' balances faith, family, philosophy

Tevye has a lot on his plate.

Beyond keeping up with his job as a milkman and striving to maintain a good reputation in his little Russian village of Anatevka, Tevye must face a world that is rapidly changing.

He strives to adhere to his Jewish faith and take care of his family, which includes a wife with a mind of her own, and five daughters – three of marriageable age.

Tevye hopes his daughters will be paired with suitable husbands through the local matchmaker – as tradition dictates. But the heart wants what it wants; his daughters fall in love with men Tevye would never choose for them, and insist on defying their dad.

In addition to all that, he and his family are living in early-20^th-century Czarist Russia, where Jews are facing increasing discrimination – and even threats of violence and expulsion.

What’s a man with all these problems to do? Sing about them, of course!

And sing he does. Tevye is a big-hearted, funny philosopher who is devoted to God, family and community. As a musical-theater character, he has a lot to puzzle out in front of the audience, and a lot to get off his chest. He sings about his dreams, his fears and his attempt to balance all his challenges – like a fiddler perching on a roof.

“Fiddler on the Roof,” which opened in 1964, won nine Tony Awards. It was the first Broadway run of a musical to hit the 3,000-performance mark. For many years, it was the longest-running musical on Broadway. Since then, it has had four Broadway revivals and countless tours, and has become a favorite of high school, community and professional theater groups.

This is all a testament to the staying power of this popular, poignant, funny musical that’s full of memorable showtunes from “If I Were a Rich Man” to “Sunrise, Sunset” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”

Pat Kautter, a veteran director and choreographer in local theater, has assembled a cast of EPAC veterans and new faces for the “Fiddler” production opening tonight at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

 And starring in the show is EPAC’s own artistic director, Edward Fernandez, who moves from his usual spot in the director’s chair to the stage, bringing Tevye’s unique view of the world to life. Those of you who know Ed know he has a personality every bit as big as Tevye’s – so his portrayal of the milkman is a match made in heaven.

“Fiddler” tickets are selling briskly, and some performances are selling out. So if you want to experience this final show of the 2013 season, be sure to visit the EPAC website right away to find showtimes and order tickets, or call the box office at (717) 733-7966. Tickets to the show, which runs through Dec. 21, would make a great holiday gift for a loved one! Don’t miss it!

Merv Wright

Extraordinary Give: Increase impact of your EPAC donation Friday

Lancaster County’s Extraordinary Give event takes place this Friday. It’s an EXTREMELY important day for the Ephrata Performing Arts Center, and it’s easy to understand why.

A recent editorial in the Intelligencer Journal/LancasterNew Era called the Ephrata Performing Arts Center “a theater that consistently punches far above its weight.” In other words, EPAC may be a nonprofit, community theater, but it presents high-quality, visionary work that always has audiences buzzing.

That editorial writer knows what everyone who comes to see the musicals and plays presented at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre knows: EPAC truly lives its mission of producing “THEATER THAT MATTERS,” show after show, year in and year out.

Producing theater you can’t see anywhere else in the area takes the kind of creativity that burns in the staff, creative teams, actors, stage managers, crew members, technical artists and various volunteers who put it all together and place it before the audience year-round.

But it also takes money. Frankly, it’s hard for artists to talk about money, and to ask for money. But the fact is that EPAC needs funds to continue to entertain you, to move you, to make you laugh and to make you think with the plays and musicals the EPAC family works so hard to bring to you.

Through the Extraordinary Give, the Lancaster County Foundation offers a date and place for hundreds of area nonprofits to earn donations, from midnight to 11:59 a.m. on November 22. As one of those nonprofits, EPAC is then eligible to receive part of an ADDITIONAL POOL OF MATCHING FUNDS, BASED ON HOW MUCH IS DONATED TO US ON FRIDAY.  If we earn 1 percent of the total donations given to all organizations that day, we’ll receive an additional 1 percent of that pool of matching money.

So, on that day of days, the more money you give, the more money EPAC gets toward fulfilling its mission as an arts organization.

Do you see why that day is SO VERY IMPORTANT to this theater? It’s not often that your donation to EPAC can be instantly multiplied in its impact! The Extraordinary Give offers you that opportunity.

So, please set aside a few moments this Friday, Nov. 22 – you have 24 hours in which to schedule those moments! – to make at least the minimum donation of $25 to EPAC through the Extraordinary Give. We need your help, and EPAC will be so thankful, blessed and appreciative to have your support that day!!

Please bookmark the EPAC donation page, so you’ll be all ready for the event on Friday.

After you make your donation, please follow our progress on the Extraordinary Give leaderboard all day long, and follow our progress on Facebook, Twitter and other social media that day.

In the end, YOU will be the beneficiary, since the money EPAC earns will go toward producing all the shows you’ll enjoy here, and maintaining the Sharadin Bigler Theatre so you can watch those shows in comfort.

Thank you, in advance, from the whole EPAC family!

-- by Merv Wright, EPAC fan and volunteer

'Assassins': Dark mirth and a musical meditation on our history

"Assassins" runs now through Nov. 2 at the the Sharadin Bigler Theatre

Have you ever thought about why some of America’s infamous assassins, and would-be assassins, did what they did?

Playwright John Weidman and composer Stephen Sondheim obviously did. They thought about it A LOT. The result is an edgy, scary, profound and darkly funny piece of musical theater called “Assassins.”

In part, the show is about American history, seen through an artistic lens, with plenty of artistic license. Where else but in a piece of art could you see assassins from varied periods in American history interacting on stage, all at once, and discussing their deeds and motivations with each other?!?

In part, the show is a meditation on the so-called American Dream, and what happens when that dream is not fulfilled in the life of someone who’s emotionally or mentally unbalanced.

In part, it’s a chance for assassins from John Wilkes Booth (Lincoln) to Leon Czolgosz (McKinley) to Charles Guiteau (Garfield) to explain their actions to the audience and to try to give their lives posthumous meaning (though three of the would-be assassins are still alive, off stage).

And, in total, it’s a marvelous evening at the theater. It’s especially so with the FANTASTIC cast assembled by director Edward Fernandez, and the voices and music directed by J.P. Meyer – who also happens to be EPAC’s board president. I was completely blown away (so to speak) by what I saw, even during the rehearsal process!

A confession: “Assassins” is probably my favorite show. The book, music and lyrics are amazing – so much more so because, before this show existed, it would be hard to have imagined someone creating such a delightful musical out of such dark material.

This show is definitely not for kids. There are very scary, unhinged individuals on stage, and there are guns going off at regular intervals (and capital punishments from a bygone era). It’s about famous killers, after all.

But for those who love to see a show that makes you laugh, tear up and think, while having the time of your life getting to know a group of verrrrry interesting individuals –– “Assassins” is right up your street!

This show is not performed very often; looking at the Sondheim Review’s list of productions around the country, EPAC’s is one of the very few being presented this year. How very, VERY fortunate we are to have this theater right in our community … a theater that brings us shows like this, while also delivering new takes on classics like “Fiddler on the Roof” (coming in December).

The cast, crew, musicians and creative team are almost halfway through the run of “Assassins.” Please honor this rare gem they’ve created by coming to the Sharadin Bigler Theatre to see the show before it ends its run Nov. 2. Call the box office at 717-733-7966, or visit the website to order online. While you’re there, check out the fantastic season EPAC has in store for you in 2014!

-merv wright

'The Glass Menagerie' will touch your soul

"The Glass Menagerie" is a little more than halfway through its run.
You still have six chances to see this wonderful production of this Tennessee Williams classic, which illuminates the human condition and touches the soul.
The show has earned its rave reviews from critics and audience members ... now it's up to you to REWARD yourself with a ticket to this show, and let this wonderful production wash over you.
Director Rich Repkoe and the creative team have put together a fantastic production that holds surprises for audience members who THINK they've seen "The Glass Menagerie" before. If you love this play, as I do, you will consider it a gift to be able to see these actors bring Williams' story to life.
I felt so privileged to be able to see such a high-quality production of this show, which brings new layers of understanding to these characters and their story, right here in Ephrata. Right here at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre. 
All four talented "Glass Menagerie" actors -- Timothy Riggs, Karyn Reppert, Megan Baum and Brian Viera -- are perfectly cast. They will absolutely transport you to the Wingfield home for a couple of hours, and make you privy to their relationships, challenges and personal concerns. And they will break your heart, get under your skin and have you thinking about their performances for days.   
Tennessee Williams understood human behavior as well as any playwright around; his prodigious gifts are evident in this play. The dialogue will make you laugh, and the story will put a lump in your throat -- and probably tears in your eyes -- before the actors take their bows.
You can read some of the great reviews of the show are the links shared here.
"The Glass Menagerie" runs through Sept. 21, with shows Saturday night, 9/14, at 8; Wednesday and Thursday, 9/18 and 9/19, at 7:30; Friday, 9/20, at 8, and Saturday, 9/21, at 2 and 8 p.m. 
Visit EPAC's newly redesigned website, or call (717) 733-7966 for tickets.
And don't forget your Kleenex!

 - merv wright

"Guys & Dolls": A lively, tuneful, funny American classic

Bob Checchia, Lynne DeMers-Hunt and Nick and Stacia Smith are Nathan Detroit, Miss Adelaide, Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown in EPAC's "Guys and Dolls."

It's no surprise that Entertainment Weekly recently declared "Guys and Dolls" the most popular American musical of the past 100 years. It's no fluke that the show has been revived on Broadway nearly every decade since it opened in 1950. And it's no accident that this lively and tuneful musical has won a bushel-and-a-peck-full of Tony Awards over the years.

As part of its 2013 season of honoring American playwrights and composers, the Ephrata Performing Arts Center is presenting this high-energy, big-hearted show beginning tonight, on stage at the Sharadin Bigler Theatre.

Watching one of the final rehearsals of the show last week – a show I've seen many times on stage and on celluloid – I was reminded what a well-crafted, funny and thoroughly delightful show "Guys and Dolls" is.

I'm glad the cast couldn't hear me quietly singing along with every one of those catchy, clever Frank Loesser showtunes – from the title song to "Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat," and from "Adelaide's Lament" to "Luck Be a Lady."

And despite having seen this show so many times, I found myself laughing at a lot of the dialogue. I was surprised all over again by the clever conversations and assorted bon mots book co-writer Abe Burrows created for gambler Nathan Detroit, nightclub star Miss Adelaide and the circle of colorful characters with whom they pal around. And watching Sarah Brown and Sky Masterson meet cute, flirting as they swap Bible verses, is a delight.

As always, I was reminded how great this theater troupe is at wrapping its artistic heart around a well-worn American classic – putting that unique EPAC spin on the proceedings and bringing out new flavors in the piece. Under Ed Fernandez's direction, with choreography by Irving Gonzalez, this big, talented cast fills the stage with dancing gamblers and slinky “Hot Box Dolls,” marching missionaries and hot Havana couples gyrating to a Latin beat.

The Grand Themes of Relationships are played out in the main couples’ interactions: Nathan and Adelaide, a guy who can’t commit paired with a doll who can’t help lovin’ that man, along with Sky and Sarah, a case of opposites attracting.

 You’ll love the supporting characters, too, from gambler Nicely Nicely Johnson to Big Jule the Chicago thug to mission counselor Arvide Abernathy.

My advice: Even if you’ve seen “Guys and Dolls” before, open your heart to this EPAC production. It’s a feast for the eyes, the ears and the funny bone. And if you've NEVER seen this show before – what in the heck are you waiting for?

Call (717) 733-7966 to secure a seat in the theater and be thoroughly entertained with an American classic in the hands of a committed group of actors, crew and creative team members. Enjoy!

The show runs evenings through Aug. 10, with a matinee added on closing day.
Thanks to 12:34 MicroTechnologies for sponsoring the show; to Dr. Lew and Michelle Storb as opening-night sponsors, and to Drs. Karen and Evan Cooper and Dave Dierwechter and Marcia Stoner for sponsoring  the after party.

- Mary Ellen ("Merv") Wright

Make summer theater memories at EPAC!

The cast of EPAC's "Brighton Beach Memoirs" -- a perfect play to see on a summer night.

When I was a kid in State College, PA, my parents took me to a lot of theater in the summer.  I thank my lucky stars so often that I had parents who gave me such a wonderful gift – a gift that has kept on giving, and led to my lifelong love of theater.  If we weren’t going to see a summer-stock or student production on the Penn State campus, we were headed to the old Boal Barn Playhouse to see some entertaining, community-theater production of a drama, comedy or musical.

 My dad would pick up the tickets in the silo, converted into a box office. We’d sit together in that little theater-in-the-round converted barn, and fan ourselves with our programs against the heat.  If a musical was playing, the pit orchestra would perform from the old hayloft.

 It was magical.

Not long after I moved to Lancaster more than a quarter-century ago, I discovered what was then called the Ephrata Playhouse in the Park – now EPAC.  In its pre-renovation days, the theater reminded me a lot of the Boal Barn -- a converted barn venue that presented great summer fare for the theater lover. I was even lucky enough to perform in the ensemble of one of those shows about 20 years ago, and forged friendships with members of the EPAC family that I treasure to this day.

Now, I’m a volunteer  for EPAC, as well as an audience member. Whenever I walk into the theater – even though it has been renovated and air-conditioned and its season expanded to a year-‘round performance schedule –  the place still gives me a nostalgic feeling about my childhood summer nights, spent at the theater with my parents.

 (Heck – I can even talk about the Boal Barn with folks like Tricia Corcoran, an EPAC regular, and mother of Quinn Corcoran – a cast member in EPAC’s current production, “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”  Tricia performed at the Boal Barn Playhouse when she was a student at Penn State!)

Having a beautifully written play like Neil Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” for older kids and their parents to see together in the summer is a true gift to the community – as is the offering of theater events appealing to a wide range of tastes, from “Guys & Dolls” to “Angels in America,” and from “Fiddler on the Roof” to “Assassins.”

The cast and crew members who volunteer hours and hours of their time to this EPAC enterprise want you to see what they’ve created together. They want you to step up to the ticket window, to buy a cold drink and a snack, to settle into your seat with your friends and loved ones, and to have a shared summer experience around the theater stage.

“Brighton Beach Memoirs” is a perfect summer show – funny and touching, and filled with well-drawn characters, the mysteries of the cusp of adulthood, and familial love and conflict.

You have five more chances to see it, in air-conditioned comfort  – Wednesday through Friday nights, and both a matinee and nighttime show on Saturday. Visit the website, or call (717) 733-7966 for tickets.

Make some summer memories at the theater today. EPAC is the perfect place to do that.

-- Mary Ellen (“Merv”) Wright

EPAC veterans shine at "Pirates" benefit

Johnathan Groff, center, and Eliseo Roman, to the right of Eric Idle, performed at the "Pirates of Penzance" tribute gala in Central Park June 11.

Eliseo Roman is on the right, among those taking bows after "Penzance."

Is Eliseo Roman (center background) having a moment with Glenn Close?

Jonathan Groff takes a bow at the end of "Pirates," and gets some cheers from Martin Short in the background!

Check out these photos of the curtain call of "The Pirates of Penzance" performance/gala/tribute to the late Nora Ephron in Central Park on June 11. Jonathan Groff played Frederick, and Eliseo was in the ensemble.

Both men are Lancaster County natives, and both are alumni of Ephrata Performing Arts Center. 

Jonathan, whose EPAC performances included "Bat Boy" and "Honk," went on to Broadway in "Spring Awakening," and has done film and TV. He'll soon star in a new HBO show, set in San Francisco.

Eliseo, who performed in "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Secret Garden," "The Fantasticks" and "Anything Goes" at EPAC, went on to Broadway, as well, in "In the Heights" and "Leap of Faith." He performs with "Broadway Inspirational Voices," and has done recent performances in L.A. and Atlanta of new musicals "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Zorro."

Meryl Streep hosted the Central Park "Pirates" tribute to Ephron, which also starred Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, Martin Short and Eric Idle. Check out additional photos from the curtain call on that magical night!

-- Merv Wright