Summer 2024 Theatre Events

Venue	Dates	Performance
Little Theatre	Jun 20-30	Honkey Tonk Angels
Station	Jun 20-30	This Girl
Cornstock (Peoria)	Jun 21-29	Midsummer Night’s Dream
Red Barn (Eureka)	Jun 26-Jul 7	Lone Star Love Potion
Ill. Shakes Fest	Jun 26- Aug 1	12th Night
Ill. Shakes Fest	Jun 29	Sense & Sensibility
Lafayette Civic The	Jun 28-30	Annual Short Play Fest
Little Theatre	Jul 5-14	On Golden Pond
Putnam Cty Play	Jul 11-20	Pink Panther Strikes Again
Red Barn (Eureka)	Jul 11-21	Young Frankenstein
(BN) Comm. Play.	Jul 11-28	Mary Poppins
Cornstock (Peoria)	Jul 12-20	Oliver!
Ill. Shakes Fest	Jul 12 - Aug 3	Macbeth
Little Theatre	Jul 18-28	School of Rock
Lincoln Comm. The	Jul 25-28	Midsummer Night’s Dream
Hendricks Live (Plainfield, IN)	Jul 26 - Aug 4	Sound of Music
Sugar Creek Player	Jul 26- Aug4	Wedding Singer
Kankakee VTA	Jul 26-28	Hello Girls
CUTC (Virginia The.	Aug 1-4	Sound of Music
Little Theatre	Aug 1-11	Grease
Country The. Work.	Aug 1-11	Marvelous Wonderettes
Station	Aug 1-18	Lizzie Musical
Cornstock (Peoria)	Aug 2-10	Nine
Red Mask	Aug 2-11	Misery
(BN) Prairie Fire	Aug 7-11	She Loves Me
Peoria Players	Aug 7-11	Mean Girls (HS edition)
Putnam Cty Play	Aug 15-24	Something Rotten
Peoria Players	Sep 6-15	Footloose
Putnam Cty Play	Sep 12-21	Flowers for Algernon
Kankakee VTA	Sep 20-22	The Producers

 Added:

Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette; Jul 26-27; Disney's The Descendants

Theatre 7; Aug 9-10; Murd-arr!!! Pirates of the Salty Dog

Little Theatre: Aug 15-25; Nunsense

Corn Stock; Aug 23-31; The Mousetrap

Eastern Illinois University; Aug 24; Fruit Flies Like a Banana

Heartland Theatre; Aug 29- Sep 14; The Minutes

Annie at the Country Theatre Workshop

Annie is a musical of the saucered-eyed orphan based on a 100 year-old daily comic strip Little Orphan Annie. The comic strip by Harold Gray inspired writer Thomas Meehan, lyricist Martin Charnin and composer Charles Strouse to develop the Broadway musical based on an original story. Their production was awarded seven Tony Awards including for Best Musical. Among its popular numbers are Tomorrow and Fully Dressed. The musical opened pre-Broadway in 1976 at the Goodspeed Opera House in Haddam, Connecticut. The 1977 Broadway opening was at the Alvin Theatre now known as the Neil Simon Theatre.

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The original comic strip inspired radio shows and film adaptations. The Broadway musical has also inspired television adaptations and recordings. But what does the story of a pre-teen orphan girl living in New York City 91 years ago have to say to us today? The tension in the play between the billionaire industrialist Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks and President Franklin D. Roosevelt doesn't seem to have the punch it might have had during the time period it is set in: 1933, during the Great Depression. Nor does it resonate to a country 48 years ago, for the musical, pondering decline as the post-Vietnam and post-Watergate America entered a period of malaise.

London Clark (L) as Annie, Kena Clark (C)
 as the evil Miss Hannigan, and
Director Marsha Hall (R). Photo: Patrick Boylan

Still the story of hope and optimism embodied by Annie is present in this production.
Here's why: on the night I saw the production 17 year-old lead London Clark was celebrating being adopted from Russia. Opening night was also her 14th adoption anniversary. Sharing the stage with her was her mother, Kena Clark. Kena was cast as the villainous Miss Hannigan. In the play Hannigan plots to make the life of Annie miserable and even plots her murder.
Wow! If you can't take material like that and turn it into gold...
Under the direction of Marsha Hall the very young cast shone and glittered.
Hard Knock Life is the second number and was performed by "The Orphans". This ensemble was 14 girls, London being the eldest and the youngest being four! They struggled through Hard Knock Life before finding their voice. After that, the girls never looked back, they found their confidence before the packed crowd and let loose.

Homeless in New York City.

So what is Country Theatre Workshop? Unlike nearly every other theatre company on my list, it is not associated geographically or organizationally with a college or university. Sitting at 49 miles from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the small rural community of Cissna Park, population less than 800, seems an unlikely community to have a successful community theatre company. Yet the CTW has survived and grown since it was founded in 1982.
The venue itself served a dinner theater role at one time and the seating setup by tables reflects that history. That led to some poor sight lines as the flat floors and the lack of stage elevation made it sometimes difficult, due in no small part to the tall man sitting between the stage and I, from seeing the whole stage.
The community came out to see this performance, packing the venue. Granted that having 15 young actors (we can't ignore Sandy, played by Dylan Judy) will bring entire families in support. I suspect the community support for this group is robust.
Access to the theatre is well designed for those with physical limitations, as you'd expect in a dinner theatre where serving and then cleaning tables is a key operational need.
Costuming was very good and the venue's sound and lighting is exceptional.

Brian Zecher (L) as "Daddy" Warbucks, London 
Clark (R) as Annie.

My date, the costumer, and I disagreed about the need for a live band. I find that even a small band adds so much. While she pointed out that working with such a young cast simplified the need for the youth to learn the music. The choreography of a musical is always important, of course, and I was enjoying the young cast do their Rockette-style kick choreography. The stage is large enough for this large cast and the blocking was well thought out with no issues.
Does the show hold up from a 100 year-old commic strip and a 48 year-old musical? Yes. The political commentary is dated and feels odd in the age of Trump. However the theme of optimism, searching for lost family, and finding a tribe of your own still resonates. It is very approachable to young adult readers exposed to such offerings as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games.

Some of the young cast of Annie with London 
Clark (C) as the eponymous character.

Annie written by Thomas Meehan, lyrics by Martin Charnin and composed by Charles Strouse.

Based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray. The comic strip inspired by the poem Little Orphan Annie by James Whitcomb Riley.

First performed at the Goodspeed Opera House in Haddam, Connecticut, August 1976.

Broadway opening at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre), April 1977.

Country Theatre Workshop,

1280 E 770 North Road, Cissna Park, IL 60924. (49 miles from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts).

Social media:

https://www.countrytheatre.org/

https://www.facebook.com/CountryTheatre

Tickets: $15.

Directed by Marsha Hall.

Through June 30.

Reviewed by: Patrick Boylan.

Photos and illustrations credit Country Theatre Workshop unless noted.

Oklahoma! at Putnam County Playhouse

Oklahoma! was the first musical written by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, though both had success prior to Oklahoma! It has created a mark on American culture with hit songs such as the eponymous Oklahoma and also Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’.

Oklahoma! should also be noted as one of the first Broadway musicals that featured an integration between the music and the plot. It led to a golden age of Broadway musicals and fame for the writing duo.

Oklahoma! Is 81 years old, being brought to the stage in 1943. Coming into the theater it is a play that our group of three hadn’t seen before. I’d seen the film version of the play, the costumer part of our trio had taken the record overseas and memorized its songs, and my artist daughter remembered the film, adding details that I’d forgotten.

Together, last Saturday, we ventured east to see the play, at the Putnam County Playhouse.

The Putnam County Playhouse is located in the college town of Greencastle, Indiana, which is 102 miles, according to Google Maps, from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Greencastle itself seems like a pretty town, with a healthy downtown.

The theater is located outside of town. Although the entrances to the performance space appear cramped, once inside the performance space there is ample room, comfortable seating, ample air conditioning and good sight lines.

The Putnam County Playhouse

Overall, this is a wonderful venue for community theater. The roughly 200 seat venue drew a near capacity crowd on our Saturday, including nearly every age group. The stage is good sized, which is fortunate seeing as it had to handle a cast of about 23 for some numbers.

This production was directed by Joshua Saul Bain in his first directing effort for the Putnam County Playhouse. His notes include that it was ‘one of the first shows’ he participated in at the theater. And, he notes, ‘it is a fun lighthearted show about courtship and love.’

If you haven’t seen the show or the film, the main story involves Curly McLain courting Laurey Williams while a subplot involves Andrew Carnes courting Ado Annie. A farmhand, Jud Fry also seeks Laurey’s hand, while Ado Annie flirts with a traveling peddler, Ali Hakim and finally Gertie Cummings flirts with Curly.

The stage for Oklahoma!

When Rodgers and Hammerstein produced the Broadway show they sought actors who could act, singing was supposed to be a secondary concern. Grace Buehler, who plays Laurey, and Dustin Bond, who plays Curly, both come off well in both the acting and the singing department. Rachel Holland’s Ado Annie almost steals the show, as well a good sub-plot might, with her flirtatious role. Cameron Wunderlich’s Jud is menacing, though his vocals weren’t as strong as the rest of the cast.

The dance numbers involved some tricky choreography as the stage was nearly at its limit with more than 20 people dancing in two and three sets, long dances and line dances.

Grace Buehler (L) plays Laurey. Lacey
Ring-Verblik (R) plays Aunt Eller.

Costumes were simple, though I thought one of the dresses appeared to be a trip hazard as its hem was a bit long. Fortunately there were no athletic shoes present, the female actors often using what appeared to be ballet pointe shoes, while the men wore Western boots.

The makeup was appropriate, with Laurey’s being a touch more noticeable. There was a glaring amount of lipstick on one of the minor characters.

And the music was carried by a small live band and it was mostly up for the task.

So, the bottom line: Should you see the show (ends June 15)? Yes. And we came away, not just singing the eponymous tune of the show, but wanting to visit this vibrant community theater again.

Does the show hold up after more than eight decades? Yes. It doesn’t feel dated. Bain’s decision to adhere to the original vision seems appropriate, but doesn’t challenge any of our assumptions. In that way this is a comfortable production to see.

• 
  Oklahoma! Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II. 
  

• Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs.

• First performed at the St. James Theatre, New York City,  in March 1943.

• Putnam County Playhouse, 

• 715 S. CR 100 East, Greencastle, IN 46135. (105 miles from the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts).

• Social media:

• putnamcountyplayhouse.com.

• https://www.instagram.com/pcphtheater/

• https://www.facebook.com/putnamcountyplayhouse

• Tickets: $15.

• Directed by Joshua Saul Bain. Music Directed by Kathryn Dory.

• Through June 15, 2024.
  

• Photos credit: Putnam County Playhouse

• Reviewed by Patrick Boylan

Theatre in East Central Illinois and West Central Indiana

An Incomplete list of live theatre within about 100 miles of Urbana, Illinois, organized by distance from The Krannert Center.

Name of Theatre	Distance
University of Illinois, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801	0
Station Theatre of Urbana.223 N Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801	1
The Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL 61820	2
Champaign Urbana Theatre Company. Performs in Station Theatre of Urbana, 223 N Broadway Ave., Urbana, IL 61801	5
Parkland College, Harold and Jean Milner Theatre, 2400 W. Bradley Ave., Champaign, IL 61821	5
Hendricks Civic Theatre, 4498 N County Rd 100 E Danville, IN 46122	33
Red Mask Players, Kathryn Randolph Theater, 601 N Vermilion St., Danville, IL 61832	37
Richland Community College, 1 College Park, Decatur, IL 62521	45
Charleston Community Theatre, 720 6th St, Charleston, IL 61920	47
Eastern Illinois University, Doudna Fine Arts Center, 1860 9th St., Charleston, IL 61920	48
Country Theatre Workshop, 1280 E 770 E Rd N, Cissna Park, IL 60924	49
Lorraine Theatre, 324 E. Main St Hoopeston, IL 60942	51
Millikin University, Kirkland Fine Arts Center, 1215 W Kirkland Dr., Decatur, IL 62522	51
Theatre 7, Decatur Civic Center 1 Gary K Anderson Plz, Decatur, IL 62523	51
Illinois Wesleyan University, Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall, 2 Ames Pl. East, Bloomington, IL 61701	53
Community Players Theatre, 201 Robinhood Ln, Bloomington, IL 61701	53
Prairie Fire Theatre, Connie Link Amphitheatre, 621 South Linden Street, Normal, IL 61761	53
Little Theatre on the Square, 16 E Harrison St., Sullivan, IL 61951	54
Illinois State University, Center for the Performing Arts, 400 W. Beaufort St., Normal, IL 6176	54
Illinois State University, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, 48 Sunset Rd., Bloomington, IL 61701	54
Heartland Theatre Company, 1110 Douglas St., Normal, IL 61761	61
Paris Community Theater, 14040 E 1200th Rd., Paris, IL 61944	62
Lincoln Community Theatre, Lincoln Community High School Auditorium, 1000 Railer Wy., Lincoln, IL 62656	63
Sugar Creek Players, 122 S. Washington St., Crawfordsville, IN 47933	74
Kankakee Theater Association, Canopies 3 and 4, 1 Stuart Dr. Kankakee, IL 60901	74
Wabash College, Ball Theater, South Grant Ave., Crawfordsville, IN 47933	75
The Barn III, 1451 Timberline Rd, Goodfield, IL 61742	75
Eureka College, Pritchard Hall, 300 E. College Ave., Eureka, IL 61530	80
Indiana State University, Drelier Theater, 221 N. 6th St., Terre Haute, IN 47809	83
Encore Dinner Theatre, Terre Haute, IN	83
Olivet Nazarene University, SIMS Center, 160 W. River St., Bourbonnais, IL 60914	84
Community Theatre of Terre Haute, 1431 S 25th St. Terre Haute, IN 47803	85
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, 1 St. Mary of Woods College, St Mary of the Woods, IN 47876	87
Springfield Theatre Centre, 420 S 6th St Springfield, IL 62701	87
Purdue University, Yue-Kong Pao Hall, 552 W. Wood St., West Lafayette, IN 47906	89
Purdue University, Purdue Concations, 712 3rd Street West Lafayette, IN 47907	89
Civic Theatre Of Greater Lafayette, 313 North 5th Street Lafayette IN, 47901	89
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Hatfield Hall, 5500 Wabash Ave., Terre Haute, IN 47803	92
Bradley University, Hartmann Center, 1423 W St. James, Peoria, IL 61625	94
Corn Stock Theatre, 1700 N Park Rd, Peoria, IL 61604	95
Illinois Central College, 1 College Dr., East Peoria, IL 61635	95
Peoria Players Theatre, 4300 N. University St. Peoria, IL 61614	97
DePauw University, Green Center, Moore Theatre, East Olive St., Greencastle, IN 46135	103
Putnam County Playhouse, 715 S CR 100 E – Greencastle IN 46135	104
Lincoln Trail College, Zwermann Arts CenterZwermann Arts Center, 11220 State Rte 1, Robinson, IL 62454	104
Red Barn Theatre, 2120 E Kelly Rd Frankfort, IN 46041	107
Illinois High School Theatre Festival, 100 N University Street Normal, IL 61761