Chester Theatre Group

Chester Theatre Group is gearing up for their production of “Nine” which opens on June 26.  Telling the story of Guido, an Italian film director, and the women in his life, Nine is set to a score by Maury Yeston and a book by Arthur Kopit.  At CTG, the production is guided by the sure hand of Cliff Parrish who is handling both directing and musical direction with assistance from Jeff Fiorello.  Mark Happell is serving as producer and designer.

The show will be performed weekends from Friday, June 26 through Sunday, July 19, 2009 with no performance on July 4.

Making up the cast are:

• Jeff Jackson (Guido Contini)
• Nathan Kohn, Will Roper (Young Guido)
• Andrea Brooks (Luisa Contini)
• Tina Kaye (Carla)
• Kathleen Campbell Jackson (Claudia)
• Barbara Haag (Guido’s mother)
• Karen Cantor (Lilianne LaFleur)
• Ellen Fraker Glasscock (Lina Darling)
• Roxanna Wagner (Stephanie Necrophorus)
• Marguerie Durant (Our Lady of the Spa)
• Roseann Ruggiero (Mama Maddelena)
• Beth Gleason (Sarraghina)
• Christina Cafaro (Maria)
• Zita Geoffroy-Heinz (Diana)
• Maria Hladczuk (Francesca)
• Brenda Kull (Renata)
• Ericka Traugh (Giulietta)
• Pat Wry (Annabella)
• Annie Groves (Heidi)
• Gayle Hendrix (Ilsa)
• Jodi Maloy (Gretchen)
• Michele Yampolsky (Olga)
• Zachary Catron, Albert Garrido, Terry Peters (Young Guido’s schoolmates)

See you there!

“Little girls don’t choose their mothers… big girls can’t escape them.”

On May 23 at 8:00 PM, The Stark Theatre Company is presenting a premier play reading of Karen Smith Vastola’s play, “Big Girls, Little Girls” at the Black River Playhouse.

The reading is directed by Stacie Dugan Vourakis.

Suggested donation is $5.

For reservations and information, call the Stark Theatre Company at 908-242-5689.

Please do not call our box office, as we’re not handling ticketing for this reading.

Just a reminder that we’re continuing our year-long “Unheard Ayckbourn” Reading Series, with a reading of Alan Ayckbourn’s “GamePlan” on Sunday, May 24 at 3pm at the Black River Playhouse. 

More details here: http://www.chestertheatregroup.org/2009/05/alan-ayckbourns-gameplan/

The Recorder newspapers gave our current production of “Improbable Fiction” a rave review.  Sheila Abrams said of our production “If you believe in the curative power of laughter, make sure you get to the Black River Playhouse in Chester… [i]t may very well provide a balm for what ails you.”

The full text of the review can be found at the Recorder Community News site:

Improbable Fiction runs through May 17th.

Full details about the show can be found here.

Continuing our year-long “Unheard Ayckbourn” Reading Series, the Chester Theatre Group presents a reading of Alan Ayckbourn’s “GamePlan” on Sunday, May 24 at 3pm at the Black River Playhouse.

Written in 2001 as part of the playwright’s DAMSELS IN DISTRESS trilogy, the play concerns a teenage girl named Sorrel, who will do anything to help out her unemployed mum Lynette and avoid having to sell their London flat – even to the point of ‘going on the game’. But when her first client, a retired dry cleaner named Leo, unexpectedly dies, Sorrel and her best friend Kelly find themselves in a lot deeper than they bargained for.

The cast features Ayckbourn veterans Cody Dalton (Snake in the Grass, Improbable Fiction), Valerie DeLeon, Elizabeth Urcinoli (Improbable Fiction, Wildest Dreams), David Neal (The Norman Conquests, Improbable Fiction, Wildest Dreams, Sugar Daddies), Maria Brodeur (Improbable Fiction), Michael Mooney and Eric Rolland (Improbable Fiction).

General admission is $5. Call 908.879.7304 for reservations.