Newsletter of Town & Gown Players, Athens, Georgia

Celebrating Over 50 Continuous Years of Community Theater

September-October 2005

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Reservations (706) 208-TOWN (8696) · Lobby/Backstage (706) 548-3854

In This Issue

Fall Is Time for The Children's Hour
What's Coming at Town & Gown (a Lot!)	October 16 Date Set for Town & Gown Annual Business Meeting
Audition Call: Academia Nuts on the Mainstage	Bloodshed Kept to Minimum at T&G Banquet
Four Shows. Five Weeks. No Mercy. Second Stage Puts On a Festival	Audition Call: Henry the Fourth on the Second Stage
Board meeting schedule	Who's serving on the board
Contact the Envoy

Opening on the Mainstage:

Fall is Time for The Children's Hour

When The Children's Hour debuted on Broadway in 1934 it was untested, its author was a novice, and its actors were relatively unknown. But in a theater scene dominated by male playwrights like Clifford Odets and Robert Sherwood, playwright Lillian Hellman was the toast of the New York theater scene at 28.

The plot--based on an actual occurrence in 19th century Edinburgh--revolves around two women who run a boarding school in the 1930s and the spiteful student whose lie destroys both their lives. It explores the frightening power of innuendo to take on a life of its own, and, while it eerily predated McCarthyism by 20 years, shows what can happen when malicious misinformation moves mobs to act.

Decades later, The Children's Hour is widely recognized as one of the more important plays of the era, spawning two film adaptations (a 1936 censored adaptation called These Three and a more faithful celluloid rendition starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine in 1961).

It remains one of the more critically lauded plays of the early 20th century, and the questions it raises about truth, peer pressure and social acceptability--explored in recent films like Mean Girls and Bully--remain pertinent today.

"The idea that so often in our school settings, in our day to day lives, kids can say things and not understand that even 'little lies' have massive consequences," said the show's director, Katie Benfield.

The Children's Hour is the Town & Gown Players' first Mainstage Production of the 2005-2006 season, and, in an apropos twist, this is the first time many of the show's young cast have performed at Town & Gown.

"The audience will be engaged with actors they haven't seen on our stage before and will be able to appreciate how beautifully they establish an emotional pull to the script," said Director Katie Benfield. Unique sound and lighting, designed and manned by Steve Wildey, will also play a large role in bringing Hellman's script to life, she said.

The Children's Hour opens Friday, Sept. 30, and runs through Oct. 9 at the Athens Community Theater behind the historic Taylor-Grady House on Prince Avenue. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Admission on Friday and Saturday is $15 for adults and $12 for Town & Gown members, students, seniors and children. Admission on Thursday and Sunday is $5.

For reservations call 706-208-TOWN during regular business hours.

What's Coming at Town & Gown ( a Lot! )

September 2005
30	The Children's Hour on the Mainstage Curtain time 8:00 p.m. Read the story
October 2005
1	The Children's Hour Curtain time 8:00 p.m.
2	Matinee of The Children's Hour Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
3, 4	Auditions for Greg Kreutz's comedy Academia Nuts Directed by Steve Elliott-Gower Read the story
6, 7, 8	The Children's Hour Curtain time 8:00 p.m.
9	Matinee of The Children's Hour Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
14, 15	The Second Stage production of Sylvia by A. R. Gurney, directed by Allen Rowell Curtain time 8:00 p.m. Read the story
16	Matinee of Sylvia Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
16	Town & Gown Annual Meeting Begins at 4:30 p.m. or after Sylvia Read the story
21, 22	The Second Stage production of Quiet Desperation by Alan Bennett, directed by Steve Elliott-Gower Curtain time 8:00 p.m. Read the story
23	Matinee of Quiet Desperation Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
November 2005
4, 5	The Second Stage production of 2036 Brinston Court by Janet Bond, directed by Nathan Altman Curtain time 8:00 p.m. Read the story
6	Matinee of 2036 Brinston Court Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
11, 12	The Second Stage production of Reckless by Craig Lucas, directed by Katie Benfield Curtain time 8:00 p.m. Read the story
13	Matinee of Reckless Curtain time 2:00 p.m.
14	Everybody take a breath . . .
December 2005
5, 6	Auditions for the Second Stage production of Henry the Fourth by William Shakespeare, adapted by Jessica Maerz, directed by W. Steven Carroll Read the story

Annual Business Meeting Announced

On the Agenda: Elections, Bylaws Revisions

The Annual Meeting of Town & Gown Players, Inc., will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 16, 2005, at the Athens Community Theater, 115 Grady Avenue, Athens, Georgia. If the matinee of Sylvia has not ended by 4:30, the meeting will commence after the performance ends.

Attendance is open to all members of Town & Gown Players and to the general public.

Members of Town & Gown Players in good standing as of September 1, 2005, are qualified to cast votes. Proxies will not be accepted. Please see the note below on absentee voting.

The order of business for the meeting will comprise
(a) Reports of Town & Gown committees and departments, some of which may be presented in writing.
(b) Election of officers for the calendar year 2006 (see below).
(c)Proposal by the Board of Directors to amend the Bylaws and Standing Rules of Town & Gown Players, Inc. (see below).

The Nominating Committee proposes the following candidates for elective office: President, Andy Garrison (for re-election); Vice President, Terrell Austin (for re-election); Secretary, Alison Hooper; Treasurer, Will Riley. Further nominations from the floor will be accepted at the meeting.

If you are a member of Town & Gown Players in good standing as of September 1, 2005, you may cast an absentee ballot. To obtain an absentee ballot, please contact the Elections Committee by mail or electronic mail: Marie Bruce, c/o Town & Gown Players, P.O. Box 565, Athens, Georgia 30603, or membership@townandgownplayers.org.

The Board looks forward to your participation in this important meeting.

To view the full text of the proposed amendments to the Bylaws and Standing Rules, go to the dedicated Bylaws page on our web site. You can also inspect a hard copy of the documents kept at the box office, or you can request a copy by mail (allow two weeks for fulfillment).

Audition Call: October 3-4

Mainstage Production of Academia Nuts

Town & Gown Players announces open auditions for Academia Nuts, written by Greg Kreutz and directed by Steve Elliott-Gower. This show runs January 20-22 and 26-29, 2006.

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the play. This is a four-person show: Tammi (a "free spirit" with some legal troubles in her late 20s to late 30s); Judith (an up-and-coming literary scholar in her late 20s to early 40s); Stewart (a man "exploring the outer reaches of shamelessness" in his late 20s to early 40s); and Peter (a well-established scholar in his mid-40s to early 60s).

The script is available at the reference desk on the second floor of the Athens public library. Contact the director by email if it is not there when you need it.

Bloodshed Kept to Minimum at T&G Banquet

by Brooke Hatfield

There was little bloodshed at this year's Town & Gown Banquet, a stark contrast to last year's free-for-all that landed three board members in the hospital and one show's director in jail.

No, this year's affair was one punctuated by laughter, not puncture wounds. Hosts Jeff Evans and Speedy Arnold managed to rein in such personalities as presenter Katie Benfield and orchestra leader Allen "Doc" Rowell. They also watched in wonderment as the following awards were bestowed:

The Mathis Award was presented by Amy Miller to the Georgia Museum of Art for the partnership with T&G on Art. This award recognizes a business or corporation that has significantly contributed to the functioning of the theater.

The Spotlight Award was presented by Julie Ramsey to Allen Rowell and Brooke Hatfield. This award recognizes a person who takes responsibility for the ongoing operations of the theater or have contributed to the technical maintenance and betterment of the theater.

The Ben Teague Award for Technical Achievement, the "Teaguie," was presented by Ben Teague to Bobby Harris, a three-time recipient of this award! This award is given for outstanding work in production related areas; recognizing outstanding design and (especially) execution of particular technical effect, item, piece, etc.

The Newcomer of the Year Award was presented by Terrell Austin to Geneviève Esquivié. This award recognizes outstanding and consistent work by an individual member new to the Players.

The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented by Kelly McGlaun Fields to Karen Cantley. This award recognizes anyone who consistently gives of their time or takes responsibility for behind-the-scenes projects, such as backstage work or front of house duties, or who coordinated or participated heavily in an important special project that occurred over the last year.

The President's Award was presented by Andy Garrison to Ben and Fran Teague and Julie K. Ramsey.

Main and Second Stage Backstage Recognition Awards are given for outstanding "Backstage" performance and decided by the Director of each show. This year's recipients were:

• Crimes of the Heart (Harriet Anderson, director) to Patti Freeman-Lynde
• The Suitors (Steven Carroll, director) to Harriet Anderson, Leara Rhodes, Geneviève Esquivié
• The Ladies of the Camellias (Dina Canup, director) to Ben Teague, Allen Rowell, Amy Miller
• You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Elizabeth Gathers, director) to Nick Abelein, Amanda Harris, Leslie Walden
• Rumors (Hope Vance, director) to Ben Teague, Geneviève Esquivié, Speedy Arnold
• Maire--a Woman of Derry (Leara Rhodes, director) to Steve Wildey, Gary Nason
• Extremities (Elizabeth Gathers, director) to Michael Brogdon, Kelli Kinard, Mindy Wadley
• Ordinary People (Drew Doss, director) to Melissa Lavergne, Bradley Golub, Amy Miller
• Your Favorite Songs You Never Heard (Drew Doss, director) to Rachel Townes, Justin Sanders, Wade LaFontaine
• Play DD (Katie Benfield, director) to Julia Wilson
• The Taming of the Shrew/Dude (Fran Teague, director) to Geneviève Esquivié, Katie Benfield, Allen Rowell

The Member of the Year Award was presented by Marie Bruce to Florence King. This award recognizes outstanding and consistent work by an individual member during the season.

Four Shows.
Five Weeks.
No Mercy.

Sylvia, Quiet Desperation, 2036 Brinston Court, Reckless

Second Stage, long the red-headed stepchild of the Town & Gown family and fodder for one-liners at the annual banquet, is finally getting a chance to step into the spotlight. Mixed metaphors aside, this October marks the beginning of a Second Stage festival.

1: Sylvia by A. R. Gurney. October 14-16. A modern romantic comedy about a marriage and a dog. Sylvia is the hilarious journey of a man and his wife coming to terms with their "empty nest" . . . and who better to complicate their problems than a sexy, sassy stray dog who sings Cole Porter! The cast includes Jeff Evans as Greg, Eric Hartman as Sylvia, Catherine Clayton as Kate and Will Riley as Tom/Phyllis/Leslie. Allen Rowell directs.

2: Quiet Desperation by Alan Bennett. October 21-23. Quiet Desperation is a staged reading consisting of four monologues about women in various states of . . . quiet desperation. The readings are selected and adapted from Alan Bennett's Talking Heads II. The four monologues are "The Hand of God," read by Marie Bruce; "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," read by Gay Griggs McCommons; "The Outside Dog," read by Catherine Clayton; and "Nights in the Gardens of Spain," read by Elissa Hadley. Directed by Steve Elliott-Gower.

3: 2036 Brinston Court by Janet Bond (a UGA graduate). November 4-6. This one-act tells the story of Margaret "Kitty" Cameron. From the moment she meets her new roommate, Ronnie "Fudgie" Skaggs, Margaret knows she's made a huge mistake!

Starting with his almost non-existent personal hygiene to his lackadaisical attitude toward household chores, their mutual disdain is instant and intense. But Margaret has an unpleasant secret of her own, and it's a secret she would do anything to keep. This is a dark comedy you don't want to miss with a twist so shocking, you'll be talking about it for weeks to come. The cast includes Jennifer Growden as Margaret, G. Derek Adams as "Fudgie," Michael Brogdon as Stan and Preston Meche as Matt. Nathan Altman directs.

4: Reckless by Craig Lucas. November 11-13. Rachel has a problem. It's Christmas Eve and she is so happy, as she repeatedly tells her husband Tom. Suddenly, he reveals he has taken a contract out on her life. This is just the opening scene for this modern day odyssey for a woman whose life has turned upside down, and stays that way. Katie Benfield will direct.

Admission to Second Stage performances is $5. Evening shows start at 8 p.m., and matinees begin at 2 p.m. For updated information, visit townandgownplayers.org.

Audition Call: December 5 and 6

Second Stage's Henry the Fourth

Adapted by Jessica Maerz from William Shakespeare's Henry the Fourth, Parts One and Two, this show runs February 10-12, 2006.

Director W. Steven Carroll is looking for all ages and types, male and female, all ethnicities. Some characters from the original are being adapted as female rather than male to provide more opportunities for local actresses. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script, generally with scene partners. The script will be posted online for perusal before auditions.

Audition location and specific times are to be announced. Visit the T&G home page for updates. First readthrough will be held Thursday, December 8. Basic rehearsals will be held during December. Daily rehearsals will begin in earnest starting in January.

Board and Membership Meeting Schedule 2005

Board meeting	October 4
Annual Meeting of Town & Gown Players, Inc. See the notice and other information in this issue	October 16
Board meeting	November 8
Board meeting	December 6
New officers take over	January 1, 2006

Board meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. Any Town & Gown member may attend a board meeting. Because the police academy moved recently, the meeting sites are uncertain. For this and other information, write to President Andy Garrison.

Board Members and Other Department Heads

President	Andy Garrison	president@townandgownplayers.org
Vice-President	Terrell Austin	vicepresident@townandgownplayers.org
Secretary	Hope Vance	secretary@townandgownplayers.org
Treasurer	Matt Humphrey	treasurer@townandgownplayers.org
Membership	Marie Bruce	membership@townandgownplayers.org
Envoy Editor	Brooke Hatfield	envoy@townandgownplayers.org
Friends of Town & Gown/Development	Amy Miller	development@townandgownplayers.org
Facilities	Ben Teague	facilities@townandgownplayers.org
Front of House	Kelly McGlaun Fields Megan Rocks	house@townandgownplayers.org
Second Stage	Katie Benfield	secondstage@townandgownplayers.org
Publicity	Julie Ramsey	publicity@townandgownplayers.org
Season Tickets	Gina Marie Lunsford	seasontickets@townandgownplayers.org
Webmaster	Eric Wagoner	webmaster@townandgownplayers.org

Town & Gown Players is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Your gifts are tax-deductible.

Town & Gown Players
P.O. Box 565
Athens, Georgia 30603
Lobby and backstage phone: (706) 548-3854
Reservations service: (706) 208-TOWN (208-8696) · Please call during regular business hours

Our website includes great links, a form to place your name on our e-mailing list, a map, photographs, history, features about our upcoming shows, and lots of other information. There's even a page where you can sign up to work as an usher, sell tickets, etc.

Comments, suggestions, or questions regarding the newsletter or Town & Gown membership? Contact Membership Chair Marie Bruce or Envoy Editor Brooke Hatfield.

Brooke Hatfield edits and publishes the Envoy six times a year, more or less. Webmaster Eric Wagoner and Ben Teague designed the online version.

© Town & Gown Players 2005