Community theater is poised to return to the stage.
The Black Swamp Players is one of three troupes that are preparing to stage live productions at the Ohio Theatre this spring.
The Players, the Children’s Theatre Workshop, and Actors Collaborative Toledo received a total of $9,000 through the Community Resilience Fund from the Greater Toledo. The grant was written by Aimee Reid, executive artistic director of CTW.
Productions will begin in April with CTW’s “Honk, Jr.” April 16-18.
From May 20-23, BSP will present Jane Martin’s “Talking With.”
Finally, in June, ACT will stage Maddie Corman’s “Accidentally Brave” from June 18-20.
Additional information about performance times, safety protocols, and ticketing will be available on the individual organizations’ websites.
According to a press release: “They are collaborating on co-producing each other’s productions with the intent to discover potential cost-savings opportunities and improved artistic and operational processes. If successful, the companies will emerge from the pandemic with new partnerships and better theater experiences for artists and audiences alike.”
Also, the Perrysburg Musical Theatre Company has announced auditions for its upcoming production of the classic “Hello, Dolly!”
Auditions will take place Tuesday, April 6 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and April 7th from 8-9:30 p.m. for anyone 13 and up. Callbacks will be April 10 with rehearsals beginning April 23. See information at the troupe’s website.
The show will be staged June 24-27 at Perrysburg High School.
“’Hello, Dolly!’ is the perfect show to return to stage with,” according to Julie
Bermudez, the PMT artistic director. “It is a show for all ages and has been revived on Broadway four times. It’s a classic with a message of love and hope, exactly what is needed now. We are excited for this opportunity to put our PMT stamp on this show.”
“Dolly,” with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Michael Stewart based on the Thornton Wilder play, will be directed by Sam Henry, with Gabriel Hagedorn, musical director, Paige Smith, choreography, Dave Bermudez, set design, and Patrick Barrett, conductor.
The troupe is also offering an auditioned theater camp for children ages 9-12. This is an opportunity for children to learn music from the show and to part of the cast. The children’s chorus camp will be directed by Ashley Cambers and with musical direction by Ebone Waweru.
