Geneva Theatre Guild Presents Graceland and Asleep on the Wind

Geneva Theatre Guild presents Graceland and Asleep on the Wind, September 12-14, 2008, at the Smith Opera House, Geneva NY. Tickets are now available for purchase at InstantSeats.

Graceland and Asleep on the Wind are two one-act plays designed to be played together. Graceland takes place at the front entrance of Graceland, the late Elvis Presley's Memphis mansion, the time, five o'clock in the morning, three days before the estate is to be opened to the public. Two ardent Presley fans, Bev and Rootie, are camped out before the gates, each determined to be the first to enter the sacred precincts. Bev is a bewigged, middle-aged lady with too much make-up and a brassy down-home style; Rootie is young and shy and somewhat intimidated by the raucous Bev. Wary at first, the two soon progress from dispute to shared confidences and a growing compassion that, in the end, moves the essentially warm-hearted Bev to defer the place of honor to her waif-like and touchingly sincere rival.

Asleep on the Wind follows the first. The time is ten years before the time of Graceland, the place, a small clearing in Bayou Teche, Louisiana, the "special place" that Rootie refers to in the other play. This is where Rootie and her favorite brother, Beau, a handsome, sensitive and restless young man come to talk in private and to escape her other brothers, two high-spirited hot rodders who seem to delight in pestering their shy, reclusive sister. This time Beau has a double purpose for their meeting: to persuade Rootie to try to stick it out at home and in school and to reach beyond him for companionship; and also to tell her that he has enlisted in the army and has requested service in Vietnam. Inevitably the news comes as a deep shock to Rootie, but it is the way of its telling that makes the play so touching and evocative—and that in the end allows Rootie to accept the fact that her life, for better or worse, will never again be the same.

The cast of three features talented young actress Cara Gopen, age 13, portraying the role of Rootie and local theatre veterans Laura Feligno and Randy Hample.

Performances of Graceland and Asleep on the Wind will be on September 12 & 13 at 8:00pm and again on September 14 at 2:00 at the Smith Opera House. The plays will be presented in a unique, intimate format with audience members sitting on the stage surrounding the set. Limited seating will be available so pre-sale purchase is strongly recommended. Tickets are available in Geneva at the Smith Opera House box office, Area Records and Music, and The UPS Store. Tickets are now available for purchase at InstantSeats.

Season Planning for 2009 Underway

It's that time of the year again, when the Geneva Theatre Guild Season Planning Committee looks for proposals to make up the next season's fare.

The Planning Committee is looking for proposals from area directors for the following shows for 2009:

1. A Dinner Theatre production to be performed at Ventosa Vinyards in February. This show can be a comedy or a small scale musical.
2. A Summer Musical to be performed in July at the Smith Opera House.
3. Playwrights Playreadings is back! We are looking for original scripts, (no more than two per writer), with a running time of 30 minutes or under. Submit 4 copies of each play. Playwrights Playreadings will be performed at Irene's in late September.
4. A Play for the month of November. Can be a comedy or a drama.

All proposals must include a script or if that is not available a description of the play, the director's vision for the show, any production staff or other creative elements attached to the show and preliminary budget.

All submissions must be sent to Geneva Theatre Guild P.O. Box 424, Geneva, NY 14456. Deadline for submissions for the Dinner Theatre show, the Summer Musical and the November play is September 5. Submissions of original scripts for Playwright/Playreadings is April 30, 2009.

GTG Production of Little Shop of Horrors Earns TANYS Awards

GTG's summer musical production of Little Shop of Horrors received three awards from the Theatre Association of New York State.

• Meritorious Achievement in acting and singing to Mike Witter as Seymour
• Excellence in acting and singing to Renee Heitmann as Audrey
• Excellence in singing and acting ensemble work to Emily Howard as Chiffon, Liz Howard as Crystal, and Jennifer Walzack as Ronnette, "The Ronnettes"

Comments from the adjudicator were: "Geneva Theatre Guild's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS was a fast paced, visually exciting, well acted and directed adult fairy tale."

Congratulations to all!

GTG Youth Theatre Presented Disney's Aladdin

The Geneva Theatre Guild Youth Theatre presented Disney's Aladdin at The Smith Opera House in Geneva on July 25-27. The show was directed by award-winning local director Pam Rapoza with musical direction by Jennifer DeMillo.

Disney's Aladdin is a stage version of the Disney movie set in Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tail! All of your favorite characters are here, including Aladdin, Jasmine, and of course, the Genie. Filled with magic, mayhem, and flying carpet rides, the audience's spirit will soar with excitement. Most of all, the tuneful, Academy award-winning score with songs including "A Whole New World" and "Friend Like Me" will certainly make this musical a favorite for many years to come!

GTG Presented Little Shop of Horrors

Our production was directed by Steve Duprey, with musical direction by Deb Hodgeman and Greg Wachala. Kate Duprey was the choreographer.

View more photos in the show gallery.

Youth Theatre and Curvin Players Awarded National Grant

GTGYT was awarded a generous grant from the J.M. McDonald Foundation, located in Evergreen, Colorado. The grant was given in support of our summer musical as well as the Curvin Playground Players. The Foundation was impressed by the longevity of the programs and their wide impact on the communities that we serve. We thank the grant panel for this award and look forward to being able to enhance our programming.