Company Strike

The MET 07/08 Mainstage season is over! On Saturday, June 21st, COMPANY closed. Strike went quickly and was mostly all about pulling up the floor! The floor pulling started by accident, but soon everyone was in on the fun - it was likened to peeling skin off a sunburned back. As the pieces came up and different paint colors revealed, Ensemble members reminisced about the shows each layer represented.

Floor Peeling

John Paul Duvall helps set designer Joann Lee pull back layers of paint.

BUCKINGHAM'S CHOICE PLAYERS-SENIOR THEATRE TROUPE PERFORMS!

Our Narrator, Fred.

Phyllis & Merrill, who are actually husband and wife....play a bickering husband and wife!

George in a pensive moment.

The cast of our current performance!

Merrill makes a commanding entrance!

Brices's delightfully, whimsical character Sylvia!

Ah, romance...Loretta and George share a tender moment.

I love how multi-dimensional our work at MET is. It's not just about putting on a play. I've had the pleasure of working with a "senior acting troupe" at Buckingham's Choice Residential Community for the past few years now. What began as a one-time acting workshop (set-up by one of our loyal patrons, Marvin Fink who is a BC resident) for their drama club has blossomed into a truly exhilarating experience for me. Our acting workshops grew into several and then a proposal to direct an evening of short skits and monologues to be presented at BC. That evening was a huge success, and to the delight of my budding thespians...the residents were clamoring for more! So, we embarked on yet another rehearsal process for their second performance under my guidance. And then another! Tonight and tomorrow evening it's SHOWTIME once again. The programs have become so popular that we've had to extend to a 2-evening run!
I can't tell you how delightful it is for me as a teacher to be able to work with students that represent entire generations. After finishing up a spring that was jam packed with directing elementary school students in full length plays (an after-school outreach program here at MET), working with my "teens & tweens" at The Ensemble School, and prepping my college students at FCC in all things theatrical...it completes the embroidery of my teaching skills to apply what I have to offer to my senior actors at Buckingham's Choice. Each age group I work with brings to the table their own set of experiences or lack there of...and it is such an exciting challenge to explore how I can make them "get it". My troupe of BC Players has a whole lifetime of experiences to pull from...but they also have their own inner demons and insecurities that they tackle each and every day. The discoveries they make are phenomenal. It is truly an honor to make those discoveries with them and applaud their success! Stop by if you have the time. Below is the press release about the performance.
Cheers-
Julie

The Buckingham’s Choice Players are in their final weeks of rehearsal of 3 one-act plays that will delight you and endear the performers to your heart. These are the stories of situations that have become all too familiar to many of us who must make decisions regarding promises, relationships and life styles. The plays will be presented as staged reading by seven residents of Buckingham’s Choice. Fred Pyne serves as narrator and the plays feature husband and wife team Merrill and Phyllis Cleveland in “Whatever You Say”, Brice Verdier and Mary Miller in “She Needs Me” and George Gutches and Loretta Hull in “One Question.” These plays were selected from a collection of plays called, “Hello Ma, and Other Plays” by Trude Stone. They were originally presented in an off-Broadway festival of short plays in New York City in 1980.
This will be the fourth production of plays by BC residents. The Senior Drama troupe was formed at Buckingham’s Choice by residents interested in reading plays and exploring Reader’s Theatre. What has culminated from this is a dedicated group of performers who now present Staged Reading Performances for their senior residential community. Julie Herber who teaches acting at Frederick Community College and is Associate Artistic Director of the Maryland Ensemble Theatre directs this presentation. “We are delighted to report that Julie has turned our seven residents into very credible actors and actresses. You will be thrilled by their performance as I am.” states BC Players President, Marvin Fink .
Due to the very enthusiastic showing of residents and friends the last show, BC Players will present these plays on two evenings in the Multi-Purpose Room, June 10 and June 11 at 7:15 pm. Buckingham’s Choice residents will have the option of attending either performance. Other interested attendees should contact Buckingham’s Choice at 301-874-5630 to reserve a ticket. If you have a group who wish to attend, BC Players would appreciate it if you would inform the front desk in advance of your needs in order to accommodate you. Buckingham’s Choice is located at 3200 Baker, CircleAdamstown, Maryland 21710.

COMPANY on WYPR

WYPR reviews COMPANY and says MET is "plucky"!

Check it out at: http://www.wypr.org/MD_MORNING.html

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Sarah (Katye Williams), Susan (Allison Lepelletier), Jenny (Grace Anastasiadis), Amy (Amy Easton) and Joanne (Julie Herber) question Bobby's choice in women. Photo by Misti Morningstar