Top Photo: The Laramie Project: 2016
Stories to Tell
Greetings! Tim Ball here with the second installment of this three-part post. (see first installment)
“When in It’s a Wonderful Life, during a performance in the graduation party scene playing an extra,” Chris Swedberg remembered, “My awful wig flew off when Harry Bailey, played by Vince Virtue, slapped my back so hard.” He would add, “Many on stage had a difficult time keeping it together.” Prior to going on stage, Chris said he was referred to backstage as Lyle Lovett prior to going on due to the wig’s appearance.
Taking part in theatre productions creates many wonderful, oftentimes very memorable stories that we remember for the rest of our lives. We can be the protagonist of the story, the instigator, the schlemiel or the schlimazel. Or simply a spectator on or off stage watching the action unfold.
D’Ann Hamilton-White recalls an unforgettable moment during the first time SCP produced the comedy Noises Off. “On Sunday, tech night, the ingenue told the director and stage manager that she would have to miss a few performances of opening weekend! She had missed several rehearsals so the director informed her she needn’t worry – she wouldn’t be doing any nights of the show! The stage manager assumed the role with a cleverly hidden script the first weekend and was off book the second weekend! Truly a memorable event for the entire cast and crew!”
Josh Smith, Barb McCaskey and D’Ann Hamilton-White in our production of Noises Off; 2005
“During Little Women: The Musical, I believe it was opening night,” Leigh Foulk mused, “The couch, which was an antique chosen for the period, broke when the sisters sat on it after a musical number.” She continued, saying, “I was working backstage crew and we had to figure out a way to switch the couch during a scene change without disrupting the show and make sure the new piece was similar enough to not stand-out in the elaborate set.” Foulk said the crew ran around backstage during a short scene when the curtain was closed trying to find the best match.
Oftentimes these stories come from moments of onstage confusion – in performance fear. Bernie Schuneman, who made his SCP debut in The Man of La Mancha in 1989, recalls one performance. “That first experience nearly became my last. As an actor some of your greatest fears are of forgetting (or “going up”) on your own lines or having a fellow actor “go up” on theirs, leaving you to try to figure out a way back to the script. I had very few lines in that first show but was involved in many scenes. In one particular scene I was to follow the lead actress onstage and “discover” a piece of paper (the missive) in her waistband. Night after night this had worked flawlessly, but one particular night as I walked onstage I realize that the actress was coming towards me, not going away from me. As she scurried by me, she whispered, “Stall, I forgot the missive!” She continued off into the wings and I turned to face the rest of my gang of muleteers onstage. The looks on their faces must have matched mine as we all kind of froze. I could see the actress offstage, frantically digging through the props to find the missing paper. The options that flashed through my mind were few and feeble. Short of the small gestures that I made to the other muleteers to indicate my frustration with this actress it seemed my only other choice might be to break into an impromptu tap dance. She was probably only gone for about 10 seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. In my mind I was promising myself that I would never again expose myself to this danger of public humiliation, and then… she walked back onstage, the scene continued, the applause rolled in and I was once again hooked by the magic that can and does happen on a nightly basis in live theater.”
Some of us find memorable experiences in learning new talents. “One memorable experience is learning to tap dance for Stepping Out,” Jan Booth said. “I have always loved to dance, but that brought me into a whole new world!”
Jan Booth (far right) with the cast of Stepping Out; 1988
We can also find memorable experiences outside of the theatre proper. Lacey Toigo, one of SCP’s newest members, says one of her most memorable experiences was “…going out for one of the first times to Pizza Villa with the cast of Clue: On Stage.” After striking the previous show and as the evening came to an end, “…the chair the director was sitting in broke underneath him!”
What Keeps Us Hangin’ Round
One question I posed to everyone was what made them keep coming back to SCP. The answers were varied, but three words popped up a lot. Friends, creative and community. And those words seem to be true throughout the history of our theatre group. As I’ve written before, when we become involved in the community theatre that is SCP, we tend to create new friends.
Norm Read, who has played the part of actor, costumer, treasurer, comptroller, stage manager and director, said he continues his 25-year adventure with SCP because it gives him, “The opportunity to be creative with talented friends.”
Having spent time with SCP since 1984, Richard Christensen has served as President, Vice President, along with participating as a board member in other capacities. He’s also been a stage manager, light board and sound operator and served on many committees including nominating, box office, play reading and advertising. And of course, he’s been seen on stage as an actor. He added that SCP is one of the ways he enjoys spending his time. With good friends!
“It’s just a whole lot of fun!” Lacey Toigo said of SCP. “I love getting together with people that have the same passion as I do, and I love giving back to my community. It is really rewarding.” With just a single year with us performing in Clue: On Stage in 2022, Toigo is now helping in the box office.
“I started hanging around SCP when I was five-years-old,” Sara Pajor (maiden name Schuneman). “My dad was in a production of Man of La Mancha that year and was hooked on SCP from then on, and I was often brought along!” The first show she appeared in was the Francis Stroup musical, Bet Your Heart. Along with being an actor, Pajor has been involved as props mistress, sound effects operator, backstage running crew, producer, assistant stage manager, co-director, usher, board member, chair of the play reading committee, chair of the director selection committee, and co-chair of the Marketing Committee. “I love being a part if this community. We are all volunteers, and we work really hard to help this organization do great things for our audiences and our members.”
Jeff Gerlick, John McCue, Margot Palmiere, Bernie Schuneman and Tim Ball from our production of Man of La Mancha; 1989
Jeanna Hunter, who spends most of her time backstage, has been involved in most aspects of a production with the exception of director and set design. She’s also served on the board in many capacities and several committees, saying, “The people and the opportunities to be creative,” are a great reason to continue coming back to SCP year after year. Her daughter, Allison, is also involved in SCP, saying, “So this is something we share.”
“I appreciate the sense of community with the veterans involved but also the welcoming of new talent,” Amanda Smothers, who has been involved since 2011, said. Smothers has been actor, costume design, choreographer, stage manager, assistant director and director.
“This is an easy question,” D’Ann Hamilton-White, who joined the SCP family in 1982, said. “SCP is a second family to me. They helped me through the worst time of my life, and they were there to share in celebrating the best times.” In those 40-plus years, Hamilton-White has been an actor, stage manager, producer, light board and follow spot operator, set painter, usher, has served on the SCP board several times including as Vice-President, and has been on many committees.
Twelve Angry Jurors; 2014
Michael Mattingly and Bob Cain in Visiting Mr. Green: 2020
