Family Children’s
Theatre
Newsletter
Impossible
Years – Our January
show has traditionally been one that has focused on the adults of our
community. This year is no different. We would
recommend that this play for 14 and over because of situations that arise among
the characters.
The Impossible Years is a play by Robert
Fisher and Arthur Marx.
The comedy revolves around Jonathan Kingsley, a teaching psychiatrist at the local university, his wife, and their two teenaged daughters.
The psychiatrist is writing about teenagers. The 17-year-old has a string of
boy friends in tow that includes a Greenwich Village beatnik and an anemic
Peace Corp reject. It is discovered
that this girl has married in Maryland under an assumed name. the trouble is, she won't say who of the
bunch is her husband and this causes the harried psychiatrist some monstrous
nightmares. The younger daughter
concludes that truth of her household is stranger than fiction. Add the gym teacher in a version of Bermuda
shorts, a hypochondriac doctor who is against Medicate and the transistorized
rhythms of the watusi and you have the makings of a cascading comedy that
sparkles with humor.
After two previews, the Broadway production,
directed by Arthur
Storch, opened
on October 13, 1965 at the Playhouse Theatre, where it ran for 670 performances. The original cast included Alan King, Sudie Bond, Burt Convy, Neva Small, and Scott
Glenn. Sam Levene and Ed McMahon succeeded King later in the run.
The 1968 film version, adapted by George Wells
and directed by Michael
Gordon, starred
David Niven, Lola Albright, Chad Everett, Ozzie
Nelson, and Cristina Ferrare.
We
will travel to the Kingsley household on four consecutive days in January at
7:30p.m. Thursday, January 10; Friday, January 11; and Saturday, January 12;
and Sunday, January 13, at 3:00p.m.
Advanced tickets are on sale at Hayes Sight and Sound, Johnson Music,
Sarah’s Catholic Bookstore, and Edward Jones in South Hutchinson. Of course, tickets can be purchased at the
Flag Theatre one hour prior to the show.
We will create a Family Discussion Guide
for your use. It provides ideas for
preparing your family for the show and discussing following the
production. You will find that guide on
our Web Site, www.familychildrenstheatre.com.
In this guide you will find a complete synopsis of the play and the
characters. We have also added some
activities you can do together. The
purpose of this guide is to help make the attendance at the play a wholesome,
educational and fun experience. We would be happy to mail or email you a copy
of our Family Discussion Guide. Simply
contact Craig Williams at 662-1601 or email [email protected].
Auditions held for Fiddler on the
Roof – Nearly 150 actors and
actresses auditioned for the classic
musical. Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon
Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905.
The story centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his
attempts to maintain his family and religious traditions while outside influences
encroach upon their lives. He must cope with both the strong-willed actions of
his three older daughters—each daughter's choice of husband moves progressively
further away from established customs—and with the edict of the Tsar that
evicts the Jews from their village.
The musical's title stems from a painting by Marc Chagall,[2] one
of many surreal paintings he created of Eastern European Jewish life, often
including a fiddler. The Fiddler is a metaphor for survival, through tradition and joyfulness, in a life of
uncertainty and imbalance.
The most people will recognized the songs - Tradition; Sunrise,
Sunset; Do You Love Me?; and If I Were a Rich Man
The
show will be on stage at Memorial Hall February 21 - 24, 2008.
In the Hoodie – The Family Children’s Theatre will begin selling T-shirts
and Hoodies. The gray garments will
sport the message “Property of The Family Children’s Theatre.” T-shirts will be $10 and hoodies will be
$20.
If you are interested in purchasing a shirt
or hoodie, please complete the order form and return, with your check, payable
to Family Children’s Theatre
Mail to: Shirt Order - Family
Children’s Theatre
310 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501
These would make good gifts for those who
have found enjoyment in the theatre and particularly with the Family Children’s
Theatre.
Our
first order has sent. There will be a
few sizes available for purchase. They can be seen by contacting the Connie
Krusemark at
Season Tickets – There is still time to take advantage of the savings of
purchasing season tickets for our 19th Banner Season. You will always have the best seats in the
house. For more information contact Craig Williams at 662-1601 or by email at [email protected]. See the last four
shows in our season for $24 for adults, $18 for seniors (65+) and $15 for
children (2-12)
FCT Provides Entertainment – Six members of the Board of directors plus one entertained
200 employees of the Kroger accounting division of Hutchinson. Mary Kay Dechant, Steve Dechant, Mary Lynn
McMichael, Elisabeth Orr, Bill Unsderfer, Craig Williams, and Steve Wilson
played characters in the mystery “I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus” at the
annual Christmas Party for the KASH employees.
All 200 hundred of the guests were involved in solving the mystery,
while the cast answered questions about the mystery. Here are the comments from Rose Cornwell, organizer of the event,
“Thank you very much, So far I have only heard great
revues. I think you have a hit on your hands. Even our Head Honcho
Regan had only good things to say and his boss was here and she loved it
to. I received an email from our other Director and he raved about it and
said he didn't know how next year’s committee could top it... What myself
and the bosses loved about it is that it involved everyone and got them out of
their seats to "investigate" and talk and discuss with
their co-workers about it where you would not otherwise go up to someone you
didn't know and talk.”
We
can provide this fun for your company or family gathering. Contact Craig Williams.
OUT
AND ABOUT WITH THE FCT – Did you notice our entry in the annual Christmas
parade? The Zimmerman’s, Mark and
_____, were in charge of that project.
Have
you seen Tevye’s Table? It is one of
the theme tables on display on Main Street.
Mary Kay Dechant created the display for the FCT. It is in the window of the Wiley building
facing 1st street.
Member
of the board of directors and their families ran a concession stand at the
annual Christmas in the Foothills craft show.
The show was held November 17 at the fair grounds.
Craig
Williams represented the Family Children’s Theatre on a panel for the
Leadership Reno County. The leadership
group was looking at the impact and purpose of the arts in our area.