It is an exciting time for all those involved with CTI. The Board of Directors has just announced the 2023-2024 season’s shows. Over the past few months, the Season Selection Committee has been collecting show suggestions from its membership to be considered for the upcoming season. Members were asked to fill out a Google Form and submit musicals and plays of any genre that they would be interested in seeing and/or participating in for the next season.
The Committee and Board met to discuss all show suggestions. Each show was categorized by style of show (musical or straight play), and then categorized further by genre (musical, comedy, mystery/thriller, drama). At the January Board meeting, each category was culled down to three to four shows each voted on by present Board and Season Selection Committee members. From that list, the 15 people, composed of the Committee and Board of Directors, voted for two musicals and one straight play from each of the categories.
Instead of making one big announcement once results had been tallied, the marketing committee decided to play a game on social media with CTI followers. Every day for five days, marketing posted a video to the CTI Facebook page with clues and followers were asked to comment on the video with their guess as to what show they thought it was. The first person to comment with the correct show was deemed the winner, rewarded with a free ticket to the show they correctly guessed.
The Board of Directors is proud to announce the shows for CTI’s 44th season:
- “9 to 5 the Musical” (September 8-10 & September 15-17, 2023)
- “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” (November 3-5 & November 10-12, 2023)
- “Arsenic and Old Lace” (January 5-7 & January 12-14, 2024)
- “The Diary of Anne Frank” (March 28-30 & April 15-17, 2024)
- “Little Shop of Horrors” (May 31- June 2 & June 7-9, 2024)
Director Applications for the 2023-2024 season are currently being accepted. If you are interested in directing one of these shows, please fill out this Google Doc:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPCoaLT7teRhMpmliRnH_IBKgKfVpEzGbUz85ftO1vedPNXg/viewform?usp=sf_link
Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2023.
Urinetown director, Coralyn Martin, has created an ensemble cast of understudy actors who will perform as a principal role in one performance each during the run of the production. I have asked understudy actress, Hannah Williiams, to speak on her experience with this unique production.
What role(s) are you an understudy for?
HANNAH: I am the understudy for Penelope Pennywise, which has been a role that I have wanted to perform since I was in the ensemble of this show in high school over 13 years ago. I am so thrilled to get to go on as this character.
What challenges have you faced in learning two roles for this production?
HANNAH: This is the first time that I have been an understudy, so it has been a challenge from the beginning, but an enjoyable one. I would say the biggest challenge has been making sure I know where I need to be and when. Learning lines is always kind of routine, you drill them until you can’t help but know them. But when you have to remember two sets of blocking, it can get tricky. Particularly when you don’t really get to run your understudy blocking as much during rehearsals.
Can you share a funny story and/or particularly fond memory you’ve made in this experience?
HANNAH: There are many small moments over the whole process of the show that I will hold very close to my heart. This is the first musical I have been able to do in close to 8 years, and it has been the most fun I’ve had in those 8 years. I believe I have made some lifelong friends. The people in this cast, and our incredible director and vocal director, have been such a joy to work with and are just so TALENTED. I think the memory that sticks out most to me would be callbacks, which most of the cast were invited to. I personally didn’t know anyone there at the time. During the callbacks everyone was incredibly welcoming and encouraging to each other. We would cheer for and laugh at each other, there was sharing of cough drops, and commiserating about how challenging certain parts were. There was no animosity or sense of competition, we were just all there to have fun. All of us just wanted to put on a great show, something that I believe we have definitely accomplished.
When can audiences see you as Penelope Pennywise?
HANNAH: I go on as Penelope Pennywise on Saturday September 17th. The show is going to be fantastic any night you come. Cora Hoaglin as Penelope Pennywise is hilarious, and special shout out to the talented Aaron Hoffman for coming into the show directly from Lil’ Abner to be my understudy for Senator Fipp so I can go on as Penelope Pennywise.
Urinetown opens this Friday, September 9th, at the Roger T. Sermon Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance at:
https://www.ticketleap.com/events/?q=City+Theatre+of+Independence
Come back on different nights to see these talented understudies portray their principal roles.
What is Urinetown?
Urinetown is here!
It’s the “town” wherever
People learn to live in fear
– Lyrics from What is Urinetown
What is Urinetown? Just a silly, nonsensical musical, or is it something much more complex than that?
Urinetown explores the economic philosophy of a Malthusian society. Malthusian theory, in simple terms, is an economic theory that explains human population grows at a significantly more rapid rate than the production of necessary resources and that the increase of population will decline the quality of human life. We see a perfect example of a Malthusian society in the setting of Urinetown. The story is set in a dystopian future where a water shortage has caused a worldwide crisis. To combat the minute availability of this critical resource, people must pay a fee to use public facilities. This has caused a rift in the socioeconomic structure of society. The rich can obviously afford to use the bathroom whenever the need arises, whereas the poor have to save every last penny in order to tend to their basic human needs.
Urinetown is also an example of Brechtian “epic theatre.” The Brechtian technique features narrators who often “break the fourth wall” during the story as a way to force the audience to become conscious of the fact that they are watching a play. Brechtian epic theatre is used to cause audiences to think and reflect. The characters of Officer Lockstock and Little Sally are the narrators of Urinetown and have moments where they “break the fourth wall” to engage with the audience.
Urinetown also parodies several well-known musicals. The show features a pair of star-crossed lovers that are clearly a spoof of Tony and Maria from West Side Story. Moments of the rebellion parody Les Miserables and the plot is a clear parody of The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht, the “father” of Brechtian epic theatre.
Urinetown is a thought-provoking, audience engaging experience under the guise of a silly, satirical musical.
Urinetown runs September 9th-18th at the Roger T. Sermon Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance through this link-
citytheatreofindependence.ticketleap.com/urinetown/
City Theatre of Independence is opening the 2022-2023 season with the musical comedy, Urinetown. Urinetown is a satirical comedy about politicism, capitalism, populism and corporate mismanagement. The musical premiered in 2001 with music by Mark Hollman and book by Greg Kotis.
The story takes place in a dystopian society that is suffering from a water shortage. Due to this shortage, private amenities are outlawed and every citizen must pay a fee to use public toilets. The public toilets are owned by the corrupt megacorporation “Urine Good Company” or “UGC.” Hero of the story, Bobby Strong, recognizes the injustices perpetuated by this cooperation and leads the “pee-for-free” rebellion.
Auditions for Urinetown are June 27th, 28th, and 29th at the Roger T. Sermon Center with callbacks by invitation on July 2nd.
Additional audition information can be found here- https://sites.google.com/view/cti-urinetownauditions#h.ykxyienqhur6
AVAILABLE ROLES:
Male Roles
- Officer Lockstock – The principal narrator, a policeman in charge of finding guilty pee-ers
- Bobby Strong – The dashing young “every man” who works for Miss Pennywise as the Assistant Custodian at the poorest urinal in town. Also the male romantic lead who falls in love with Hope Cladwell and starts the revolution
- Dr. Billeaux – A scientist for Urine Good Company
- Senator Fipp – A corrupt politician in Cladwell’s pocket. He is harboring a surprising secret
- Mr. McQueen – Cladwell’s assistant. A man who will do anything to save himself
- Officer Barrel – Lockstock’s partener. He harbors a surprising secret
- Joseph “old Man” Strong – Bobby Stong’s father. His rebellious actions get him sent to “Urinetown”
- Tiny Tom – A confused “man-boy”
- Caldwell B. Cladwell – The villain of the story and the owner of Urine Good Company. A moneygrabber who exploits the poor
- Hot Blades Harry – A dangerous and unpredictable rebel
- Robby the Stockfish – A poor rebel
- Billy Boy Bill – A poor rebel
Female Roles
- Penelope Pennywise – The tough, jaded warden of the poorest urinal in town. She harbors a surprising secret
- Little Sally – A precocious street urchin and co-narrator of the story
- Hope Cladwell – Caldwell B. Cladwell’s daughter who has just been hired at Urine Good Company. The female romantic lead
- Soupy Sue – An affectionate member of the gang
- Little Becky Two-shoes – A pregnant woman
- Josephine “ma” Strong – Bobby Strong’s mother
- Mrs. Millennium – An office worker who inspires to be Caldwell B. Cladwell’s head secretary
City Theatre of Independence in conjunction with the Independence Square Association presents its first ever live reader’s theatre Shakespeare production.
By Lizzie DeShaw
The course of true love never did run smooth. – A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
This summer, City Theatre of Independence is producing an outdoor reader’s theatre production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This show, however, is probably very different from what you may be used to seeing. Each actor will be portraying multiple characters. There is no set and the costume pieces are minimalistic. The script is an original adaptation by CTI members Lynnae Andersen and Lizzie DeShaw. The original story and its Shakespearean language are still intact, but Lynnae and Lizzie have added modern dialogue throughout and have given the character “Puck” an important job as narrator. Lynnae Andersen describes the adaptation as “an irreverent, interactive reader’s theatre presentation.”
Interactive? Yes! The audience will be part of the play. Audience members are encouraged to arrive at the show dressed as fairies. The audience, or “fairy court” as they will be called, will be asked to sing and cheer throughout the course of the play. A few audience members will be selected to come up and act alongside the actors.
The play will be performed three different nights throughout the summer: June 17th, July 15th and August 19th. Performances will be held outdoors at the Liberty Lounge on the Independence Square at 7:30pm. Admission is free, but donations will be graciously accepted. Bring a lawn chair and a picnic to enjoy. Photos and videos are encouraged! Feel free to upload any photo or video to social media using the hashtag #CTIShakes.
Meet your playwrights!
Lynnae Andersen – As a junior in high school, Lynnae was mentored by a theatre teacher who saw directorial talents within her. In college, she minored in dramatic productions, which required directing her own show and assistant directing a major campus production. Her college mentor, Jeffrey Miller, created his own script for “The Mystery of the Yellow Room” by Gaston Leroux. After teaching theatre for two years at a private school in Independence, she was inspired by Miller and wrote her own script based on her favorite book, “The Wizard of Oz”, which was produced by the school in 2015. That same year, Lynnae was introduced to City Theatre of Independence where she has been involved as a volunteer, actor, and director in around a dozen shows. She hopes to write and adapt more stories for the stage in the future!
Lizzie DeShaw – Lizzie has been acting on stage since she was ten years old. She credits the 1990’s children’s television series Wishbone as her first introduction to Shakespeare. Since then, she has always loved Shakespeare’s work. As a teenager, Lizzie read Shakespeare’s plays for her own enjoyment and had the privilege of playing Beatrice in her high school’s production of “Much Ado About Nothing.” In college, she played a spirit in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” under the direction of her acting professor, John Wilson. She believes John’s own enthusiasm for Shakespeare solidified her passion for performing the classic playwright’s work. This is Lizzie’s first time writing a play and she is so thankful to have such an incredible co-playwright by her side. She hopes that this play will be the first of many Shakespeare adaptations she will write.
Join us June 17th, July 15th, and August 19th at the Liberty Lounge at 7:30pm for a silly Shakespearean evening.
The Liberty Lounge
110 S Liberty St
Independence, MO. 64050
An Interview With Alex West as Sancho Panza
By Lizzie DeShaw
Alex West is playing Sancho Panza in City Theatre of Independence’s production of Man of La Mancha. I have asked him to answer some questions about the show and his character.
LIZZIE: Tell me about yourself. What is your background in theatre?
ALEX: Way back in the 1970’s I got my start with music with the Independence Youth Choir. My first musical was ‘Teen!’ at Bridger Junior High. I studied theatre at H.S. Truman High School with Kat Tucker and voice with Millicent Daughtery at Music/Arts Institute. My first love is opera. I studied vocal performance after high school at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. Unfortunately, I found out quickly that I don’t have the temperament to sing professionally. So I moved to the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater to study theatre. After college, I’ve created theatre companies, written murder mysteries, acted, and performed with Full Frontal Comedy improv troupe.
LIZZIE: Who is Sancho Panza?
ALEX: In many ways, Sancho Panza is the ‘everyman’ of Cervantes’ works about Don Quixote. Sancho is the common in everyday life. A person that almost creates the humanitarian center between all the archetypal characters in these stories.
He is a peasant servant in the house of Alonso Quijana. He could be following Quijana (as Don Quixote) for adventure, or to watch after his master as he goes mad, or maybe just to get away from his wife. Possibly it’s a mixture of all three. But what the audience sees is a man who espouses ‘common’ wisdom, excitement for the fantastic, and skepticism for the surreal. He is a moral center that characters like Antonia, Doctor Carrasco, and the innkeeper’s wife can be judged against.
LIZZIE: It’s my understanding that Sancho Panza is a dream role for you. What has it been like getting to fulfill that dream?
ALEX: It has been an absolute treat. It is so rewarding to get to perform a character that really stretches the actor’s abilities and skills. Sancho Panza is the clown of the show. He has some of the most compassionate lines and some of the most difficult music. Sancho gets to sing those elements that just ‘don’t fit’ with other characters. He sings everything from the recitative with ‘The Missive’ to the patter song with ‘a Little Gossip’.
And Sancho is so broadly written that it can be performed by almost anyone that falls in that tenor range, from Mandy Patinkin to James Coco (my favorite!).
LIZZIE: Tell me about your experience with rehearsing Man of La Mancha.
ALEX: It’s a physically demanding show. If it’s not a dance scene, it’s a fight scene. If it’s not a fight scene, it’s a reflective moment between just a few characters. There’s a song, usually being earnestly belted, every few minutes. You have to go from quiet introspection to singing high A’s and B’s within seconds of each other.
I’ve met few directors like David Rogers that really understand how difficult that is and can adequately prepare the cast for those rigors.
On top of that, we truly lucked out in the casting department. This cast is phenomenal. There are so many strong voices and dynamic actors.
LIZZIE: In your opinion, what about Man of La Mancha has made it such a beloved show? What do you hope the audience will take away from the story?
ALEX: The books that Man of La Mancha are based on are some of the most popular and best sold works in history. Some estimates suggest that Miguel de Cervantes’ The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha is, besides the Bible, the best selling book of all time. It was the first major work written in what we know as ‘modern’ Spanish (also the first major work written in ‘modern’ Spanish to be plagiarized). Most of the 400 first edition printings of the book were sent to the ‘New World’ in 1605. Some even found their way to the Inca Empire. Needless to say, it was hugely popular from the first printing. And it is a satire, poking fun at the nostalgia of the chivalric age in the face of worldwide exploration and conquest, and the barbary that entailed. To say that the political climate between 1965 (when Dale Wasserman, Mitch Leigh, and Joe Darion wrote the musical) and 1972 (when Peter O’Toole, Sophia Lauren, and James Coco starred in the movie) was similar to the idea of Spanish chivalry in the late 16th and early 17th century would not be a huge stretch. We were in the midst of the Vietnam war, civil strife was rampant, and people were looking anywhere for distraction.
And, honestly, it’s not dissimilar to the times we live in now.
LIZZIE: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Alex. Break a leg on your upcoming performances!
Man of La Mancha runs June 3-5 and June 10-12 at the Roger T. Sermon Center Powerhouse Theatre. Tickets can be purchased in advance by following this link–
http://www.ticketleap.com/events/?q=City+Theatre+of+Independence
This is my quest to follow that star… no matter how hopeless…no matter how far… – Lyrics from “The Impossible Dream”
“The Impossible Dream” is the most popular and recognizable song from Man of La Mancha. The song is at first sung by the character of Don Quixote in response to Aldonza’s question about what Quixote means by “following the quest.” The song is reprised three times. In the song, Don Quixote explains why he did all he did and what the purpose of his quest was:
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable for
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right, without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell for a Heavenly cause
And I know if I’ll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star
The story of Don Quixote has held up over time because I think we can all relate in some way to his quest. Aren’t we all dreaming of achieving our goals? It sounds cliche to say “nothing is impossible if you just believe,” but isn’t it true? We are all capable of great things. No matter our circumstances in life, we each have something to contribute to make the world a better place.
What is your unreachable star? Who is your unbeatable foe? Are you willing to go to places beyond your comfort and slay the obstacles in your way? Allow the epic story of Don Quixote be your inspiration. Even if you are “covered with scars,” you can still strive with your last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star. You are capable of achieving the impossible dream.
Our production’s Don Quixote/ Miguel de Cervantes will be played by Richard Gills. Listen to the 1972 film version of the song “The Impossible Dream” here: Man of La Mancha (1972) – The Impossible Dream Scene (6/9) | Movieclips
“I know who I am and who I may be, if I choose” – from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
City Theatre of Independence is currently in the midst of rehearsals for Man of La Mancha. This will be the final production of the 2021-2022 season. The musical will run June 3rd-5th and June 10th-12th at the Roger T. Sermon Center.
Man of La Mancha is a 1965 musical play by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It was inspired by the epic 17th-century novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. The original 1965 Broadway musical won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
The show is described as a “play within a play.” Cervantes, a character in the musical, plays the role of Don Quixote from a prison cell after being arrested by the Spanish Inquisition. With the help of his manservant and the other prisoners, Cervantes acts out the epic tale of Don Quixote.
City Theatre of Independence’s production of Man of La Mancha features the talents of:
Miguel de Cervantes/ Don Quixote/ Alonso Quijana – Richard Gill
Cervantes’ Manservant/ Sancho Panza – Alex West
Aldonza/ Dulcinea – Briana Marxen-McCollom
Atonia – Madeleine Rodriguez
Padre – Andres Mendoza
Dr. Sanson Carrasco (The Knight of Mirrors) – Drew Jones
Governor/ Innkeeper – Jerry Tracy
Housekeeper – Stephanie Flanagan
Barber – Nicholas Crawford
Captain of the Inquisition/ Gypsy Singer/ Muleteer/ Male Understudy – Robin Caroll-Dolci
Gypsy Dancer/ Ensemble/ Female Understudy – Jada Wilson
A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. –Marion C. Garretty
By Lizzie DeShaw
It is often said that motherhood is the hardest job in the world. A mother is an educator, a nurse, a chauffeur, a personal chef, a cheerleader, a maid, etcetera, etcetera. Being the mother of a child with disabilities is a whole other game. I have thought often of what challenges Kate Keller must have faced raising Helen; a young girl who was both blind and deaf. My heart breaks for Kate Keller at the beginning of the play, The Miracle Worker, when Kate discovers that Helen cannot see or hear her.
One of my favorite character traits of Kate is that she fiercely advocates for Helen’s education. Kate knows her daughter’s mind is a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. Throughout the play, we hear Kate’s dialogue insisting that Helen is capable of learning.
Kate is Annie Sullivan’s strongest ally within the Keller home. She promises to help Annie in her efforts to educate Helen and even takes the initiative to learn sign language to communicate with her daughter.
There is a line of dialogue in the play spoken by Captain Keller that goes, We don’t just keep our children safe. They keep us safe. Kate, as a mother, obviously wants what is best for Helen, but she feels inadequate at times. She goes through many challenges as a mother in the story. I admire her quiet strength.
An interesting fact about our specific production of The Miracle Worker is that our cast consists of four mothers who are acting alongside their children in the show.
Those cast members are:
- Heidi Keith (Crone), mother of Abby Keith (Helen Keller)
- Gretchen Copeland (Kate Keller), mother of Madeline Copeland (Martha)
- Kelly Stoll (Crone), mother of Heidi Stoll (Blind Child)
- Lizzie DeShaw (Viney/Crone), mother of Jacob DeShaw (Percy/ Boy’s Voice) and Mason Newberry (Blind Child)
I asked each of the mothers to tell me about what it has been like working with their child onstage:
Working on ‘The Miracle Worker with my daughter, Madeline, has been a dream come true! Theatre has been a lifelong passion of mine and having a child that shares that passion is amazing. She has been singing and dancing for years, but this was her first non-musical. Watching her blossom in this new way was so cool. She has learned so much from all the amazing people on this show that will continue to serve her in her theatre career for years to come. We both feel so blessed to have had this amazing opportunity! – Gretchen Copeland
Doing the show together has been so much fun! I choke up every single night watching her. She is such a fierce, strong girl. We’ve had so much bonding time, and made non-stop, priceless memories. – Heidi Keith
I have two children who participate in theatre and every time I see them perform, I always need a tissue for my tears of pride and joy! This is my first time performing with my daughter, Heidi, and I am so proud of her hard work and growth as an actress. This experience makes me look forward to working with her again. – Kelly Stoll
Having been involved in theatre for most of my life, it has been a joy and privilege watching my boys discover their own love for the craft. – Lizzie DeShaw
The Miracle Worker runs for three more performances: April 8th and 9th at 7:30pm and April 10th at 2pm. The Sunday matinee on April 10th will be interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL).
A stage setting is not a background; it’s an environment. __Robert Edmond Jones
For actors, a set is like a new world. A place to step into and truly exist as their character. For audiences, sets give them a peek into the universe in which the story takes place.
The Miracle Worker takes place in four different locations: The Keller home, the Perkins Institution for the Blind, a train station, and The Keller’s garden house. Creating a space for all these different settings can present a unique challenge for the director and set designers.
I sat down with the director of The Miracle Worker, Nancy Eppert, to discuss her inspiration and vision for the play’s set design.
LIZZIE: How would you describe the concept of this set design?
NANCY: I have witnessed several productions of The Miracle Worker by William Gibson and I wanted to hold true to the author’s intentions and give the story the best underpinning possible. Therefore, I have taken my cues from the description in the forward of the script,
The convention of the staging is one of cutting through time and place, and its essential qualities are fluidity and spatial counterpoint. To this end, the less set there is the better. The stage should therefore be free, airy, episodic, unencumbered by walls. Apart from certain practical items such as the pump, a window to climb out of, doors to be locked—locales should be only skeletal suggestions, and movement from one to another should be accomplishable by little more than the lights.
LIZZIE: Where did you draw your inspiration from?
NANCY: One of the productions mentioned above was presented during the AACT Worldfest in Venice Florida. several years ago. It was a production by a theatre company from Russia. The stunning simplicity, monochromatic costuming, and skeletal set helped to create a highly emotional interaction between actors and audience, the storytelling was superb. The emotion behind the words (in Russian) and interactions of the actors was at the forefront and impactful.
LIZZIE: What aspect of the set excites you the most?
NANCY: The actors literally must image their surroundings, creating each particle of the stage through their individual thoughts. The absence of walls is freeing and opens them to all sorts of decision-making for each scene. I love working with actors that take risks and move beyond the literal. As the audience witnesses the bare essence of the construction, they too become engaged in that experience. And quite frankly, having the pump actually pumping water on stage is very exciting to me!
LIZZIE: What challenges have you faced with the design and construction of this set?
NANCY: The Powerhouse Theatre does not have a fly house nor an open trussed substructure, therefore using those areas to support suspended items are nonexistent. The builders had to create support elements to accomplish this task and keep many construction and support aspects present before the audience. The theatre is not spacious; however, it is sufficient. The harmony of lumber, light and sound create the “miracle” of The Miracle Worker.
Set designs have the power to transport us to places we’ve never been, to take us back to the days of the past. Travel back with us to 1880’s Tuscumbia, Alabama, April 1-3 and April 8-10. Tickets for The Miracle Worker are available here.
A big thank you to Nancy Eppert and the technical crew of The Miracle Worker for all their hard work!
