LSC’s Fall Production Promises Heartwarming Family Comedy
Loveland Stage Company, winners of 13 Orchid Awards for Excellence in 2013 from The Association of Community Theaters, is excited to announce the cast for its fall production of I REMEMBER MAMA by John Van Druten. I REMEMBER MAMA has been described as “one of the most heartwarming studies of American family life yet to reach the stage.”
LSC has assembled an impressive company of performers to bring the play’s iconic roles to life. Many are LSC veterans, whose talents have graced the LSC stage on multiple occasions. Some are bright new stars in the LSC membership. Miami Township resident Wendy Gustafson is Mama. Wendy began performing with LSC in 1985 as Marian Paroo in The Music Man and has been in several other shows since then. John Wolff, now retired from teaching, is Papa. John joined LSC 24 years ago and has been in 30 LSC productions over the years.
Joann Valley, who is playing the role of Jessie, lived in Trinidad and Tobago prior to moving to Loveland and is working with LSC for the first time. She has studied classical acting at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Larry Behymer is Uncle Chris. Although he is making his debut with LSC, he is well known to Cincinnati theatergoers. He has directed approximately 40 shows and acted in more than 60, working with Beechmont Players, Milford Theatre Guilde and Mariemont Players. Gretchen Gantner, who is playing Aunt Jenny, is excited to be a part of her first LSC production. Gretchen lives in West Chester where she is a part-time actress, producer, costumer and set decor designer.
Paul Derham has been a proud member of LSC for thirteen years and is playing Mr. Johnson in this production. LSC fans might remember him from roles such as Charles Cowell in The Music Man, Foster Wilson in Annie, Get Your Gun, and the brother who sings “Those Canaan Days” in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Loveland resident Elaine Michael is playing F.D. Moorhead. LSC audiences might remember her costumes for The Pajama Game and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She is also an on-stage presence with several local theater companies. Kate Arnold plays Aunt Trina. Kate has lived in Loveland for most of her life. LSC fans may remember her as Margie in State Fair. Kate also serves on the board of the Greater Loveland Historical Society.
Steve Link, who plays Mr. Hyde, has been a member of LSC since 1997 when he performed in Camelot. Steve is a multi-Orchid Award winning actor and is also co-directing I Remember Mama. John Masterson plays Mr. Thorkelson. John lives in Lebanon and has worked both on and off stage at LSC. John is a retired Army officer and a regional representative for OCTA (Ohio Community Theatre Association).
Goshen resident Bryson Sanders is playing Nels. Bryan worked with LSC during the 2013 Summer Workshop performance of Cats as Mungojerrie. His sister, Cassidy Sanders, a sophomore at Goshen High School, is Christine. This will be Cassidy’s eighth production at LSC. She also takes tap and jazz lessons with Marjorie Clegg at LSC. Cassidy was “Jennyanydots, The Gumbie Cat” in LSC’s summer production of Cats. Maddie Sullivan, a seventh grade at Saint Margaret of York Elementary School, is making her theatrical debut with LSC as Dorothy. Interestingly, both of Maddie’s parents were in “I Remember Mama” in 1984 at McAuley High School.
Savannah Cawood is Dagmar She has just moved near Old Town Loveland. She performed in LSC’s production of Cats this summer and attends Loveland Intermediate School. Jami Grace Cawood, who plays Madeline, is also a Loveland “newbie” who played Ghengis, the Siamese ruler in the summer production of Cats. Katrina Culbertson, who is playing Katrin, is a senior at Loveland High School where she is Historian of Troupe 572 of the International Thespian Society. This is her fourth year as a part of LSC. Jacob Smearsoll, who plays Arne, made his debut with LSC this summer as Billy Bailey in Cats. Jacob is a 5th grade student at Little Miami Intermediate School and a gymnast. Max Schilling (Soda Clerk/Bellboy) is a freshman at Loveland High School and an LSC veteran, having appeared in both Carnival and Cats, where he played Bustopher Jones. Marsha Robinson, Steve Geary and Alfred Sagrati complete the cast.
I REMEMBER MAMA is co-directed by Barbara Rugen and Steve Link and is produced by Jeanne Welsh. Set design is by Deirdre Dyson and costumes by Marschelle Schauble. I Remember Mama is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York, NY. www.samuelfrench.com
Join Loveland Stage Company for this lightly comic, heartwarming portrayal of American family life, filled with rich characterizations. Performance dates are November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24. Show times are Friday – Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 3:00 PM. All performances are at the Loveland Stage Company’s theater at 111 S. Second St. Loveland, OH 45140.
To find out more about Loveland Stage Company and their award winning productions, or to order tickets on-line, visit www.lovelandstagecompany.org. Follow LSC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LovelandStageCompany. To order tickets by phone, contact 513-697-6769. All tickets for this production (Adults, Seniors and Students) are $15.00.
ABOUT LOVELAND STAGE COMPANY: The Loveland Stage Company is dedicated to bringing quality theater to the Loveland community. LSC selects plays and musicals which are both instructive to their members and entertaining to their audiences. LSC is an entirely volunteer organization which strives to provide the best amateur theater available. The Loveland Stage Company has been performing in its own dedicated theater since October 2002. Each year, the Company’s excellence is acknowledged with multiple awards at the ACT (Association of Community Theatres) Convention, which celebrates the rich artistic heritage and talent Cincinnati has to offer theatre-goers. LSC earned 13 Orchid Awards for performances over the 2012-2013 season.
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