ANNUAL MEETING COMING UP The
annual meeting of The Concord Players will be held on Sunday,
March 20 at 7 p.m. at 51 Walden. Join us for refreshments, updates on
the year, voting for new officers, announcement of the slate of plays
for the coming year, and a little entertainment. Hope to see you there!
KIRSTEN GOULD
The Concord Players' founder, Louisa May Alcott, was a woman whose
mettle was tested throughout her life. She supported her family through
years of financial privation, nursed injured soldiers in the Civil War,
frequently walked from Concord to Boston and back again, and wrote
abundantly. Her literary legacy is worldwide, and the little dramatic
society she founded continues to flourish all these years later as a
robust community theater, The Concord Players. The Players' season ends this spring with a production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, directed by a woman whose achievements we've no doubt Miss Alcott would admire.
Kirsten
Gould is a director of prodigious talent. As a performer,
choreographer, director and teacher, she understands how the many facets
of a production connect to make a cohesive whole. "Even though I
enjoyed playing roles of all sizes, I found that I was always
contemplating all aspects of a production," she says. "I would decide
what I liked... and what I would have done differently. I loved the idea
of presenting a story to an audience and staging the action from their
point of view. Working with actors to help them discover and develop
their characters is particularly rewarding. So directing became my very
favorite way to be involved in theatre." Partial to musicals, Gould chose Amadeus
because she feels "it is simply one of the finest plays of the 20th
century. The characters of Mozart and his nemesis, Salieri, are both
incredibly compelling. It is a well-crafted drama that tells a
cautionary tale of the power of jealousy, an emotion understood by all.
Along with its very dramatic moments, there are moments of delicious
humor--and there is music--an entire soundtrack of thrilling music. It
has everything!" Few directors pour themselves so
fully and passionately into a show the way Gould does, and when you hear
her talk about drama, it's easy to understand why. "Drama is like
poetry," says Kirsten. "It has to condense the events of a story into an
evening's performance. And it is always thrilling to see the creative
ways these shortcuts or passages of time can occur on stage through
artistic devices like musical numbers, creative staging, or lighting.
The entire art of theatre moves me." Kirsten has
directed eight shows for The Concord Players, chalking up an impressive
number of awards from the Eastern Association of Community Theaters, The
New England Regional Festival and the American Association of Community
Theaters. In 2004, her production of 1776 brought audiences to
their feet every night, and enjoyed an extended run at John Adams
National Park and Faneuil Hall in Boston. She paid worthy homage to the
majesty of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story in 2008, garnering a best musical DASH award, and yet another best musical DASH for her most recent Player's production, The Sound of Music.
Kirsten recently retired from the Fenn School in Concord where she
served as long-time Drama Director and Arts Department Chair. Upon her
departure, the all-boys institution expressed its gratitude by putting
her name on the new stage in their Ward Hall performance venue. Amadeus has begun rehearsals and will open on April 29. Tickets are on sale now at concordplayers
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PROOF OF SUCCESS It's
not easy to entice people out of their cozy, warm homes on cold winter
nights. But 1,280 people did just that, and they are better for it. Proof,
our winter show, was a small drama with just four people, but it had
huge presence. The acting was mesmerizing, with the direction by Nancy
Curran Willis making each character sympathetic. The stunning set by
Allen Bantly was a realistic rendering of the back porch and yard of a
lived-in home. Opening night's Gala featured a plethora of homemade
treats and heart-shaped cookies, courtesy of the mothers and daughters
of the National Charity League. Judging from the enthusiastic comments
heard after the show, those who came were well pleased with their
decision to venture out and experience this satisfying piece of theater.
SHOW BUS The
London Show Bus takes to the skies on Sunday. The group will be
taking in six shows, attending discussions with cast members, touring
theaters, galleries and a costume studio, and as well enjoying the
sights, sounds and tastes of London. We can't wait to hear all about
it when they return.
PLAYERS NEWS Do you still believe? Then come out to the Open Door Theater this coming April 1-10, and fly off to the Neverland of Peter Pan! This
musical fairy tale classic will be presented in the Dragonfly Theater
at the R. J. Grey Junior High School in Acton MA, and will include an
ASL-interpreted matinee, a sensory-friendly matinee, and an
audio-described evening performance. The cast of nearly 90 will feature a
number of Concord Players, in such roles as Captain Hook (Craig
Howard), Smee (Joshua Wright), and, in Hook's crew, Starkey (Brian
Kelly) and Mullins (Michael Ciccolella). Tickets are available at opendoortheater And yes ... Peter and the Darling children WILL fly! Players Paul Murphy, Boot Boutwell, Stacy Kernweis, Rachael Rabinovitz and Webb Tilney are performing in Book of Days at Burlington Players through March 12. Go to burlingtonplayers Concord Players appearing in The Weston Friendly Society's production of the Sondheim musical Company
include Jason Dick (Bobby), Doug Gerber (Peter), Cathy Merlo (Joanne),
and Amanda Casale (Kathy). Performances are the first two weekends
in March. For tickets go to westonfriendly One of our Follies alumnae, Lisa Tierney, will appear as Sister Sarah in the Barre Players production of the musical classic, Guys & Dolls! Performances March 11-20. For information, go to barreplayerstheater Now appearing at The Wellesley Players in that racy musical The Full Monty are former Players Jenn Bubriski and Amy DeMarco! The one remaining weekend of performances is March 4-6! Go to wellesleyplayers
| The Powder House Jazz Quintet | CLUB-51 WALDEN EVENT Club-51
with the Powder House Jazz Quintet, Janet Casey, vocalist, on March 12
at 8 p.m. Dancing, table seating, cash bar and refreshments. Tickets
$25. This is a special event to benefit the operation of 51 Walden.
Call 978-369-7911 or purchase tickets on-line
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