steel magnolias playbill
DESCRIPTION
Playbill for the VTC production of "Steel Magnolias," fall 2014TRANSCRIPT
We believe that
it is not important
where you have been —
it is only important where you
are going!
At First Presbyterian Church,
you will be cared for,
and you will be called upon
to care for others.
Service Times:
8:15 AM Blended Service
9:30 AM Liturgical Service
10:50 AM Contemporary Service
http://www.fpcvalpo.org/
“God does not Call the Equipped,
but God Equips the Called.”
3401 North Valparaiso Street Valparaiso, IN 46383
Join Us for our Upcoming Events
Taize Worship and Meditation First Wednesday Each Month at 6 PM
Lessons and Carols December 22 at 9:30 AM
Pr
og
ra
m
Steel Magnolias A Play Written by
Robert Harling
Act One
Scene 1 - Spring
Scene 2 - Later in the Year; Winter
Directed by
Becky Fox Jascoviak
Produced by
The Valparaiso Theatrical Company, Inc.
Through Special Arrangement with Dramatists Play Service
440 Park Avenue South; New York, NY 10016
www.dramatists.com
Tel. 212-683-8960 Fax 212-213-1539
15 Minute Intermission
Act Two
Scene 1 - Eighteen Months Later; Summer
Scene 2 - Autumn
*This Production is Graciously Underwritten by Triangle Liquors, 3210 N Calumet Ave, and Trail Inn Liquors,1307 Lincolnway, Valparaiso. Thank You for Your Support!*
Steel Magnolias originally produced by W.P.A. Theatre NYC, 1987 (Kyle Renick, Artistic Director)
"Harling has given his women sharp, funny dialogue…The play builds to a conclusion that is deeply moving." —NY Daily News.
"…a skillfully crafted, lovingly evoked picture of eccentricity in the small-town South…Robert Harling is a new voice in the theatre and the qualities of STEEL MAGNOLIAS suggest he may be an important one." —
Drama-Logue.
Valparaiso Theatrical Company is a Proud Member of
www.nietf.org www.aact.org
As a Courtesy to our Actors and to Comply with our Contracts, we Politely Request that there be no use of Recording Equipment or Flash Photography During the Show.
Thank You for Your Understanding.
Setting
Truvy's Beauty Shop in Chinquapin Parrish, Northern Louisiana.
**There will be gunshot sound effects used during the performance.**
Th
e C
ast (
in o
rd
er
of
ap
pe
ar
an
ce
)
Annelle Dupuy DeSoto Caity Mullen
Truvy Jones Pam Tschida
Clairee Marmillion Belcher Marcia Gienapp
Shelby Eatonton Latcherie Alley Banks
M'Lynn Eatonton Anne Nicholls
Ouiser Boudreau Linda Didelot
Many Thanks to our Charities for this Show!
American Cancer Society
American Heart
Association
Business Woman’s
United Network
Chasing Dreams
Christian Food Pantry
Coats for Kids
Exceptional Equestrians
Family House
First Presbyterian
Church Valparaiso
500 Turkeys
Habitat For Humanity
Ivy Tech Foundation
March Of Dimes
Memorial Opera House
Foundation
National Alliance for
Mental Health
NWI Literacy
Foundation
New Creation Men’s
Center
Opportunity Enterprises
Portage Tri Kappa
Porter County Aging and
Community Services
Porter Co. Animal
Shelter
Sacred Transformations
Simiyu House Kenya
St. Katherines' Ladies'
Philoptochos Society,
St. Iakovos Greek
Orthodox Church
Special Olympics
Porter County
Toys For Tots
Valparaiso Elks
Valparaiso Women’s
Club
A Listing of Charities We have Helped in the Past
Friday, November 14
Dayspring Women’s Center
www.dayspringvalpo.org
Saturday, November 15
Portage Tri Kappa
trikappa.org/history
Sunday, November 16
Valparaiso Women’s Club
tiny.cc/ValpoWomensClub
Friday, November 21
Valparaiso Theatrical
Company
Saturday, November 22
Sacred Transformations
sacredtransformations.org
Sunday, November 23
Kids Alive International
www.kidsalive.org
Me
et T
he
Dir
ec
to
r
Becky Fox Jascoviak is excited to have the opportunity to work
with VTC for the first time. She has been directing for almost 20
years including shows such as Little Women, The Little Mermaid,
A Few Good Men, Fruitcakes, Godspell, You're a Good Man
Charlie Brown, Pilgrims, Toybox, and WIlly Wonka (which is
where Becky started dating Jerry, who would eventually become
her husband). Becky is the President of the Northwest Indiana
Excellence in Theatre Foundation, having also served as a past
viewer and on the boards of several non-profits. Next up, Becky
will be directing Willy Wonka (with Jerry) in March and Freud's Last Session in June,
both at Crown Point Community Theatre. In her day job, she is the Grant Writer for
Kids Alive International (one of our charity partners).
Leave the world a better place. That is what I have learned in life. You don’t have to be
rich, well-educated and know all of the right people to be able to make a difference.
About 64.3 million people volunteered time at least once between September 2010 and
September 2011. My heart was lightened by that statistic – a statistic that reflects well
on us as a society. For a short time, you just need to care about someone else as much as
you do about yourself. VTC was founded upon that principle. By attending a show, you
can say that you did your part to give back, to the tune of $6 from your $10 ticket. That
is the amount that we have committed to giving back to each charity on any given
performance night. Our funds to produce shows are acquired mostly through donations.
Truthfully, I feel as if VTC is, when you truly look at things, a philanthropic
organization or charity group with a theatre problem! Please give generously of your
time to those in need, and if you have it, your funds, as well. Thank you!
~ Colleen M. Zana, VTC President
Fr
om
VT
C’s
Pr
esid
en
t
No
te
s f
ro
m t
he
Dir
ec
to
r
Steel Magnolias is 25 years old this year — a quarter of a century. In spite of this age, if
you mention it on the street, everyone knows the show. Many remember the movie
featuring Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley McLane,
and Darryl Hannah. Some regularly use quotes from the movie or recognize the cultural
influences it has had (bleeding Armadillo groom's cake, for instance). But more than
any of these individual moments is the depth of friendship portrayed in these characters.
Isn't that what we all long for? A group that we fit in with, a group that we genuinely
love and care about and they us, a group that walks through life together whether up or
down or inside out — that group is what we call community. Finding it is what's hard
(kidney's are easy); keeping it is the celebration of a life well lived. This show touches
on sports, politics, religion, death, disease, pesky neighbors, and a host of hair care
products. The art of love through still communicating your opinion is often missing in
conversations today. We've become a society of “if you don't agree with me, I can't be
friends with you.” What you see here tonight is the antithesis of this — love covers all,
walks through all, and carries the grace with it to disagree. May we all learn to love like
this community! May we also all learn to gracefully enjoy some good Louisiana hospi-
tality along the way, as well. Special thanks to you, the audience, for being a critical
character in every theatrical performance, to Steve and Colleen and the VTC board for
the opportunity, to my husband, Jerry, for allowing me to be gone so much, and to God
for his gracious sharing of creativity with us, His creation. ~ Becky Jascoviak
Me
et T
he
Ca
st
Anne Nicholls (M'Lynn) is a devoted wife, proud mother of
three, and hard-working Fifth Grade Teacher. Dramatically
speaking, she has been part of the local community theatre scene
since 2001, working with Crown Point Community Theatre, the
Genesius Guild, Footlight Players, Chicago Street Theatre,
Hammond Community Theatre, Community Showcase Theatre,
the Memorial Opera House, and 4th Street Theatre. This is her first
VTC production. Some of her favorite performances were in
August Osage County, God of Carnage, Molly Sweeney,
The Smell of the Kill, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,
Enchanted April, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Noises Off, and a previous
production of Steel Magnolias.
Pam Tschida (Truvy) Pam is returning once more to the VTC
stage. She made her stage debut in Prelude to a Kiss and enjoyed
the experience enough to join VTC again last fall in Specter of
Treason: The Lee Harvey Oswald Trial, as Marguerite Oswald, the
mother of the infamous assassin, and to grace the stage last spring
as Mrs. Ethel Banks in Barefoot in the Park. She joined VTC in
2011, serving as a rehearsal assistant for The Kitchen Witches, and
now serves on the VTC Board of Directors. She is thrilled to be
satisfying a lifelong passion for the theatre. She would like to thank
her Mother for giving her the acting bug, and her children for
keeping it alive.
VT
C B
oa
rd
of
Dir
ec
to
rs
V
TC
Tr
uste
es
Colleen Zana President /Development Chair
Steve Zana Vice President/Marketing Chair
Mike Porter Treasurer
Matthew B. Byerly Recorder/Secretary
Vickie Cash Artistic Chair
Deb Porter Charity Liaison
Michael “Doc” Kuhn
Lawrence Bingham
Craig Kozora
Pam Tschida
Members At-Large
Patrick Johnson ~ Web Design
and Artist
George Zana Sr. ~ Accountant &
Tax Preparer
Val Nicholson Patty Bird
Celeste Smith Florence Cole
Our Mission
The mission of the Valparaiso Theatrical Company Inc. is to offer
professional-quality theatre at an affordable price while giving to
charitable causes. Whether the plays are socially relevant classics,
contemporary or new plays with vision, giving back in an artistic and
monetary way to the world is our mission. While performance is its own
reward, the VTC Board is committed to giving a portion of its own
profits from each show to other non-profit and charitable causes.
Me
et t
he
Ca
st
Alley Banks (Shelby) was infected with the theatre bug traversing
the jungles of a strange land known as Hobart High School. The
infection progressed, leading her to hallucinate/act out as Truvy in
Steel Magnolias, Mary Warren in The Crucible, and Debbie in Back
to the 80’s. When she escaped, she took up residency in a Science
Fiction Double Feature as part of the “Help Me Mommy” shadow
cast for the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at the Art Theatre. With
that troupe, she has performed as Janet, Magenta, Rocky, and Frank
at various points in time-warping. When not indulging in theatrical
flights of fancy, Alley works several jobs, including a job at a
costume shop and as a makeup artist for Reapers Realm Haunted Attractions. Special
thanks go to the director for casting her in this role, family for being supportive, and
friends for continuing to join her on this crazy trip called life.
Linda Didelot (Oiser) Linda is pleased to be returning once again
to a VTC production, having performed with the group last fall in
Specter of Treason: The Lee Harvey Oswald Trial and the prior
spring in Almost, Maine. A veteran performer, Linda has appeared
in productions with many area theatre groups, most recently starring
in two different plays during 4th Street Theatre’s inaugural 6x10
Ten Minute Play Festival. She is pleased to be working both with
familiar faces and several new folks on the stage. When not playing
on the stage, Linda is a Math instructor at Chesterton Middle
School. She would like to thank VTC board members and
volunteers, and the director, Becky, for offering this stage
experience that benefits so many worthwhile causes. Last, but not least, Linda would
like to thank her husband for making sure that all of her lines were memorized
correctly.
Marcia Gienapp (Clairee) has been involved in community theatre
for nearly a quarter of a century. Most of her theatrical work has been
done with Community Theatre Guild's Chicago Street Theatre. She
has directed numerous family shows like Miracle on 34th Street and
Revenge of the Space Pandas. On stage, she has appeared in Animal
Crackers, The Diviners, Eleemosynary, The Dining Room, The
Memory of Water, Hot l Baltimore, The Cripple of Inishmaan,
Bedroom Farce, The Man Who Came to Dinner, and last year did
some voice acting as a stuffed elephant in Junie B.Jones: Jingle Bells,
Batman Smells! In her real-life adventures, Marcia is a clinical law
professor at Valparaiso University, currently focusing her clinic work on defense of
consumers in debt collection lawsuits brought by third-party debt buyers.
Caity Mullen (Annelle) makes her VTC premiere in this production.
Caity is excited to once more return to the stage doing what she
loves. Performing arts has played a major role in Caity's life since she
was little. Some of her favorite roles include Judy (Rebel Without a
Cause), Valerie (Life with Mother Superior), and Violet (It's A
Wonderful Life). Taking her passion for theatrics to a new level, she is
also the CEO and Founder of Little Dreamers Character Adventures,
LLC, a company specializing in providing costumed characters for a
variety of events throughout Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana
(find them on Facebook!)
Th
e C
re
w
Sp
ec
ial
Th
an
ks T
o…
Sound/ Light Design & Operation Steve Zana
Set Decoration Colleen Zana, Celeste Smith, Pam
Set Construction Steve and Colleen Zana, Mike Porter,
Doc Kuhn, Matthew Byerly , Jay and
Linda Didelot, Loman Fox
Set Design Steve Zana
Hair and Makeup Pam Tschida
Costuming Colleen Zana
Stage Manager Morgan Hancock
Stage “Ninja” (Assistant) Tessa Bingham
Rehearsal Assist/Assistant Director Larry Bingham
Radio DJ Jerry Jascoviak
First Presbyterian Church for use of their building, chairs, and their hospitality through rehearsals & construction
Our Charities for efforts in ticket sales and marketing, and all they do in the community.
Christopher Ebert for his tireless efforts in facilities scheduling
The Genesius Guild for the donation of light-ing instruments
Matthew B. Byerly for Program Design and facilities assistance
Becky Fox Jascoviak for direction, poster design, and marketing assistance
Our Generous Donors: “A Jolly Old Elf,” The Byerly Family, Linda Didelot, and David Spitler
4th Street Theatre/North Coast Cultural Association for the donation of lighting instru-ments and lending props
New Creation Resale for the lending of set items and props
Volunteers in construction, box office, conces-sions, and all the small details...
Adams Communications for allowing ticket giveaways on-air on Indiana 105
Our wonderful ad sponsors, for without you, there would be no Playbill!
Sheree Wheeler-Gudeman and Creative Touch Salon for lending of props
Michael “Doc” Kuhn for Stage Weaponry
Natalie Franks for training J.T. Hanoway and the Wheeler High School Drama Department
Kids Alive International
And last by not least, all of our audiences. We thank you for your support!
The Mystery of Edwin Drood Musical — The audience gets to decide who murdered
Edwin Drood in this show based on Charles Dickens’ last,
unfinished work!
October 31 thru November 16 Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 2
Memorial Opera House Valparaiso, IN
219-548-9137 / memorialoperahouse.com
Amahl and the Night Visitors Opera — Amahl tells his mother of a star rising in the sky,
and the family meets the Magi in this classic originally
written for Television. (Performed in English)
November 14 thru 30 Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 3
4th Street Theatre Chesterton, IN
219-926-7875 / 4thStreetNCCA.org
A Charlie Brown Christmas Play —Peanuts characters everyone loves in the classic TV
special brought to life on stage
November 28 thru December 21
Primary cast Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 2:30pm/7pm,
and Sundays at 2:30pm/5:30pm. Junior cast Thursdays at
7pm and Saturdays at 11am
Chicago Street Theatre Valparaiso, IN
219-464-1636 / chicagostreet.org
A Fabulous ‘50s Christmas Musical — The show pays homage to the Perry Como and Andy
Williams' Christmas specials of the 1950’s & 60’s, complete
with original arrangements and period commercials live on
stage
December 5 thru December 21 Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 2
Towle Theatre Hammond, IN
219-937-8780 / towletheatre.org
A Tuna Christmas Play — Redneck Christmas Fantasy with 26 characters played
by only two crazy actors! For Mature Audiences.
December 5 thru December 20 Fri & Sat at 8
Crown Point Community Theatre Crown Point, IN
219-805-4255 / cpct.biz
The Ugly Duckling Play — A.A.Milne (“Winnie the Pooh”) tale of a girl who learns
to be true to herself. Fun for all ages!
December 6 thru December 21 Sat & Sun 3
Crown Point Community Theatre Crown Point, IN
219-805-4255 / cpct.biz
Annie Musical — Everyone’s favorite redheaded orphan and her dog,
Sandy, on a musical misadventure to find their “Tomorrow”
December 5 thru December 21 Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 2
Memorial Opera House Valparaiso, IN
219-548-9137 / memorialoperahouse.com
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) Play — Tongue-in-cheek satire of Holiday traditions, stories
and Television specials
December 12 thru December 21 Fri & Sat at 8, Sun at 2
Hammond Community Theatre Hammond, IN
888-928-6648 / HammondCommunityTheatre.org