Union Street Players

USP Meeting Monday Feb 13 @ 7 p.m.

Union Street Players — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:30:14 +0000

The regular monthly meeting of Union Street Players will be Monday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m. in room 201 of the Pella Community Center. Meetings are open to the public.

Cast Announced for “The Night of January 16th”

Union Street Players — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:48:46 +0000

Union Street Players is proud to announce the cast of Ayn Rand‘s “The Night of January 16th.” The show will be directed by Anne McCullough Kelly (Cheaper by the Dozen) and Produced by Tom Vander Well. The courtroom drama, in which audience members serve as jurors and determine the outcome of the play, is the first play of USP’s 25th Anniversary Season. The show will be performed March 29 – April 1, 2012.

Karen Andre ……………………..Jana DeZwarte

District Attorney Flint…………. Doug DeWolf

Defense Attorney Stevens……… Denise Gregory

Judge Heath (yet to be cast)

Bailiff/Court Clerk………………. Vicki Hicks

Stenographer…………………….. Nancy Moreland

Dr. Kirkland……………………… Mark Moreland

Mrs. John Hutchins……………. Cyndi Atkins

Homer Van Fleet………………… Dayrel Gates

Elmer Sweeney…………………… Mark Schaefer

Jane Chandler……………………. Cammie Nelson

Magda Svenson………………….. Deb Linn

Nancy Lee Faulkner…………….. Ashly Kocher

John Graham Whitfield………… Arvin Van Zante

Siegurd Jungquist……………….. Karl Deakyne

Lawrence “Guts” Regan………… Tom Vander Well

Roberta Van Rensselaer……….. Wendy Vander Well

Auditions for “Night of January 16th” Tonight (Monday)

Union Street Players — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:13:07 +0000

Union Street Players will be holding open auditions for Ayn Rand’s courtroom drama “The Night of January 16th” tonight, Monday, January 16th at 7:00 p.m. in the Pella Community Center. No roles are precast and no experience is necessary. If you’ve thought it might be fun to get on stage and try out for a show, this is a GREAT opportunity! Many roles for adult men and women! Call backs and additional auditions will be held Thursday night, January 19th, if necessary! For more info call Anne McCullough Kelly at 641-621-1576. For more information visit www.unionstreetplayers.com.

USP Changes Regular Monthly Meeting Schedule

Union Street Players — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:23:31 +0000

Starting with January 2012, Union Street Players will hold our regularly scheduled membership meetings on the SECOND Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. USP has traditionally met the 1st Monday of each month. Because production weekends often fall around the beginning or end of a month, the Board of Directors regularly moved the meeting back a week. In addition, holidays such as the 4th of July often necessitated moving the meeting date. By moving our regular monthly meeting back to the 2nd Monday of each month, the Board of Directors hopes to avoid having to move the meeting date so often.

USP meets in Room 201 of the Pella Community Center. Meetings are open to the public though only members are allowed to vote in the meeting,

Spacey Chastises Audience in Character in Richard III

Union Street Players — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:23:13 +0000

For actors on stage, there is nothing quite as unnerving and distracting as audience members who refused to turn off their phone or insist on talking, moving and squirming in their seats. During his recent acclaimed turn as Shakespeare’s Richard III, Kevin Spacey has taken matters into his own hands. While staying in character as the wretched monarch, Spacey has broken the fourth wall to chastise audience members and point them out for ridicule. Read the article from The Huffington Post.

Up Next for USP: Ayn Rand’s “Night of January 16th”

Union Street Players — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:25:59 +0000

Union Street Players

proudly announces auditions for

The Night of January 16^th

A play by Ayn Rand

March 29^th – April 1^st, 2012

Bjorn Faulkner has swindled millions of dollars from investors, investing cash he did not have in order to control the gold trade. In the wake of a crash, he is facing bankruptcy despite borrowing money from Mr. John Graham Whitfield, a prominent banker whose daughter, Nancy Lee, married Faulkner shortly after the loan. On the night of January 16th, Faulkner and Karen Andre, his secretary and lover, are in the penthouse at the top of the Faulkner Building in New York when Faulkner falls to his death. Shortly thereafter Karen Andre is accused of murdering him and is put on trial. But did she kill him? Did he commit suicide rather than face his financial troubles? Or did someone else have a motive for ending his life? Only YOU, the jury selected from our audience, can decide the fate of Karen Andre! Come witness (and maybe be a part of) the trial, shift through the evidence, and render a verdict – is Karen Andre guilty or not guilty?

Directed by Anne McCullough Kelly with assistance from Cyndi Atkins

AUDITIONS ARE OPEN TO ADULTS AGES 18+ YEARS

NO ROLES ARE PRE-CAST

6-9 parts for adult women, 9-11 parts for adult men

Auditions scheduled to take place at the Pella Community Center on:

Saturday, January 14^th 1:00-3:30pm

Monday, January 16^th, 7:00-9:30pm

Callbacks, if needed on Thursday, January 19^th, 7:00pm

Perusal Scripts will be available in the Pella Community Library from December 19, 2011 – January 19 2012

Also looking for people to fill the following technical and backstage roles:

Stage Manager Costuming (play is set in late 1920s to early 1930s)

Light and Sound Design Prop Design

Light and Sound Board Operators Make-up Coordinator

Set Construction

For questions or to volunteer for technical/backstage positions, please contact Anne McCullough Kelly at 621-1576

“Tinkerman” Delights Christmas Crowd

Union Street Players — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:13:02 +0000

This past weekend was Christmas in Pella. The Pella Garden Club and the Convention and Visitors Bureau sponsored a fantastic Tour of Homes and our local chamber rolled out the red carpet for visitors. Union Street Players once again did our part with performances of “A Tinkerman Christmas Eve,” an original play by USP’s Beverly Graves.

Audiences were delighted with the four performances and word of mouth had audience members scrambling to snatch up available seats for the final two performances.

According to Producer Pat Moriarity, the estimated attendance figures for “A Tinkerman Christmas Eve” were:

Thur Dec 1: 157
Fri Dec 2: 123
Sat Dec 3: 239
Sun Dec 4: 202

Thanks to Producer Pat Moriarity, Director Beverly Graves, Cast and Crew for another great production!

“A Tinkerman’s Christmas Eve” This Weekend

Union Street Players — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 04:28:58 +0000

Darrell Dobernecker and Bev Graves in "A Tinkerman's Christmas Eve"

Union Street Players‘ production of the musical “A Tinkerman’s Christmas Eve” opens Thursday, December 1st and runs through Sunday, December 4th. “Tinkerman’s Christmas Eve” tells a heartwarming story of a family missing their family member deployed in Afghanistan. The original script by USP Walk of Fame member, Bev Graves, is packed with all of your favorite Christmas songs and carols and is perfect for the whole family. Graves also directs and stars in the show along with Pella’s outgoing Mayor, Darrell Dobernecker. The cast includes several USP veterans along with a host of newcomers making their USP debuts.

The musical will be performed at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a Sunday afternoon matinee at 2:00 p.m. Tickets ($7 for adults; $5 for students) may be purchased at the door of any performance and, as of Wednesday evening, tickets are available for all shows. The show will be performed on the stage of the Joan Kuyper Farver Auditorium in the Pella Community Center (712 Union Street, Pella, IA).

USP Gathers to Honor Deb Linn

Union Street Players — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:05:35 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

On the evening of October 15, Union Street Players gathered at Monarch’s on the Molengracht for our Fourth Annual Awards Dinner to honor Deb Linn as this year’s inductee into USP’s Walk of Fame. Pati Van Zante introduced Linn, commenting on her long list of credits with Pella’s award winning community theatre including actor, director, producer, board member and program ad salesperson extraodinaire. She becomes the seventh member of the Walk of Fame joining Dottie McGee, Pat Moriarity and Arvin Van Zante (2008), Bev Graves and Peggy Moriarity (2009), and Shelley Buhrow (2010).

The annual awards dinner was attended by USP members, faithful supporters along with family members celebrating with Linn. USP celebrated another successful year of productions (Annie!, Vintage Hitchcock, Once Upon a Mattress) with a slide show of photos from all three shows. Three USP members were also honored for receiving awards from the Iowa Community Theatre Association (ICTA). Mark Moreland and Jonathon Gregg were awarded for excellence in character acting for their roles in Vintage Hitchcock. Jana DeZwarte was awarded Outstanding Actress in a Featured Role for her turn as Miss Hannigan in Annie!

2012 represents USP’s 25th Anniversary season with three productions planned. A Tinkerman Christmas Eve is an original musical by USP founder and Walk of Fame member Bev Graves and will be performed the first weekend of December. Ayn Rand’s The Night of January 16th is a courtroom mystery in which audience members make up members of the jury to decide the play’s end. It will be produced in March and will be directed by Anne McCullough Kelly. The children’s favorite Jungle Book will be produced next summer and directed by Lisa Morgan. The grand finale of the 2012 season will be Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat directed by Pat Moriarity.

Two USP Members in NCT’s “Arsenic and Old Lace!”

Union Street Players — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:56:26 +0000

by Joseph Kesselring
Production dates: 7:30 p.m., Oct. 7, 8,13, 14 and 15; 2 p.m., Oct. 9
Directed by MaryThompson and Skye Westendorf

Did you know that murder by poison can be hilarious?It is in the case of Arsenicand Old Lace, the black comedy that will invite you overfor a nightcap this October. Mortimer Brewster – a role made famous onfilm by Cary Grant – initially thinks his biggest problem is whether ornot to get married. But that’s nothing when he learns that his brother iscrazy, another relative is crazier yet and his aunts … well, you’reunlikely to meet a sweeter pair of psychopaths! The cast won’t justtickle your funny bones – they might bury them in their basement, too!

Cast
Abby Brewster – Judy Richmond
Rev. Harper – Keith Isley
Teddy Brewster – Larry Daft
Officer Brophy – Arvin Van Zante
Officer Klein – Emigdio Lopez-Sanders
Martha Brewster – Katherine Craig
Elaine Harper – Jennifer Esrey
Mortimer Brewster – Kelly Peavey
Mr. Gibbs – John Dougan
Jonathan Brewster – Lonnie Appleby
Dr. Einstein – Scott Schaeffer
Officer O’Hara – John Dougan
Lt. Rooney – Pat Moriarity
Ms. Witherspoon – Julie Schaeffer

Click here for ticketinformation.

Union Street Players

USP Meeting Monday Feb 13 @ 7 p.m.

Cast Announced for “The Night of January 16th”

Auditions for “Night of January 16th” Tonight (Monday)

USP Changes Regular Monthly Meeting Schedule

Spacey Chastises Audience in Character in Richard III

Up Next for USP: Ayn Rand’s “Night of January 16th”

The Night of January 16th

March 29th – April 1st, 2012

6-9 parts for adult women, 9-11 parts for adult men

Auditions scheduled to take place at the Pella Community Center on:

Saturday, January 14th 1:00-3:30pm

Monday, January 16th, 7:00-9:30pm

Callbacks, if needed on Thursday, January 19th, 7:00pm

Perusal Scripts will be available in the Pella Community Library from December 19, 2011 – January 19 2012

“Tinkerman” Delights Christmas Crowd

“A Tinkerman’s Christmas Eve” This Weekend

USP Gathers to Honor Deb Linn

Two USP Members in NCT’s “Arsenic and Old Lace!”

The Night of January 16^th

March 29^th – April 1^st, 2012

Saturday, January 14^th 1:00-3:30pm

Monday, January 16^th, 7:00-9:30pm

Callbacks, if needed on Thursday, January 19^th, 7:00pm