See where we've been...know where we're going!
THE CABARET THEATRE ARCHIVE
On August 13, 2015, President of Cabaret Theatre, Inc. closed on the purchase of 227 Main Street--Latrobe, PA. Originally, The Paramount Theatre, it opened to the public on July 8, 1916 with Marguerite Clark in “Still Waters”. It was taken over by Manos Theaters and following a remodel and refurbishment reopened as the Manos Theatre on November 30, 1936 with Irene Dunne in “Theodora Goes Wild”. It was closed in 1979. In the 2000/2010’s the Latrobe Athletic Club occupied this former theatre. In 2015, The Cabaret Theatre announced plans to convert the Manos Theatre into a live theatre to be known as the Cabaret Theatre. A Center for Performing Arts and Performing Arts Education.
THE CABARET THEATRE ARCHIVE
On August 13, 2015, President of Cabaret Theatre, Inc. closed on the purchase of 227 Main Street--Latrobe, PA. Originally, The Paramount Theatre, it opened to the public on July 8, 1916 with Marguerite Clark in “Still Waters”. It was taken over by Manos Theaters and following a remodel and refurbishment reopened as the Manos Theatre on November 30, 1936 with Irene Dunne in “Theodora Goes Wild”. It was closed in 1979. In the 2000/2010’s the Latrobe Athletic Club occupied this former theatre. In 2015, The Cabaret Theatre announced plans to convert the Manos Theatre into a live theatre to be known as the Cabaret Theatre. A Center for Performing Arts and Performing Arts Education.
Located in the heart of downtown Latrobe, Pa...the proposed theatre would serveas the Artistic Heart of of the town...and with hard work and dedication, the "ArtHeart" of the entire Westmoreland County
Believing that theatre and the Arts are necessary for all strata of American society, The Cabaret Theatre had plans to become a Regional Performing Art Center.
Located directly across Main Street from the Latrobe Art Center, the idea of having a genuine "Cultural District" in the city seemed a likely reality. To that end, John Carosella, Artistic Director, approached Ms. Gabrielle Nastuck, Director of the Art Center to ascertain whether there was space within the Center to host a series of small plays until the big theatre was renovated. She was excited by the idea and agreed...and the Cabaret Theatre began to mount a series of One-Act plays on a portable stage in what is called Latrobe Art Center--Gallery Number One.
Believing that theatre and the Arts are necessary for all strata of American society, The Cabaret Theatre had plans to become a Regional Performing Art Center.
Located directly across Main Street from the Latrobe Art Center, the idea of having a genuine "Cultural District" in the city seemed a likely reality. To that end, John Carosella, Artistic Director, approached Ms. Gabrielle Nastuck, Director of the Art Center to ascertain whether there was space within the Center to host a series of small plays until the big theatre was renovated. She was excited by the idea and agreed...and the Cabaret Theatre began to mount a series of One-Act plays on a portable stage in what is called Latrobe Art Center--Gallery Number One.
THE VERY FIRST PRODUCTION IN LATROBE
|
They Never Made It Big!
A New Play by John J. Carosella Original Music & Lyrics by Lauren Condon The Cast
Vocalist/Guitarist……Lauren Condon David……David Seremet John……John Carosella 
Prelude……………………….………...”We’ve All Had Our Day”
Scene One…………………………………........The Funeral Home Interlude One…………………………...………………”I Wonder” Scene Two…………………………………….……The Restaurant Interlude Two…………………………………...……...”I Wonder” Scene Three…………………………………...…..….The Audition Interlude Three………………………………...….”Best Guy Ever” Scene Four………………………………...…………..…The Wake Interlude Four…………………………………………..”I’m Here” Scene Five……………………………………….…….The Closing |
"But always, through it all…through the sicknesses and the family tragedies and national traumas and everything else, there was the theatre. We came together. We rehearsed and made a show. We created something from almost nothing. Dead words on a page and we made them alive and made people laugh with them and cry. And we got through all of it. What was good the theatre made better and what was bad the theatre made better."
-- John, They Never Made It Big September 2015
The Latrobe Art Center Main Gallery |
...AND THEN...A DOUBLE FEATURE...TWO ONE-ACTS
Night Vision
|
A New Play by John J Carosella
Directed by Joe Milliren The Cast: Kate O'Halloran as Aggie David Seremet as Joseph October 2015
The Latrobe Art Center Main Gallery |
"You never said you loved me. In the bed. Never once in all those fifty two years, you never looked at me and said “Aggie, I love you.” Not once. Not even when we got old and all’s we did was keep each other warm in the wintertime."
-- Aggie, Night Vision |
A Life's Work
A New Play by John J. Carosella
Directed by Joe Milliren
A New Play by John J. Carosella
Directed by Joe Milliren
|
The Cast
John Carosella...Mickey Shirley Ratner...Eileen Christopher Robin...Frankie |
|
It’s not a war he’s goin’ to, it’s boot camp. And with some prayer and a little bit of good luck what’s goin’ on over in Korea will be over and done with before his six weeks of trainin’ is up. His goin’ is... well, it’s comin’ at a bad time is all. Us havin’ to leave the house and him havin’ to leave us, both comin’ at the same time...well, it ain’t the easiest thing to bear up under, but it ain’t the worst we’ve borne neither.
-- Eileen, A Life's Work |
THE POWERFUL AND TIMELY EXPLORATION OF THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A TEENAGE "SCHOOL SHOOTER."
Bang Bang You're Dead
by William Mastosimone
Director: Rob MacIntyre Stage Manager: Cori Beredino
by William Mastosimone
Director: Rob MacIntyre Stage Manager: Cori Beredino
|
"Don't I have enough pain? Isn't it hard enough being nobody? Isn't it tough enough that everybody looks at me like I'm a broken trashbag? Where do I fit in? Where can I go and not have anybody on my back? At school the teachers are giving this test and that paper and don't do this and don't do that. Then I come home and you always find something that I didn't do and I'm never good enough."
-- Josh, Bang Bang You're Dead November 2015 The Latrobe Art Center: Main Gallery |
Featuring:
Joel Basenback as Josh With: Addy Hildebrand as Jessie Bridget Malley as Emily Christopher Robin as Matt Maddy Kae Gressman as Katie Justin Watts as Michael 
|
THEN...A CHRISTMAS SHOW, OF COURSE!
Sometimes The Heart Sings
A New Play by John J. Carosella
Original Musical Score by Aaron Gray
A New Play by John J. Carosella
Original Musical Score by Aaron Gray
|
"When I was a boy…when I had a family…my mother would always sing Silent Night to me…she had such a sweet voice…She used to sing it to me and my brother and my two sisters…every Christmas eve. It would get dark outside and mom and dad would gather us kids around our little tree. We weren’t very well off and we didn’t have much, but we were little and we didn’t know how much we didn’t have. We thought we had everything in the world, because we had a Christmas tree…with lights on it. Every color you can imagine…and they twinkled like the stars on a very cold night. And my father sat across from us and he told us it was time to go to bed, but…and he made that word sound so…”full of promise.” But…he would say…” If you pull the covers up to your chins and if you close your eyes tight and think about the very first Christmas, something special will happen during the night!” That’s when my mother would start singing. She sang it all the way through first and then we all sang it and we went to our beds. And sure enough. Every Christmas morning there would be presents for each of us under the tree in the morning. It’s funny. I don’t remember a single one of those little presents, but I remember us all singing that song…."
-- Mr. Donaldson, Sometimes the Heart Sings |
The Cast
Your Host… ………………………..…Jerry Woodling Your Hostess………………...…….Jennifer Woodling Tori…………………………………… .Tobitha Sasso Chip………………………………….Christopher Robin Mr. Donaldson………………………..David Seremet Piano Accompani...........…Aaron Gray, Javier Ferrer December 2015
The Latrobe Art Center: Main Gallery |
THE SUCCESSFUL RUN OF ONE-ACT PLAYS AT THE LATROBE ART CENTER REQUIRES THAT THE THEATRE COMPANY ABANDON ITS PORTABLE STAGE IN GALLERY ONE AND MOVE TO SOMETHING MORE PERMANENT IN THE LARGER GALLERY TWO!
|
January 2016
The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery |
Celibacy
A New Play by John J. Carosella The Cast David Seremet as Fr. Joe Connolly Tom Sarp as Fr. Jeremy Talbot Director: John Carosella Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Assistant Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki "Maybe I am a fool! I’m going to have a hangover tomorrow morning, but I know this. I’m going to drag my sorry ass out of bed and breathe those beautiful words over the bread and wine. Is that foolish, do you think? And I’m going to stand there and say “The Body of Christ” to whoever comes to the altar. The lost, the lonely, the exuberant, the joyful, the sad, the old, young, sick, all of them who come shuffling up the aisle. They want life, Jeremy, and they bring their weary selves to the altar so that what I hold in these hands can transform whatever they bring into eternal life. Spiritual life! In my hands. Yes, maybe I am a fool. But that’s what I do and that’s who I’ve become. And I’m satisfied. I’m more than satisfied. And all I had to do was bring the gift of my sexuality and let it be transformed into something sacred."
-- Fr. Joe, Celibacy |
ANTICIPATING A JUNE OPENING AT 227 MAIN STREET, THE CABARET MOUNTED WHAT IT THOUGHT WOULD BE ITS LAST PRODUCTION AT THE LATROBE ART CENTER.
Art
By Yasmina Reza Translated by Christopher Hampton
By Yasmina Reza Translated by Christopher Hampton
|
Director: John Carosella
Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Assistant Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki The Cast David Seremet as Marc Patrick Conner as Serge Kaleb Yandrick as Yvan "If I'm who I am because I'm who I am and you're who you are because you're who you are, then I'm who I am and you're who you are. If, on the other hand, I'm who I am because you're who you are and if you're who you are because I'm who I am, then I'm not who I am and you're not who you are."
-- Yvan, Art |
February 2016
The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery |
AND THEN CAME THE BAD NEWS...ON JUNE 8, 2016...A FEW SHORT WEEKS BEFORE THE PLANNED OPENING!
THE ASSURANCE THAT OUR BUILDING WOULD NOT NEED AN EXPENSIVE SPRINKLER SYSTEM...
THE CONDITION UPON WHICH WE PURCHASED...
WAS BROKEN.
THE CITY MANAGER OF LATROBE, MR. WAYNE JONES, STATED IN AN EMAIL:
Sent: Thursday, April 16, 2015 11:49:10 AM
Subject: Building in Latrobe
To all,
"I believe I mentioned to John (big and little) about the old Manos theater coming up for sale in Latrobe.
The concern raised by the two was, would the building which was converted to an athletic center, need sprinklers for it to be turned back into a theater. After discussions with the commercial code officer it was determined that because the public will be on one floor, no sprinklers are needed."
UPON INSPECTION, BUILDING INSPECTION UNDERWRITERS (BIU), THE CONTRACTED INSPECTING AGENCY FOR LATROBE, DISAGREED AND ISSUED THE FOLLOWING LIST. THE FIRST ITEM WAS THE SPINKLER SYSTEM.
A SEASON OF FIVE PLAYS HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED! SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS HAD BEEN SOLD! AND THE THEATRE COULD NOT POSSIBLY OPEN. UNWILLING TO IMPOSE FURTHER ON THE GENEROSITY OF THE LATROBE ART CENTER AND ITS DIRECTOR GABBY NASTUCK, THE CABARET THEATRE PREPARED TO MOVE OUT AND APOLOGIZE WITH REFUNDS TO ITS PATRONS. THEN MS. NASTUCK SUGGESTED THAT WE MOVE TO THE EVEN LARGER GALLERY THREE AND COMPLETE OUR SEASON, THUS GIVING US THE CHANCE TO PLAN OUR NEXT MOVE. WE MOUNTED THE FIVE SHOWS IN GALLERY THREE AND OFFERED OUR PREMIER PRODUCTION..."MAN OF LA MANCHA"...FREE TO THE PUBLIC AS A GIFT TO SALVE OUR BROKEN PROMISE TO LATROBE AND THE REGION.
Man of La Mancha
Book by Dale Wasserman Music by Mitch Leigh Lyrics Joe Darion
Director: John J. Carosella Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Asst. Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
Music Director: Aaron Gray Choreographer: Jamie Nesta Technical Director: John Michael Horanic
June 2016, The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery
Book by Dale Wasserman Music by Mitch Leigh Lyrics Joe Darion
Director: John J. Carosella Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Asst. Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
Music Director: Aaron Gray Choreographer: Jamie Nesta Technical Director: John Michael Horanic
June 2016, The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery
The Cast
Cindy L. Baltzer…….…………………..……….……….……….Prisoner/Aldonza Peggy Bryan………………… …………………………………………….Prisoner Anne Cruzan……………………………………… ……….Servant/Sancho Panza Dennis Donegan………………………….…………The Governor/The Innkeeper Olivia Dongilla…………………………………………………………….Prisoner Javier Ferrer……………………………………………..…………..Prisoner/Padre James Gracie, Jr. ……..…………..……………………… …………Prisoner/Pedro Bernard Hauger…………………………………………………Prisoner/Muleteer Liz Jacobsen………………… …………………..………….Prisoner/Housekeeper Carolyn Jerz………………………..………..…………Prisoner/Burro/Moorish Girl Dennis Jerz………………… ….….The Duke/Dr. Carrasco/Knight of the Mirrors Michael Kershaw………… ………………………..……..Prisoner/Monk/Muleteer Rebekah Laughlin……… …………………………….…………..Prisoner/Antonia Jacob Lubic ………………………………………….…….Prisoner/Monk/Muleteer Amanda Moore…………………………………….…………………Prisoner/Horse Jamie Nesta………………………………… ….…Prisoner/Horse/Moorish Dancer Christopher Paluzzi………..… ……Prisoner/Captain of the Inquisition/Muleteer Melissa Raichel………………………………….………..Prisoner/Innkeeper’s Wife David Seremet…………….…..Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote de La Mancha Owen Shotts……………………………… ……………………..Prisoner/Muleteer Angela Wilt…………………………………………………Prisoner/Fermina/Burro 
|
"When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. To seek treasure where there is only trash. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be!”
-- Cervantes, Man of La Mancha 
|
A Midsummer Night's Dream
By William Shakespeare
(enhanced bit here and there by John Carosella)
Original Musical Score by Eugene D'Angelo
By William Shakespeare
(enhanced bit here and there by John Carosella)
Original Musical Score by Eugene D'Angelo
|
The Cast
Puck, Fairy Servant to Oberon………………………….…..Carolyn Jerz Mustardseed, Fairy servant to Titania……………………Rachel Nicely Peaseblossom, Fairy servant to Titania…….…….Temperance Gennaro Cobweb, Fairy servant to Titania………………………Addy Hildebrand Theseus, Duke of Athens………………………...………..Jerry Woodling Hippolyta, Engaged to Theseus…………………..........Jennifer Woodling Philostrate, Chief of Staff to Theseus…………..…………..Dolores Love Egeus, An Athenian father……………………………......……Craig Soich Hermia, Daughter of Egeus……………………….…...…..Becca Mitchell Demetrius, Egsus’ choice to marry Hermia…………….....…Mitch Farrell Lysander, A young man in love with Hermia……....….Luke Chamberlain Helena, A young woman in love with Demetrius……………..Erin Fulton Robin Starveling, the tailor…………………………….…..Olivia Dongilla Francis Flute, the bellows mender……………..……......Michael Kershaw Snout, the tinker……………………..……….....……….Cindy Lou Fiorina Snug, the joiner………………………………….…….Christopher Paluzzi Bottom, the weaver…………………………….….....………..Anne Cruzan Peter Quince, the carpenter……………….…….…...……..David Seremet Oberon, King of the fairies……………………………….….…Dennis Jerz Titania, Queen of the fairies……….…………………………Peggy Bryan |
July 2016
The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery And so we end where we began
You are there and here I stand I hope you had a merry romp As lovers here did storm and stomp But if we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, Nothing really, but a dream, that pleasantly did enthrall. So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. (Puck, A Midsummer Night's Dream) |
The Miracle Worker
By William Gibson
Director: Leigh Anne Jerz Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
Asst. Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Technical Director: John Michael
August 2016, The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery
By William Gibson
Director: Leigh Anne Jerz Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
Asst. Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Technical Director: John Michael
August 2016, The Latrobe Art Center: Middle Gallery
|
THE CAST
At Ivy Green,the Keller Home Tuscumbia, Alabama Annie Sullivan………………………………………………Pamela Lee Kate Keller………………………………………………..Katya Shaffer Capt. Keller………………………………………………….Craig Soich James Keller……………………………………………….Noah Telford Aunt Ev……………………………………………….…..Dolores Love Helen Keller………………………………………………..Carolyn Jerz (Understudy to Helen ………Cassidee Knott) Viney…………………………………………………Jennifer Woodling Percy/Voice of Jimmy Sullivan……………………..…….Will Beddick Martha……………………………………………………..Natalie Estok Doctor/Workman……………………………………. Jerry Woodling At the Perkins Institute for the Blind Boston, Massachusetts Mr. Anagnos……………………………………. John J. Carosella Beatrice, a blind schoolgirl……………………………. Jessica Evans Sarah, a blind schoolgirl………………...…..Sarah Barkley-Mastalski Laura, a blind schoolgirl……………………………..Kaycie Miller Alice, a blind schoolgirl…………………………………….Mia Paluzzi Tessa, a blind schoolgirl…………………………………..Tessa Paluzzi Voice of Dr. Perkins………………………………………….Peter Jerz "The asylum? I grew up in such an asylum, the State Alms House. Rats? Why, my brother Jimmy and I used to play with the rats because we didn't have any toys. Maybe you'd like to know what Helen will find there, not on visiting days. One ward was full of the old women. Crippled, blind, most of them dying, but even if what they had was catching, there was nowhere else to move them. That's where they put us. Then there were younger ones across the hall, prostitutes mostly, with TB and epileptic fits. And some of the kind that keep after other girls, especially the young ones. And some were just insane. Some had the DTs. Then there were girls in another ward to have babies they didn't want. They started at thirteen, fourteen. They left afterwards, but the babies stayed. We played with them, too. There were a lot of them, with sores all over from diseases you're not supposed to talk about."
-- Annie Sullivan, The Miracle Worker |
|
THE GLASS MENAGERIE
By Tennessee Williams
Director: David Seremet Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Asst. Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
By Tennessee Williams
Director: David Seremet Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Asst. Stage Manager: Krystal Modecki
THE CAST
Tom Wingfield……………………………………….Luke Chamberlain
Amanda Wingfield…………………………..Margie Griffin Hillebrecht
Laura Wingfield………………………………..…Becky Ziegler Shirey
Jim O’Connor……………………………………...………Noah Telford
Tom Wingfield……………………………………….Luke Chamberlain
Amanda Wingfield…………………………..Margie Griffin Hillebrecht
Laura Wingfield………………………………..…Becky Ziegler Shirey
Jim O’Connor……………………………………...………Noah Telford
|
"I didn't go to the moon, I went much further - for time is the longest distance between places. Not long after that I was fired for writing a poem on the lid of a shoebox. I left Saint Louis. I descended the step of this fire-escape for a last time and followed, from then on, in my father's footsteps, attempting to find in motion what was lost in space - I travelled around a great deal. The cities swept about me like dead leaves, leaves that were brightly coloured but tom away from the branches.
I would have stopped, but I was pursued by something. It always came upon me unawares, taking me altogether by surprise. Perhaps it was a familiar bit of music. Perhaps it was only a piece of transparent glass. Perhaps I am walking along a street at night, in some strange city, before I have found companions. I pass the lighted window of a shop where perfume is sold. The window is filled with pieces of coloured glass, tiny transparent bottles in delicate colours, like bits of a shattered rainbow. Then all at once my sister touches my shoulder. I turn around and look into her eyes ... Oh, Laura, Laura, I tried to leave you behind me, but I am more faithful than I intended to be ! I reach for a cigarette, I cross the street, I run into the movies or a bar, I buy a drink, I speak to the nearest stranger -anything that can blow your candles out ! - for nowadays the world is lit by lightning ! Blow out your candles, Laura - and so good-bye." -- Tom, The Glass Menagerie October 2016
The Latrobe Art Center: Gallery Three |
APPROACHED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF LATROBE'S "ADELPHOI HOUSE," ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOHN CAROSELLA WAS ASKED TO TEACH AN ACTING CLASS TO A GROUP OF THE RESIDENTS. THE GIRLS PRODUCED A PLAY OF THEIR OWN AND MADE UP OF THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES. THE CABARET THEATRE COMPANY MOUNTED THE PRODUCTION AT THE LATROBE ART CENTER FOR A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY, UNFORGETABLY MOVING PIECE OF THEATRE.
CONFESSIONS OF LOST GIRLS
|
A Compilation of Experiences—both Real and Fictional
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY ADELPHOI RESIDENTS: Deni Jen Joe Kayshae Melissa Tay Additional Contributions by: Aliya, Nikki, & Pareis |
"So, when they picked me up, I cried out loud. I cried and cried and couldn’t stop crying. They thought I was crying because I got caught again, but that wasn’t it. Getting caught didn’t matter. I was crying because of what happened to me…all the way back then. I thought it was my fault what they did. I blamed myself and did all kind of bad stuff just to get myself punished. I guess crying was my way to say I was sorry. But nobody wants to hear you’re sorry. Just call her a bad girl. Label her and forget about her. They don’t know me. None of them know me. They’re not even close. "
-- Kayshae, "Confessions of Lost Girls" |
THE CAST/PLAYWRIGHTS
Denise is seventeen years old and a Virgo. She is from Harrisburg, PA. Growing up, she moved around a lot, but has always retained a very serious interest in both music and writing. Those have become her biggest outlets. Denise would like to thank her mother and father as well as her step mother Rachael and her brothers and sisters for all of their support throughout all of her trials.
Jen is fifteen years old. She loves mac ‘n’ cheese.
Joe (Jolene) is sixteen years old and she is from Philadelphia, PA. She arrived at Adelphoi in early August and she wants to study to be a lawyer or train to be a boxer. She is thankful to Missy Hoak and John Carosella for making her stay here a little more tolerable (LOL). She had fun making this play and said that it helped the group get to know each other better.
Kayshae is from Germantown in Philadelphia PA. She appreciates her foster mother Deborah for being a mom to her. She also thanks her father Mark for not being a stereotype and fighting to stay in her life. “I love you both and I thank all the people who affected my life, good or bad, because they make me the person I am today and I’m glad to be that person.” Kayshae has a wide range of interests and currently wants to study to be a photographer, a music producer, or a veterinarian. Her favorite foods are Cap’n Crunch cereal and hot Cheetos.
Melissa Ann is sixteen years old and she is from North Philly. Born on September 5, she is a Virgo who has four brothers and two sisters. She wants to study to become a Registered Nurse (R.N.).
Tay is fifteen years old and from Pittsburgh. She has six brothers and is the only girl in the family. She is currently in foster care. She is a Pisces and wants to become a therapist.
"Confessions of Lost Girls" was a special, one-night-only presentation. The Latrobe Art Center, Adelphoi Village and the Ketterer Charter School joined The Cabaret Theatre to present the work of these young ladies on November 3, 2016 at The Latrobe Art Center: Gallery Three.
Denise is seventeen years old and a Virgo. She is from Harrisburg, PA. Growing up, she moved around a lot, but has always retained a very serious interest in both music and writing. Those have become her biggest outlets. Denise would like to thank her mother and father as well as her step mother Rachael and her brothers and sisters for all of their support throughout all of her trials.
Jen is fifteen years old. She loves mac ‘n’ cheese.
Joe (Jolene) is sixteen years old and she is from Philadelphia, PA. She arrived at Adelphoi in early August and she wants to study to be a lawyer or train to be a boxer. She is thankful to Missy Hoak and John Carosella for making her stay here a little more tolerable (LOL). She had fun making this play and said that it helped the group get to know each other better.
Kayshae is from Germantown in Philadelphia PA. She appreciates her foster mother Deborah for being a mom to her. She also thanks her father Mark for not being a stereotype and fighting to stay in her life. “I love you both and I thank all the people who affected my life, good or bad, because they make me the person I am today and I’m glad to be that person.” Kayshae has a wide range of interests and currently wants to study to be a photographer, a music producer, or a veterinarian. Her favorite foods are Cap’n Crunch cereal and hot Cheetos.
Melissa Ann is sixteen years old and she is from North Philly. Born on September 5, she is a Virgo who has four brothers and two sisters. She wants to study to become a Registered Nurse (R.N.).
Tay is fifteen years old and from Pittsburgh. She has six brothers and is the only girl in the family. She is currently in foster care. She is a Pisces and wants to become a therapist.
"Confessions of Lost Girls" was a special, one-night-only presentation. The Latrobe Art Center, Adelphoi Village and the Ketterer Charter School joined The Cabaret Theatre to present the work of these young ladies on November 3, 2016 at The Latrobe Art Center: Gallery Three.
THE CABARET THEATRE COMPANY MOUNTS ITS LAST SHOW OF THE SEASON AND PREPARES TO DEPART THE LATROBE ART CENTER FOR "PARTS UNKNOWN."
|
Music & Lyrics by William Finn Book by Rachel Scheinkin Director: Kaleb Yandrick Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Music Director: Cindy L. Baltzer Choreographer: Katie Green November, 2016 The Latrobe Art Center: Gallery Three THE CAST Chip Tolentino/Paul/DanDad/Jesus…………........…Jacob Lubic Logainne Schwartzandgrubenniere/Mom……..Morgan Hartley Leaf Conybear/Carl Dad/Olive’s Dad…..……Reed Demangone William Barfee/Leaf’s Dad….……………………......…Brian Jinks Marcy Park/Brook……………………………......Addy Hildebrand Olive Ostrovsky/Marigold…………………………...Rachel Nicely Rona Lisa Perretti/Mom…………………………..…...Peggy Bryan Vice Principal Douglas Panch………………………......Jim Mikula Mitch Mahoney…………………………………….....…Aaron Gray |
AFTER "SPELLING BEE," THE COMPANY...WITH A HUGE BUILDING IT CANNOT OCCUPY ACROSS THE STREET...IS HOMELESS ONCE AGAIN. APPROACHED BY A GROUP OF "HOMESCHOOLER PARENTS," THE CABARET THEATRE COMPANY IS ASKED TO TAKE THE GROUP IN AS PART OF ITS OPERATION AND PRODUCE THEATRE WITH THE YOUNG, HOME-SCHOOLED PEOPLE. IT DOES.
|
The Stranger: A Christmas Fantasy
by John Carosella A NAT Production (Neighborhood Arts Troupe): A Musical Theatre Program for Homeschoolers December, 2017: Huber Hall "You think you can’t end up like this? Is that what you think, little girls? Well, think again. You think you’re safe? Your father’s got a good job? Your mother maybe, too? Well, you listen real close. No matter how rich, everybody’s just one good tragedy away from livin’ in the streets or in somebody’s basement. It don’t take much. You lose your job, you get sick, you have an accident! The business goes bust. Lots of stuff can happen and when it happens, you wind up takin’ shelter wherever you can find it. And you learn a lot. You learn you don’t need but one pair of shoes to get by. A little food. And me? As long as I got those few things and my book, I know I can get by. I know I’ll be OK." -- The Stranger: from "The Stranger," Christmas 2017 |
|
|
The Cast
Sarah Barkley-Mastalski Chrisina Bistline Grace Bistline Anne Couchenour Kirstin Essig Jessica Evans Mary Grace Federline Kelsey Gerhard Carolyn Jerz Kate Kell Grace Millward Clara Panichelle Julia Panichelle Christiana Parrish Teresa Parrish Angelina Syphan with Ben Couchenour as The Stranger |
|
Music and Lyrics
by Sammy Fain and Bob Hilliard, Oliver Wallace and Cy Coban, Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert, Mack David, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston Music Adapted and Arranged and Additional Music and Lyrics by Bryan Louiselle Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by David Simpatico Based on the 1951 Disney film “Alice in Wonderland” and the novels “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll MAY 18 & 19, 2018 LATROBE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH |
|
THE CAST
Alice.……………………...………….JESSICA EVANS Cheshire Cat 1…..............MARY GRACE FEDERLINE Cheshire Cat 2……………………KELSEY GERHARD Cheshire Cat 3….......................…THERESA PARRISH Queen of Hearts…….............................KIRSTIN ESSIG King of Hearts……..........................MIRIAM KESSLER White Rabbit…...……………….…………KATE KELL Tweedle Dum….…………...…MICHELLE MISTLINE Tweedle Dee…….........................JULIA PANICHELLE Caterpillar……..………….…...CHRISTINA BISTLINE Mad Hatter…...…………………….GRACE BISTLINE March Hare……………….….CHRISTIANA PARRISH Dodo Bird….…………………….HAYDEN TELFORD Matilda…….…………..……..….LINDSAY KENYON Doorknob…….…………………..LINDSAY KENYON Rose..……………….………….CLARA PANICHELLE Petunia….……………..………….JILLIAN GERHARD Lily..………………………………….LILLY KENYON Violet….……………………………….GRACIE WOLF Daisy…...………………………..LAUREN GERHARD FLOWERS: KIRSTIN ESSIG, JULIA PANICHELLE, MICHELLE BISTLINE, GRACE BISTLINE, LINDSAY KENYON, CHRISTIANA PARRISH MIRIAM KESSLER CARDS: MICHELLE BISTLINE, JULIA PANICHELLE, CHRISTINA BISTLINE, LINDSAY KENYON, HAYDEN TELFORD, CLARA PANICHELLE, LILLY KENYON, LAUREN GERHARD ROSE BUSHES JILLIAN GERHARD, GRACIE WOLF LOBSTERS: JULIA PANICHELLE, MICHELLE BISTLINE, LAUREN GERHARD, JILLIAN GERHARD CREATURES: CHRISTINA BISTLINE, GRACE BISTLINE, CHRISTIANA PARRISH, CLARA PANICHELLE, LILLY KENYON, GRACIE WOLF, LINDSAY KENYON, MIRIAM KESSLER |
|
HAVING PLAYED AT BOTH HUBER HALL AND THE LATROBE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, THE CABARET THEATRE...AS IF FATED...CAME TO MEET A TRUE THEATRE PATRON OF THE ARTS...MS. DIANE SHIREY LENZ...WHO WANTED NOTHING MORE THAN THAT HER BUILDING CALLED "OLDE MAIN", LOCATED JUST DOWN MAIN STREET, WOULD BE USED AS A SMALL THEATRE. ONLY A STOREFRONT, AND MUCH SMALLER THAN THE LATROBE ART CENTER, THE CABARET THEATRE MOVED IN AND BEGAN TO PRODUCE THEATRE. THE COMPANY DEDICATED ITS FIRST PRODUCTION THERE..."THE FANTASTICKS," TO A MUCH-VALUED AND RECENTLY-PASSED COMPANY MEMBER, MS. ANNE CRUSAN.
|
November 1-9, 2019
Presented in cooperation with DIANE LENZ and OLDE MAIN THEATRE and dedicated to our friend and colleague, Anne Crusan, who passed on August 26, 2018 
Anne encapsulated the “actor’s attitude” when she spoke these words as the character Bottom in our 2016 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their eyes; I will move storms!” And she did. She was a hoot in that show. Whether it was comedy or drama, Anne never failed to deliver a brilliant performance. She was an absolute delight to everyone who saw her on stage. She seemed born to act and she passed having been true to her calling. Kudos, Anne. Enjoy your well-earned, eternal curtain call.
|
Music & Lyrics by Tom Jones Music by Harvey Schmidt
Director: John Carosella Stage Manager: Cori Beredino Music Director: Cindy Baltzer Choreographer: Rachel Nicely Technical Director: John Michael Horanic |
|
THE CAST
The Mute……………………...……….Rachel Nicely Matt………………………....…..……Tate McElhaney Luisa……………………….........………Nicole Paluzzi Hucklebee……………..……..………….Peggy Bryan Bellamy………………………....…Cindy Lou Fiorina El Gallo……………………..........……..……Tom Sarp Mortimer……………….….…....Dennis “Chip” Kerr Henry Albertson…………………….David Seremet |
|
THE HOMESCHOOL GROUP...NEIGHBORHOOD ARTS TROUPE...DECIDES ON A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND LEAVES THE CABARET THEATRE COMPANY AFTER A PRODUCTION OF "PETER PAN, JR."
Presented through special arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
A Musical Based on the Play by
SIR J.M. BARRIE
Lyrics by: Carolyn Leigh
Music by: Morris (Moose) Charlap
Additional Lyrics by: Betty Comden & Adoph Green
Additional Music by: Jule Styne
Originally directed, choreographed & adapted by Jerome Robbins
In 1929, Sir J.M. Barrie bequeathed Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, which has benefitted thousands of children since then. The producers are proud and happy that everyone who has bought a ticket for today’s performance of Peter Pan Jr. is helping towards making the hospital the incredible center of hope that it is today.
December 14 & 15, 2018—2 PM & 7 PM
LATROBE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
A Musical Based on the Play by
SIR J.M. BARRIE
Lyrics by: Carolyn Leigh
Music by: Morris (Moose) Charlap
Additional Lyrics by: Betty Comden & Adoph Green
Additional Music by: Jule Styne
Originally directed, choreographed & adapted by Jerome Robbins
In 1929, Sir J.M. Barrie bequeathed Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, which has benefitted thousands of children since then. The producers are proud and happy that everyone who has bought a ticket for today’s performance of Peter Pan Jr. is helping towards making the hospital the incredible center of hope that it is today.
December 14 & 15, 2018—2 PM & 7 PM
LATROBE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
|
THE CAST
PETER PAN…………………………….……….......MIA PALUZZI WENDY DARLING…………………………….....KIRSTIN ESSIG JOHN DARLING……………………….…….HAYDEN TELFORD MICHAEL DARLING……………………...…CLAIRE SABATINI TIGER LILY…..……………………….………………KATE KELL CAPTAIN HOOK………….………….………………..ELI OLSON SMEE…………………………………….…..JULIA PANICHELLE MRS. DARLING………..………………………...JESSICA EVANS MR. DARLING…….………………………………..….ELI OLSON LIZA……………..…………………………………CORA GAIBOR CROCODILE/NANA…...……………….……..GRACE SANCHEZ CURLEY……………………………………MICHELLE BISTLINE SLIGHTLY………………..……………….….…ISAAC TELFORD |
TWIN #1……………………………...…….CLARA PANICHELLE TWIN #2…………………………………………..….JENNY SABO NIBS………………….………………………….…GRACIE WOLF TOOTLES…….……………….………………....MARLEE OLSON LOST BOY……………….……………………..TABITHA OLSON JUKES……..…………………………….…CHRISTINA BISTLINE STARKEY………….……………………..GENEVIEVE LAFOSSE CECCO……….…………..…….………………….…BECKY KING NOODLER………………...………………………HANNAH KING PIRATE………………......………………………JAMES WATSON BRAVE GIRLS: DESTINY MILLWARD, MIRIAM KESSLER, CLARA OBLAK, CORA GAIBOR, GRACE SANCHEZ, JESSICA EVANS |
THE CABARET SEASON AT OLDE MAIN THEATRE CONTINUES WITH AN ORIGINAL PLAY BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR CAROSELLA..."FUNICELLO'S BIRTHDAY, AND ADAPTATIONS OF THE CLASSICS "PYGMALION," THE INCREDIBLY MOVING "TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE," AND "A CHRISTMAS CAROL," ("BECOMING SCROOGE")
|
February 6th - 16th, 2019
"No, it isn't. It isn't all right! It can't be all right when you hope and hope and hope for her to come and then she does and you're too scared to let her in and she goes away and you miss her, you miss Annette Funicello!
-- Nicole |
Featuring:
Tom Sarp and Peggy Bryan as
George & Millie
|
David Seremet and Dolores Love as John & Ada
|
Keith Bodayla and Rachel Nicely as Brett & Nicole
|
The Belle of Amherst
by William Luce
by William Luce
|
Featuring
|
THE REVIEW IS IN....
There is little to say about the audience reaction to last night’s opening of The Belle of Amherst at the Cabaret Theatre in Latrobe. They laughed, they cried, they were breathless in anticipation of whatever was to come next as Rachel Nicely channeled the spirit of American poet Emily Dickinson. At the end, the audience stood spontaneously and enthusiastically as they waited for the actress to return for her bow.
With the grace of a ballerina, Ms. Nicely managed the numerous transitions in the William Luce script as adroitly as she negotiated the beautifully-cluttered, two-tiered set (bedroom and parlor) designed by John Michael Horanic and dressed with taste and skill by Janet and David Seremet, Francine Mitchell, and Donna Horanic. The confined performance space of the intimate Olde Main Theater seemed to consciously reflect the self-imposed confinement of Emily Dickinson to her familial home in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Last night, we were invited into Emily Dickinson’s home where Ms. Nicely and the production company treated us to far more than tea and Miss Emily’s famous “black cake.” Without even a hint that it was occurring, the shy and retiring Dickinson enticed us into her life, her loves, her triumphs, and heartbreaks. Seamlessly, Rachel Nicely gave us flawless renditions of some of the many characters in her life. Ranging from the old biddy Henrietta Sweetser to her eight year old nephew Gilbert, the people in Dickinson’s life became real before our very eyes.
Most remarkable of all, however, was the poetry.
Even someone who has had the worst possible experience of poetry in a high school English class will hardly even recognize all of the poetry contained in the script. It flows from Nicely as through it were her native language and we are swept away with its power. When she leans toward the audience and giggles “I’m nobody, who are you? Are you nobody, too?” the delivery is so natural that only someone very familiar with the famous Dickinson poem will recognize it as a poem.
Let no one think that this production of The Belle of Amherst is merely one actress reciting poetry for two hours. It is far from that.
Rather, it is a portrait of a person and that person is not only Emily Dickinson but you and me as well. By allowing us a good look at Emily Dickinson, William Luce and his interpreter Rachel Nicely invite us to look at ourselves. This reviewer thinks that what you will see is how full of wonder we are and how precious a thing it is to be alive.
Finally, anyone who avows that he or she is a “lover of theatre” must see this production. The play is not produced often and rarely performed as well.
There is little to say about the audience reaction to last night’s opening of The Belle of Amherst at the Cabaret Theatre in Latrobe. They laughed, they cried, they were breathless in anticipation of whatever was to come next as Rachel Nicely channeled the spirit of American poet Emily Dickinson. At the end, the audience stood spontaneously and enthusiastically as they waited for the actress to return for her bow.
With the grace of a ballerina, Ms. Nicely managed the numerous transitions in the William Luce script as adroitly as she negotiated the beautifully-cluttered, two-tiered set (bedroom and parlor) designed by John Michael Horanic and dressed with taste and skill by Janet and David Seremet, Francine Mitchell, and Donna Horanic. The confined performance space of the intimate Olde Main Theater seemed to consciously reflect the self-imposed confinement of Emily Dickinson to her familial home in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Last night, we were invited into Emily Dickinson’s home where Ms. Nicely and the production company treated us to far more than tea and Miss Emily’s famous “black cake.” Without even a hint that it was occurring, the shy and retiring Dickinson enticed us into her life, her loves, her triumphs, and heartbreaks. Seamlessly, Rachel Nicely gave us flawless renditions of some of the many characters in her life. Ranging from the old biddy Henrietta Sweetser to her eight year old nephew Gilbert, the people in Dickinson’s life became real before our very eyes.
Most remarkable of all, however, was the poetry.
Even someone who has had the worst possible experience of poetry in a high school English class will hardly even recognize all of the poetry contained in the script. It flows from Nicely as through it were her native language and we are swept away with its power. When she leans toward the audience and giggles “I’m nobody, who are you? Are you nobody, too?” the delivery is so natural that only someone very familiar with the famous Dickinson poem will recognize it as a poem.
Let no one think that this production of The Belle of Amherst is merely one actress reciting poetry for two hours. It is far from that.
Rather, it is a portrait of a person and that person is not only Emily Dickinson but you and me as well. By allowing us a good look at Emily Dickinson, William Luce and his interpreter Rachel Nicely invite us to look at ourselves. This reviewer thinks that what you will see is how full of wonder we are and how precious a thing it is to be alive.
Finally, anyone who avows that he or she is a “lover of theatre” must see this production. The play is not produced often and rarely performed as well.
June 5 - June 15, 2019
The Cast Music Hall Singers..............................................Jennifer Woodling Jerry Woodling George Bernard Shaw........................................David Seremet Mrs. Eynsford-Hill................................................Peggy Bryan Colonel Hugh Pickering.....................................Keith Bodayla Eliza Doolittle.......................................................Rachel Nicely Henry Higgins......................................................David Seremet Mrs. Pearce...........................................................Peggy Bryan Mrs. Higgins.........................................................Peggy Bryan |
|
"I find that the moment I let a woman make friends with me, she becomes jealous, exacting, suspicious, and a damned nuisance. I find that the moment I let myself make friends with a woman, I become selfish and tyrannical. Women upset everything."
-- Henry Higgins
-- Henry Higgins
THE REVIEW IS IN: Pygmalion at The Cabaret Theatre
If you are expecting a run-of-the-mill production of Pygmalion when you walk into Olde Main Theater in Latrobe (current home of The Cabaret Theatre Company), you will be sorely disappointed. This production is anything but ordinary. The remarkably small stage area looks expansive at first glance. But there are no large columns or elaborate backdrops depicting the portico of St. Paul’s Church. Such a set is common to the first scene of the play when Henry Higgins first encounters the Cockney Eliza Doolittle whom he will eventually transform into the “lady” Eliza claims she wants to be.
Rather, there is a black set with walls decorated with many empty white picture frames colorfully bathed in a lighting design pre-set. Two white half-columns and six black chairs complete the scene. Savvy theatregoers will think one of two things: either this is an inferior production done on the cheap or it is a very creative approach to staging this George Bernard Shaw masterpiece. At the risk of being a spoiler, it is the latter.
The cover page of the program announces that this Pygmalion has been adapted for the Olde Main Stage by Artistic (and production) Director, John J. Carosella. The adaptation loses no time in revealing itself to the audience as the play begins with the strains of a player piano introducing the song “You Made Me Love You” (published in 1913, coincidentally the same year that the play appeared).
Enter Jennifer and Jerry Woodling named in the program as “Music Hall Singers.” There are no such singers in the original script. This married-in-real-life couple deliver an amusing rendition of the song and exit the stage, yielding it to actor David Seremet who plays a dual role of George Bernard Shaw himself and Professor Henry Higgins, the irrepressible language scholar and teacher. He provides a brief explanation of the title and introduces us to the characters and the play begins.
Pygmalion “experts” may balk at Carosella’s choice to have actress Peggy Bryan play all three of the major older female roles (Mrs. Eynsford-Hill, Mrs. Pearce, and Mrs. Higgins), but they can have very little but praise for the adept way in which Bryan creates three distinctly different women on stage. Her Mrs. Eynsford-Hill is elegant, of course, but just a bit ditzy; her Mrs. Pearce is a severe task master; and Ms. Bryan brings motherly wisdom to her portrayal of Henry’s mother, Mrs. Higgins.
Purists may also wince that Colonel Pickering in this production is not an old, stately, and kind curmudgeon but rather a much younger man. Portrayed by Keith Bodayla, Pickering sports a walking stick to help relieve the pain in a leg that we deduce must have been wounded in battle. Bodayla strikes just the right note between the professional interest in the language experiment and his kind but detached concern for Eliza.
The gem acting roles in Pygmalion are, of course, Henry and Eliza. The sparks generated by their confrontations never ignite anything that threatens to burn the relationship to the ground, but they come close. And they are certainly bright enough to illuminate some of Shaw’s major reasons for writing the play in the first place: his push for a classless society, his dedication to equality for women, his disdain for the outmoded traditions of the “upper crust.”
David Seremet brings a glib smartness to the role of Henry. He understands the nuances of the character who must walk a tightrope and maintain the balance between what can be his overbearing passion for the beauty of language, his intolerance for useless and outworn customs, and his few remaining sensibilities to the feelings of other people. Seremet does it deftly and displays in his portrayal why he is the highly-regarded, elder “zen master of acting” of the Cabaret Theatre group.
Rachel Nicely’s Eliza Doolittle measures up the task of playing the three Elizas: the brash Cockney flower vendor, the Eliza who has mastered the polished the sound of the language but not the content required of a “lady,” and the fully-transformed Eliza…the Eliza who can and does pass for a Duchess in early 20th century England. Fresh off her tour de force as Emily Dickinson in William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst, she measures up to the acting challenges that this new Latrobe theatre company is asking her to meet.
The Cabaret Theatre production of Pygmalion (running until June 15) is smartly done. From its functional and pleasing set design (John Horanic) to the nicely-costumed look of the characters (Francine Mitchell) to the deft handling of scene changes by an efficient running crew (Marcie Stover Jividen and Donna Horanic) entertainingly masked by the “music hall singers” to the smooth-as-glass execution of lighting and sound cues (Jonathan Horanic and Stage Manager Cori Beredino), this production is well worth a visit to 350 Main Street Latrobe.
David Seremet brings a glib smartness to the role of Henry. He understands the nuances of the character who must walk a tightrope and maintain the balance between what can be his overbearing passion for the beauty of language, his intolerance for useless and outworn customs, and his few remaining sensibilities to the feelings of other people. Seremet does it deftly and displays in his portrayal why he is the highly-regarded, elder “zen master of acting” of the Cabaret Theatre group.
Rachel Nicely’s Eliza Doolittle measures up the task of playing the three Elizas: the brash Cockney flower vendor, the Eliza who has mastered the polished the sound of the language but not the content required of a “lady,” and the fully-transformed Eliza…the Eliza who can and does pass for a Duchess in early 20th century England. Fresh off her tour de force as Emily Dickinson in William Luce’s The Belle of Amherst, she measures up to the acting challenges that this new Latrobe theatre company is asking her to meet.
The Cabaret Theatre production of Pygmalion (running until June 15) is smartly done. From its functional and pleasing set design (John Horanic) to the nicely-costumed look of the characters (Francine Mitchell) to the deft handling of scene changes by an efficient running crew (Marcie Stover Jividen and Donna Horanic) entertainingly masked by the “music hall singers” to the smooth-as-glass execution of lighting and sound cues (Jonathan Horanic and Stage Manager Cori Beredino), this production is well worth a visit to 350 Main Street Latrobe.
Tuesdays with Morrie
by Jeffrey Hatcher & Mitch Albom
Featuring
David Seremet as Morrie & Nate Newell as Mitch
|
August 21 - 31, 2019
"We must love one another or die." - Morrie Schwartz |
The Review Is In: "You Will Cry"
The Opening Night audience for The Cabaret Theatre’s production of Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher’s Tuesdays with Morrie was riveted to the stage for a full one hour and forty-seven minutes as two of the region’s finest actors delivered bravura performances of this beautiful and moving love story between an old professor (David Seremet) and his former student (Nate Newell). Despite the length of the play performed without intermission (as required), those few who attended were mesmerized.
The intimacy of Olde Main Theater served this show very well. The sparse, mostly-black set felt like it was embracing the two characters as they presented this true story of a young man’s decision to visit his admired old professor every Tuesday during the year preceding the old man’s death. When added to the nicely-designed and expertly-executed sound and lighting effects, the entire play felt more like a friendly visit than a performance.
The central theme of the play is encapsulated in a line of poetry by W.H. Auden, “We must love one another or die.” Morrie Schwartz, expertly played by veteran actor and Latrobe resident David Seremet, is informed that he has Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and that he has less than a year to live. His decision to make the most of what time he has by sharing the wisdom os his years reaches Ted Koppel, ABC’s host of Nightline and Koppel presents a series of very entertaining and insightful interviews to the public. Morrie’s former student Mitch Albom sees a segment of the program and decides, for old time’s sake, to visit his old professor before the old man dies. The one visit, on a Tuesday, quickly develops into weekly Tuesday visits and the very busy sports writer becomes Morrie’s student again. He calls the course “The Meaning of Life” and each Tuesday Class Episode draws the audience deeper and deeper into an understanding of what is really important in life: love. “We much love one another or die.”
The Opening Night audience for The Cabaret Theatre’s production of Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher’s Tuesdays with Morrie was riveted to the stage for a full one hour and forty-seven minutes as two of the region’s finest actors delivered bravura performances of this beautiful and moving love story between an old professor (David Seremet) and his former student (Nate Newell). Despite the length of the play performed without intermission (as required), those few who attended were mesmerized.
The intimacy of Olde Main Theater served this show very well. The sparse, mostly-black set felt like it was embracing the two characters as they presented this true story of a young man’s decision to visit his admired old professor every Tuesday during the year preceding the old man’s death. When added to the nicely-designed and expertly-executed sound and lighting effects, the entire play felt more like a friendly visit than a performance.
The central theme of the play is encapsulated in a line of poetry by W.H. Auden, “We must love one another or die.” Morrie Schwartz, expertly played by veteran actor and Latrobe resident David Seremet, is informed that he has Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and that he has less than a year to live. His decision to make the most of what time he has by sharing the wisdom os his years reaches Ted Koppel, ABC’s host of Nightline and Koppel presents a series of very entertaining and insightful interviews to the public. Morrie’s former student Mitch Albom sees a segment of the program and decides, for old time’s sake, to visit his old professor before the old man dies. The one visit, on a Tuesday, quickly develops into weekly Tuesday visits and the very busy sports writer becomes Morrie’s student again. He calls the course “The Meaning of Life” and each Tuesday Class Episode draws the audience deeper and deeper into an understanding of what is really important in life: love. “We much love one another or die.”
In less competent hands than those of Newell and Seremet, a production of Tuesdays with Morrie could easily deteriorate into a pedantic lecture. This production does not do that. With great attention to the little details that make the banter of conversation entertaining, these two actors guide the audience through the ups and downs of a casual relationship that blossoms into a loving friendship. They laugh with and at each other; they jab, compliment, cajole, implore, and reprimand each other. They lay the foundation for a strong friendship, but they do not allow it to stop there. They take it a step further and that extra step is the one that most people are fearful of taking. It is the step that makes us cry at the end of the play, because we know it is the step that each of us, at heart, wants to take. It is a true and beautiful step. Newell and Seremet as Mitch and Morrie show us how to take the step with honesty, dignity, and pride. It is the “I love you” step.
As with any literary work, the major character is the one who changes. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie Schwartz is the title character; but Mitch Albom is the lead. Character change is arguably the most difficult of all challenges of acting. Nate Newell’s portrayal of Mitch Albom could well be a text book example of how to do it properly. Telling the story in retrospect, Nate must travel back and forth in time with smooth agility. Any false move or sudden switch will jar the audience and jerk it out of the moods he painstakingly creates. Losing the audience through such unexpected shifts can be devastating to a play that is as episodic as this one is. Everything must be clear and subtle. Newell’s command of the play’s many episodes is masterful. The change is profound.
The end result of this production is that it performs the miracle of theatre. It somehow succeeds in allowing each audience member, without being aware that it’s happening, to “become” Mitch or Morrie or both. That’s why we cry in the end.
As with any literary work, the major character is the one who changes. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie Schwartz is the title character; but Mitch Albom is the lead. Character change is arguably the most difficult of all challenges of acting. Nate Newell’s portrayal of Mitch Albom could well be a text book example of how to do it properly. Telling the story in retrospect, Nate must travel back and forth in time with smooth agility. Any false move or sudden switch will jar the audience and jerk it out of the moods he painstakingly creates. Losing the audience through such unexpected shifts can be devastating to a play that is as episodic as this one is. Everything must be clear and subtle. Newell’s command of the play’s many episodes is masterful. The change is profound.
The end result of this production is that it performs the miracle of theatre. It somehow succeeds in allowing each audience member, without being aware that it’s happening, to “become” Mitch or Morrie or both. That’s why we cry in the end.
ALWAYS INTERESTED IN HELPING THOSE IN NEED, THE CABARET COMPANY PRODUCES "REMEMBERING HARRY CHAPIN," A BENEFIT CONCERT BEGUN AT CABARET'S VERY BEGINNING (1980) TO AID IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF WORLD HUNGER. SUNG BY CABARET ALUMNUS JOHN MC MENAMIN.
Remembering Harry Chapin Benefit Concert
|
|
Benefiting the WhyHunger Foundation
October 13, 2019 The Ramada Inn - Greensburg, PA JOHN MCMENAMIN first performed the tribute concert REMEMBERING HARRY CHAPIN in October 1981 at the "barn home" of The Cabaret Theatre" in Hempfield Township. Only a few months after Harry's July 16, 1981 death in an auto accident, the young singer played to a full house and delivered a stirring tribute to the life and music of this great American "storyteller in song." Since that time, JOHN has continued to perform this tribute concert, sometimes here in Western Pennsylvania but most often in and around the New York City/New Jersey area where he now makes his home. He cherishes the several opportunities he has had to play and sing with members of the original Chapin band. Born and raised in Greensburg, PA John considers it a privilege to sing here again as a benefit for Harry Chapin's own foundation WhyHunger. |
Generous concertgoers brought a bounty of food donations which were delivered to the Latrobe United Methodist's "Feed The Hungry" Outreach Program in time for the holidays.
A play by John Carosella
Adapted from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
November 2019
The Cast:
David Seremet
Peggy Bryan
Rachel Nicely
Keith Bodayla
"Becoming a scrooge is easy. All you have to do is hang on to the painful memories of the past and let them shape your present...but so long as the spirit of Christmas can remind us of where we were, where we are, and where we will be, there's always an opportunity to get every Scrooge in the world to shake off their frowns and shout 'Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!'"
- Ebenezer Scrooge
FACEBOOK REVIEWS
"If individual moral purpose, individual capacity to pursue that purpose, communal moral purpose and communal capacity to pursue that purpose are the true pillars of happiness then John Carosella and the staff at The Cabaret Theater have created an opportunity for not only individuals but the downtown Latrobe community to experience happiness through a sense of something good. Not a subjective “good” but an objective “good”. The Cabaret Theater and all of those involved have created something objectively good. A good thing is something that serves its purpose. The actors, actresses, timing, set design, wardrobe and script reach far beyond the walls of their current location attempting to infuse the community with something objectively good and purposeful. They revitalized plays with the hopes of revitalizing a community and are attempting to do just that. “Becoming Scrooge” was brilliant, exciting, entertaining.. it was simply good. I hope the Latrobe area and surrounding communities understand the value of what they have in the Cabaret Theater. I would encourage all to see the current show “Becoming Scrooge” and let the show speak for itself." - Jerod Smith
"Diane and I sincerely enjoyed our evening. The cast was all amazing. Just wish our community would understand what you are trying to do... for ALL of us. Thank you ALL!!!" - Allen Pakos
"It was a wonderful night! The standing ovation was much deserved!" - Kathy Kontor
"Fabulous play. Actors were excellent. The Cabaret Theatre/ Diane Lenz /Olde Main is a real treasure in Latrobe. Do your part and support this wonderful jewel in our community.❤️" - Joanne Delsrodo
"Very well deserved to the great actors and actresses! Bravo!!" - Madeline Zenger
"There's still time to get to today's matinee of Becoming Scrooge! I went last night and plain and simple, had the time of my life. I laughed (a lot), cried (a little) and enjoyed every single minute. The versatility of the FOUR actors taking on multiple roles (one woman had 9 costume changes!) was impressive. And not to give anything away, but the scene with Jacob Marley's ghost was fantastic. It was so dramatic and high tech that I didn't WANT to know how it was done. The story is ageless, and why not enjoy it at the same time? Do yourself a favor and GO." - Cindy Lou Fiorina
"If individual moral purpose, individual capacity to pursue that purpose, communal moral purpose and communal capacity to pursue that purpose are the true pillars of happiness then John Carosella and the staff at The Cabaret Theater have created an opportunity for not only individuals but the downtown Latrobe community to experience happiness through a sense of something good. Not a subjective “good” but an objective “good”. The Cabaret Theater and all of those involved have created something objectively good. A good thing is something that serves its purpose. The actors, actresses, timing, set design, wardrobe and script reach far beyond the walls of their current location attempting to infuse the community with something objectively good and purposeful. They revitalized plays with the hopes of revitalizing a community and are attempting to do just that. “Becoming Scrooge” was brilliant, exciting, entertaining.. it was simply good. I hope the Latrobe area and surrounding communities understand the value of what they have in the Cabaret Theater. I would encourage all to see the current show “Becoming Scrooge” and let the show speak for itself." - Jerod Smith
"Diane and I sincerely enjoyed our evening. The cast was all amazing. Just wish our community would understand what you are trying to do... for ALL of us. Thank you ALL!!!" - Allen Pakos
"It was a wonderful night! The standing ovation was much deserved!" - Kathy Kontor
"Fabulous play. Actors were excellent. The Cabaret Theatre/ Diane Lenz /Olde Main is a real treasure in Latrobe. Do your part and support this wonderful jewel in our community.❤️" - Joanne Delsrodo
"Very well deserved to the great actors and actresses! Bravo!!" - Madeline Zenger
"There's still time to get to today's matinee of Becoming Scrooge! I went last night and plain and simple, had the time of my life. I laughed (a lot), cried (a little) and enjoyed every single minute. The versatility of the FOUR actors taking on multiple roles (one woman had 9 costume changes!) was impressive. And not to give anything away, but the scene with Jacob Marley's ghost was fantastic. It was so dramatic and high tech that I didn't WANT to know how it was done. The story is ageless, and why not enjoy it at the same time? Do yourself a favor and GO." - Cindy Lou Fiorina
THE REVIEW IS IN: KUDOS TO CABARET
In yet another enthusiastic show of local support, FIVE people attended the exhilarating opening night performance of Becoming Scrooge--an innovative, well-written, and strong adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens tale, “A Christmas Carol.”
Led by the exceptionally strong performance of Latrobe resident David Seremet as Ebenezer Scrooge, the remaining cast of three created the many other roles necessary to enliven this story of a curmudgeonly old miser’s re-education and redemption.
Handling the quick costume changes and shifts in character are Peggy Bryan of Mountain View, Rachel Nicely of Latrobe, and Keith Bodayla, also of Latrobe and happily married to Ms. Nicely. These three actors seemed to embrace the challenges inherent in playing so many different characters in such a short span of time. Bodayla, for instance, not only deftly handles the almost back-to-back appearances of the meek Bob Cratchit and Scrooge’s jovial nephew Fred, but he also brings a kind of grimy but lovable earthiness to a cameo appearance as a gravedigger. And none of those characters are remotely visible in his remarkably controlled performance as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. The least-experienced member of the troupe, Bodayla’s strong performance will surely land him roles that will further develop his budding talent.
The two women of the cast (Rachel Nicely and Peggy Bryan) provide hysterically funny comic relief when they appear together in the first act as two women approaching Scrooge to make a charitable donation and in the second act as two “scavenger” women who have absconded with various “treasures” from a dead man’s bedroom. Portraying such diverse characters reveals that both Nicely and Bryan have great range which is further revealed as they play The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Past respectively.
While the two women are strong throughout, each has a zenith point in the play. For Bryan, it is the scene as Mrs. Cratchit mourning the death of her son Tiny Tim whose presence, by the way, is not missed at all in this production. Ms. Bryan’s heartfelt a capella rendition of the Scottish hymn by Thomas Moore, “Oft in the Stilly Night” is beautifully rendered in a rich alto voice, and her subsequent tearful monologue to her husband reveals the painful anguish of a mother who has lost a child. Rachel Nicely’s most memorable moment comes in the scene in which she plays Belle, Scrooge’s fiancé, who realizes that she has placed second to Ebenezer’s love for money. Summoning all of her inner strength and fighting off tears, Nicely’s Belle carefully and clearly lays demonstrates the pivotal point in the play. When Ebenezer does not beg her to stay with him, he has made the choice to “become” the Scrooge that everyone knows.
It is that moment in the play that reveals the strength of the writing. Fond of writing plays within plays, Playwright John Carosella has written a tour de force for Cabaret’s Lead Actor David Seremet. Seremet appears first as himself and then flawlessly transitions into a young Jacob Marley in order to lay out some of the necessary exposition. With remarkable grace, he is able to transition further into Ebenezer Scrooge as he dons his costume in full view of the audience and becomes the irascible old skinflint. As written, this script demands a skilled actor to believably change from a humbugging cheapskate into a generous and lovable gentleman who embraces all of the admirable traits we have to expect at Christmas time. Seremet is up to the task. There are subtleties to his performance. He resists, gives in, resists less, gives in more and so on until the transformation is complete. Seremet seems instinctively to know where these moments can be created to best effect. There is no question that his great skill as an actor is a gift to the theatre company that has chosen to locate in his own hometown of Latrobe; it is also no secret that he feels that his good work and the good work of the theatre (most recently Tuesdays with Morrie and Pygmalion) has been casting pearls before swine. Given the audience of FIVE last night for this excellent production, he may be correct.
In yet another enthusiastic show of local support, FIVE people attended the exhilarating opening night performance of Becoming Scrooge--an innovative, well-written, and strong adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens tale, “A Christmas Carol.”
Led by the exceptionally strong performance of Latrobe resident David Seremet as Ebenezer Scrooge, the remaining cast of three created the many other roles necessary to enliven this story of a curmudgeonly old miser’s re-education and redemption.
Handling the quick costume changes and shifts in character are Peggy Bryan of Mountain View, Rachel Nicely of Latrobe, and Keith Bodayla, also of Latrobe and happily married to Ms. Nicely. These three actors seemed to embrace the challenges inherent in playing so many different characters in such a short span of time. Bodayla, for instance, not only deftly handles the almost back-to-back appearances of the meek Bob Cratchit and Scrooge’s jovial nephew Fred, but he also brings a kind of grimy but lovable earthiness to a cameo appearance as a gravedigger. And none of those characters are remotely visible in his remarkably controlled performance as the Ghost of Jacob Marley. The least-experienced member of the troupe, Bodayla’s strong performance will surely land him roles that will further develop his budding talent.
The two women of the cast (Rachel Nicely and Peggy Bryan) provide hysterically funny comic relief when they appear together in the first act as two women approaching Scrooge to make a charitable donation and in the second act as two “scavenger” women who have absconded with various “treasures” from a dead man’s bedroom. Portraying such diverse characters reveals that both Nicely and Bryan have great range which is further revealed as they play The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Past respectively.
While the two women are strong throughout, each has a zenith point in the play. For Bryan, it is the scene as Mrs. Cratchit mourning the death of her son Tiny Tim whose presence, by the way, is not missed at all in this production. Ms. Bryan’s heartfelt a capella rendition of the Scottish hymn by Thomas Moore, “Oft in the Stilly Night” is beautifully rendered in a rich alto voice, and her subsequent tearful monologue to her husband reveals the painful anguish of a mother who has lost a child. Rachel Nicely’s most memorable moment comes in the scene in which she plays Belle, Scrooge’s fiancé, who realizes that she has placed second to Ebenezer’s love for money. Summoning all of her inner strength and fighting off tears, Nicely’s Belle carefully and clearly lays demonstrates the pivotal point in the play. When Ebenezer does not beg her to stay with him, he has made the choice to “become” the Scrooge that everyone knows.
It is that moment in the play that reveals the strength of the writing. Fond of writing plays within plays, Playwright John Carosella has written a tour de force for Cabaret’s Lead Actor David Seremet. Seremet appears first as himself and then flawlessly transitions into a young Jacob Marley in order to lay out some of the necessary exposition. With remarkable grace, he is able to transition further into Ebenezer Scrooge as he dons his costume in full view of the audience and becomes the irascible old skinflint. As written, this script demands a skilled actor to believably change from a humbugging cheapskate into a generous and lovable gentleman who embraces all of the admirable traits we have to expect at Christmas time. Seremet is up to the task. There are subtleties to his performance. He resists, gives in, resists less, gives in more and so on until the transformation is complete. Seremet seems instinctively to know where these moments can be created to best effect. There is no question that his great skill as an actor is a gift to the theatre company that has chosen to locate in his own hometown of Latrobe; it is also no secret that he feels that his good work and the good work of the theatre (most recently Tuesdays with Morrie and Pygmalion) has been casting pearls before swine. Given the audience of FIVE last night for this excellent production, he may be correct.
AND A FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT TO THE PUBLIC...A SEATED READING OF THE NEW PLAY "BIGGIE."
A Cabaret Theatre Presentation: Reader's Theatre
at Olde Main JANUARY 2019 |
A Christmas Fantasy in Two Acts by John Carosella The Cast: Klara Kringle (aka Mrs. Claus)...................................Peggy Bryan Kris Kringle (aka Santa Clause).................................Chris Paluzzi Jingle (an elf)..............................................................Tessa Paluzzi Jangle (an elf)................................................................Mia Paluzzi Biggie (an older man, not an elf)...................................Tom Sarp Aunt Sally (Kris Kringle's sister)..............................Rachel Nicely Elgnirk Sirk (Kris Kringle's dark side).....................Keith Bodayla Fanny (Elgnirk's Sidekick)..................................Francine Mitchell Stage Directions..................................................Rozella Hoffman |
"How do you know? You don’t even know what a lifetime is, because you don’t even have one and I do! I’m a real boy! A real boy…and I have a lifetime and it’s not going to last forever and ever either, so I have to make sure I use it up just the way I want to and I want to use it to make sure that Christmas happens every year just the way it’s supposed to because when you do what you’re supposed to do, you do the right thing. Besides…Christmas is important! It’s more important than all the candy in the world and besides that…maybe candy wouldn’t even taste as good if I had candy all the time anyway…and besides even that…I like the feeling I get when Mother K gives me some candy a lot more than I like eating it, so there! I’m going to be just what I’m supposed to be!"
--Biggie
--Biggie
"IN THE GARDEN" BEGINS THE 2020 SEASON
February 20-29, 2020
A play by John Carosella The Cast: Keith Bodayla...........................as Mike Ryan Peggy Bryan....................................as Marge Stacey DiPasquale..........................as Louise Rozella Hoffman..............................as Mabel Amy Jacobelli.................................as Estelle Francine Mitchell..............................as Irene Rachel Nicely......................as Meagan Ryan Marcello Valletta..............as Fr. Tom Deluca "Stolen fruit is always sweeter, don’t you know that? The more forbidden it is, the sweeter it tastes." |
|
The Review Is In: The Garden Blooms Beautifully
When the audience stood at the curtain call on opening night of John J. Carosella’s new play In the Garden, it was in genuine appreciation for a nuanced performance of a difficult piece of theatre that could have easily lost its balance and slipped into either farce or melodrama. It did not. The cast of eight delivered a controlled ensemble performance that, like the rose in its logo, opened petal by petal until at the end of the closing monologue, it stood in full-bloom glory.
St. George’s parish is not unlike any small-town Catholic parish in the country. It is populated by the entire panoply of church-going types. The bossy Mable (Rozella Hoffman) is the Queen Bee Church Lady as she deftly (and with excellent comedic timing) manages her minions in both the church choir and quilting circle. Her story about plum trees at the end of Act One is both highly entertaining and instructive to her two loyal sidekicks, Irene (Francine Mitchell) who thrives on instigating the group and Estelle (Amy Jacobelli) whose penchant for creating conspiracy theories is wildly funny. This trio of fast-talking females deliver the comic relief in the play and they do it as though gossiping about everything and everyone is their vocation in life.
The comic relief is essential to a play that does not shy away from some very sensitive and controversial topics which this reviewer cannot discuss without becoming a spoiler who will diminish the enjoyment the audience gets from slowly connecting the dots as each scene develops.
While not a “whodunnit” mystery play, In the Garden carefully weaves together the lives and difficulties of its characters. There is the mother-daughter relationship, beautifully rendered by Peggy Bryan (Marge, the mother) and Rachel Nicely (Meagan, the daughter). These two actors seem so closely melded together that they could actually be a mother and daughter who alternately fly at each other in anger and then transition to comfort once they more fully understand each’s situation. Nicely’s passionate defense of her husband and Bryan’s rendering of a speech about understanding love create two of the many high points of this play.
At the center of In the Garden are three pivotal characters: Fr. Tom De Luca (Marcello Valletta), the newly ordained and assigned assistant pastor at St. Georges, Louise (Stacy DiPasquale), the priest’s housekeeper, and Mike Ryan (Keith Bodayla), Meagan’s husband whose increasingly difficult relationship with his wife is at the heart of story. Just as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil stands in the middle of the Garden of Eden, it is up to the performances of these three to deliver the powerful message of the play. And they do. Their performances invite you to take the apple, bite it, and perhaps come to know a little better what has driven them to where they find themselves.
Di Pasquale’s “Louise” is the epitome of deeply repressed emotions which, when she releases them, jolts the audience with her startling revelation. When contrasted with her milder demeanor at the beginning of the play, one comes to the conclusion that she is an actor who is capable of impressive range.
While Valletta’s Fr. Tom is sometimes vocally softer than the other actors, his quietness somehow enhances the apprehension he feels as the new kid on the block, so to speak. His voice is velvety smooth and unless he is careful, it might get lost even in the small, 40-seat theater at Olde Main in Latrobe. His confrontation with Louise, the housekeeper, is proof positive that he has is more than capable of achieving the kind of volume that can echo off the walls. It was Valletta’s heartfelt and emotional delivery of the final monologue at the end of the play that had the audience sniffling and, no doubt, it was the single most important element in getting them to their feet at the curtain call.
No review of In the Garden would be complete without mentioning the sterling performance of Keith Bodayla as Mike Ryan. He is impressive in his conversations and arguments with his wife Meagan (his actual wife Rachel in real life), but it is in his scenes with Fr. Tom in the confessional that display his competence in one of an actor’s most difficult tasks—acting in the pauses. Bodayla and Valletta seem to have perfected the difficulty of confessing to a priest after a long absence from the confessional. What they have to say to each other, especially in the second act confession, is riveting. It is a stop-start confession to be sure… halting … pausing …blurting out. But it never loses the attention of the audience.
All in all, theatregoers should treat themselves to a performance of In the Garden. They will be as amazed as this reviewer was at what can be accomplished in a tiny, black box theater on Main Street in Latrobe Pennsylvania. From the well-chosen scene-changing music to the effective lighting to the more than competent acting, this production succeeds in telling the story—an important story that playwright Carosella maintains must be told.
When the audience stood at the curtain call on opening night of John J. Carosella’s new play In the Garden, it was in genuine appreciation for a nuanced performance of a difficult piece of theatre that could have easily lost its balance and slipped into either farce or melodrama. It did not. The cast of eight delivered a controlled ensemble performance that, like the rose in its logo, opened petal by petal until at the end of the closing monologue, it stood in full-bloom glory.
St. George’s parish is not unlike any small-town Catholic parish in the country. It is populated by the entire panoply of church-going types. The bossy Mable (Rozella Hoffman) is the Queen Bee Church Lady as she deftly (and with excellent comedic timing) manages her minions in both the church choir and quilting circle. Her story about plum trees at the end of Act One is both highly entertaining and instructive to her two loyal sidekicks, Irene (Francine Mitchell) who thrives on instigating the group and Estelle (Amy Jacobelli) whose penchant for creating conspiracy theories is wildly funny. This trio of fast-talking females deliver the comic relief in the play and they do it as though gossiping about everything and everyone is their vocation in life.
The comic relief is essential to a play that does not shy away from some very sensitive and controversial topics which this reviewer cannot discuss without becoming a spoiler who will diminish the enjoyment the audience gets from slowly connecting the dots as each scene develops.
While not a “whodunnit” mystery play, In the Garden carefully weaves together the lives and difficulties of its characters. There is the mother-daughter relationship, beautifully rendered by Peggy Bryan (Marge, the mother) and Rachel Nicely (Meagan, the daughter). These two actors seem so closely melded together that they could actually be a mother and daughter who alternately fly at each other in anger and then transition to comfort once they more fully understand each’s situation. Nicely’s passionate defense of her husband and Bryan’s rendering of a speech about understanding love create two of the many high points of this play.
At the center of In the Garden are three pivotal characters: Fr. Tom De Luca (Marcello Valletta), the newly ordained and assigned assistant pastor at St. Georges, Louise (Stacy DiPasquale), the priest’s housekeeper, and Mike Ryan (Keith Bodayla), Meagan’s husband whose increasingly difficult relationship with his wife is at the heart of story. Just as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil stands in the middle of the Garden of Eden, it is up to the performances of these three to deliver the powerful message of the play. And they do. Their performances invite you to take the apple, bite it, and perhaps come to know a little better what has driven them to where they find themselves.
Di Pasquale’s “Louise” is the epitome of deeply repressed emotions which, when she releases them, jolts the audience with her startling revelation. When contrasted with her milder demeanor at the beginning of the play, one comes to the conclusion that she is an actor who is capable of impressive range.
While Valletta’s Fr. Tom is sometimes vocally softer than the other actors, his quietness somehow enhances the apprehension he feels as the new kid on the block, so to speak. His voice is velvety smooth and unless he is careful, it might get lost even in the small, 40-seat theater at Olde Main in Latrobe. His confrontation with Louise, the housekeeper, is proof positive that he has is more than capable of achieving the kind of volume that can echo off the walls. It was Valletta’s heartfelt and emotional delivery of the final monologue at the end of the play that had the audience sniffling and, no doubt, it was the single most important element in getting them to their feet at the curtain call.
No review of In the Garden would be complete without mentioning the sterling performance of Keith Bodayla as Mike Ryan. He is impressive in his conversations and arguments with his wife Meagan (his actual wife Rachel in real life), but it is in his scenes with Fr. Tom in the confessional that display his competence in one of an actor’s most difficult tasks—acting in the pauses. Bodayla and Valletta seem to have perfected the difficulty of confessing to a priest after a long absence from the confessional. What they have to say to each other, especially in the second act confession, is riveting. It is a stop-start confession to be sure… halting … pausing …blurting out. But it never loses the attention of the audience.
All in all, theatregoers should treat themselves to a performance of In the Garden. They will be as amazed as this reviewer was at what can be accomplished in a tiny, black box theater on Main Street in Latrobe Pennsylvania. From the well-chosen scene-changing music to the effective lighting to the more than competent acting, this production succeeds in telling the story—an important story that playwright Carosella maintains must be told.
"IN THE GARDEN" CLOSES ON FEBRUARY 29, 2020 AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CLOSES THE THEATRE FOR EIGHTEEN MONTHS!
UNDAUNTED BY THE CLOSURE, THE TECHNICAL PERSONNEL OF THE COMPANY ARRANGE TO RECORD "THEATRE OF THE MIND," A SERIES OF RECORDED PLAYS OFFERED, FREE OF COST, TO OUR PATRONS. "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" IS FIRST, FOLLOWED BY "ROSES."
THEATRE OF THE MIND
Special Thanks to Keith Bodayla and Jonathan Horanic--
the driving forces behind
The Cabaret Theatre Presents...
Theatre for the Mind
A series of podcasts designed to stimulate the imagination
PODCAST #1 A CHRISTMAS CAROL
by Charles Dickens
adapted by John Carosella
Our first release is our adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. It is available now on podcast apps everywhere.
Click here to listen through iTunes.
For a Direct Download, use this link. (Most browsers will be right-click and "Save Target As").
Podcast #2
"Roses"
a one-act drama by Artistic Director John Carosella
For your listening pleasure, please click one of the following links:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the.../id1545811975...
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-cabaret-theatre-presents
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/.../aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGVhY3R1Y...
Sarah Jane Cornwallis is about to graduate from Grandville State College in West Virginia. As a result of a sorority prank, she became friends with the elderly Edna Spencer. As Sarah's graduation approaches, their relationship takes a strange turn.
The Cast:
Edna Spencer...... Dolores Love
Sarah Jane Cornwallis..... Rachel Nicely
The Staff:
Director...... Keith Bodayla
Sound Recording..... Keith Bodayla
Technical Assistant...... Jonathan Horanic
MERRY CHRISTMAS 2021
A Christmas Message
When the chips are down…
When the rubber meets the road…
And when push comes to shove
There’s really only one thing in the entire world that matters
And that’s love.
And we don’t mean romantic love...
Or falling in love...
Or being in love.
Those are all wonderful feelings but they aren’t permanent.
And love is.
Love is patient; love is kind;
Love is all those things that St. Paul says,
And none of it has to do with “feelings.”
Real love has staying power.
It stays after the glow of those “love feelings” has worn off.
It stays despite the irritations of living together.
It stays for better or worse…it stays in sickness and health.
It is never self-centered but always centered on the other.
And it stems from that great shift in philosophies that began
With that first Christmas.
That’s what Christmas is all about.
And this gift from us to you merely represents our love for you...
That we show through our love for theatre.
We send it with every production we do for you...
As often as we can.
And in these days when we can't,
We send it through this little podcast
Our Company has prepared for you.
It's a small gift, to be sure...
But large in sincerity and respect.
THEATRE FOR THE MIND
Happy St. Valentine's Day--February 14, 2022
For Lovers Everywhere...Our Special Valentine's Day Gift to You
LOVE POEMS
A Podcast
Love: Constant Through the Ages...600 B.C.--1920
https://open.spotify.com/episode/26WB40t9scZ0JFAg7lLHkC
Music Theatre International's
"ALL TOGETHER NOW!"
a Huge Success at The Cabaret Theatre
Friday November 12 (7:30 PM)
Saturday November 13 (2:30 PM)
Saturday November 13 (7:30 PM)
Sunday November 14 (2:30 PM)
It has been 18 months since The Cabaret Theatre has been able to mount a show here at Olde Main. During all that time, however, the ghost light has been burning on the stage. It was our way of saying we had not abandoned our commitment to bring year-round, professional-quality productions to Latrobe and the region. Now, because of the generosity of Music Theatre International, which has allowed us to use the songs in this show royalty-free, we are excited to return and pull the plug on the ghost light and burn it only when it should be burned…during the dark times between shows.
|
The Artistic Director's Introduction to
|
|
Generous with their time and talent, these nine local performers delivered four spectacular performances of ATN's "All Together Now" at Olde Main Theater in Latrobe from November 13 through the 14th.
Standing from left to right are Brian Jinks (Ligonier), Francine Mitchell (Latrobe), Jennifer Woodling (Greensburg) Cindy Baltzer (Latrobe), Jerry Woodling (Greensburg), and Tom Sarp (Latrobe).
Front row from left to right: Rachel Nicely (Latrobe), Peggy Bryan (Latrobe), and Nicole Paluzzi (Greensburg).
Tackling some of the most difficult show tunes Broadway has produced, these nine performers entertained four full houses with tunes ranging from "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife to "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables.
Kudos to this hard-working and talented cast!
Standing from left to right are Brian Jinks (Ligonier), Francine Mitchell (Latrobe), Jennifer Woodling (Greensburg) Cindy Baltzer (Latrobe), Jerry Woodling (Greensburg), and Tom Sarp (Latrobe).
Front row from left to right: Rachel Nicely (Latrobe), Peggy Bryan (Latrobe), and Nicole Paluzzi (Greensburg).
Tackling some of the most difficult show tunes Broadway has produced, these nine performers entertained four full houses with tunes ranging from "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife to "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from Les Miserables.
Kudos to this hard-working and talented cast!
Until we can celebrate Christmas and theatre together again...
Please, enjoy our podcast of "Biggie: A Christmas Fantasy"
You may hear it by pasting any of the following links into your browser:
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../the.../id1545811975...
Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-cabaret-theatre-presents
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/.../aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aGVhY3R1Y...
Merry Christmas!
fromThe "Biggie" Cast
Back Row From Left to Right
Peggy Bryan as Klara Kringle
Brian Jinks as Biggie
Keith Bodayla as Kris Kringle
Rachel Nicely as BOTH Jingle & Jangle, the elves
Front Row From Left to Right
Nicole Paluzzi as Aunt Sally
Jerry Woodling as Elgnirk Sirk
Jennifer Woodling as Fanny
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: KEITH BODAYLA
Peggy Bryan as Klara Kringle
Brian Jinks as Biggie
Keith Bodayla as Kris Kringle
Rachel Nicely as BOTH Jingle & Jangle, the elves
Front Row From Left to Right
Nicole Paluzzi as Aunt Sally
Jerry Woodling as Elgnirk Sirk
Jennifer Woodling as Fanny
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: KEITH BODAYLA
SAD NEWS!
The Cabaret Theatre's temporary storefront venue has been sold! We are once again
homeless!