Christopher Owens: 1996

By March of 1966, the name of Wayside began to appear in the local newspapers.  Wayside Theatre on Tour was performing the Murder Mystery Play, The Dangerous Illusion, as a benefit for the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Department Senior Adult Activities held in the Banquet Room of Winchester’s Travel Lodge.  (SEE Appendix, WTOT).

Another March event was Wayside’s hosting of the national tour of Always Patsy Cline that gave four performances in the auditorium of Handley High School, May 9 – 12, 1996.  Owens co-produced this tour with Arkansas Repertory Theatre (Owens, C.  Email. 19 May 2011).  The show’s first performance had been held in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium before appearing in over 100 cities.  The show featured Jessica Welch as Patsy Cline, Candyce Hinkle as her friend, Louise Seger, and a six-piece band.  The four Winchester performances took place at Handley High School because the Wayside stage was not large enough. To assist with a few technical matters, “Wayside … will also be responsible for part of the construction of the set … but the visiting company will do most of the work and will bring extra lights and sound equipment” (Green, Kristen.  “Wayside Brings ….”  TWS.  9 Mar. 1995). 

It appears that this event marked the first time that Wayside had ever “acted as a presenter of another company’s show” (Grant. “Tickets Remain ….”  TWS.  13 Apr. 1996).  And, it was probably the only time as well.  To promote the show, a feature article on Miss Welch appeared in the local paper a few weeks prior to the performances.  In it, Welch tells of her background and training, and of her admiration for Cline.  She states, “I’ve done 200 shows and I love it” (Libby.  “Always Patsy.” NVD.  11 May 1996).  In later years, Wayside performed three Patsy Cline shows in Middletown:  A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline in 2003-2004, and Always Patsy Cline in 2008-2009, which was repeated in 2010-2011 and performed at Jordan Springs rather than on the Wayside stage. 

As a point of interest - - after extensive renovation of Handley School, the auditorium was renamed The Patsy Cline Auditorium.

To observe the 35th anniversary of Wayside, a Maryland paper featured an interview with Owens where he talked about the process of selecting a season.  After looking through hundreds of scripts and finally selecting the season, he then considers the restraints of Wayside’s small space which further limits his final decision.  For actors, he begins auditions in February in New York City where “about 90 percent of the actors who perform at Wayside are based.”  Owens sees “1,000 actors for the 60 or so slots available each summer.”  Selection is not easy as …

some [of the] actors I want, a number of other films and theaters want as well. 
What we have going for us is a pretty good reputation in New York City for the
quality of work here.  It’s also a nice plus to get out of New York City in the
summer and come here to work (Pryor.  “Celebrate 35 years.” The Herald-Mail. 
23 May 1996).

The 1996 season opened with Little Shop of Horrors directed and choreographed by Ann Niemann. The energetic cast received positive comments from reviewers.  While not giving details, one writer congratulates Little Shop as demonstrating that “the cast, director, stage manager and musicians have learned how to do a musical on the tiny Wayside stage - - and they have learned to do it with Wayside style” (Currie.  “Wayside play is a ….” TSVH.  29 May 1996).  All reviewers agreed that it was the doo-whop girl’s Trio that captured everyone’s attention.  “Not only do they sound great, but they look great, and oh, how they get down when they dance.  Time and again they just walk off with the show” (Randolph.  “A delightful ‘Little Shop’ ….”  CSC.  1 June 1996).  How Audrey changed sizes and the coordination required between the voice and this action were also mentioned in all the reviews, that all agreed that Joshua Estrin was born to play the part of Seymour!!

A more sophisticated musical, Nite Club Confidential, based on the life of famous night-club singer, Kay Goodman, appeared next on Wayside’s stage.  Katherine Harber, who played the role of Goodmen, sums up the show, stating, “The music is amazing.  I … get to sing such great songs.  This play is like a love letter to the night club scene of the 1950s …” (McCarty.  “Wayside Revisits ….  TWS.  19 June 1996).  The five-member cast, some of whom had been in Little Shop, share in the music and play various roles as they recount the singer’s life story.  The show was summed up as an evening of great music and comedy, “that will have you roaring in your seat!” (McMillen. “ ‘Nite club Confidential’ ….”  TWaS. 27 June 1996).  A more detailed review calls it “Straight forward, [a show] for those who love the song for song’s sake.  It may not be the one for first time theatergoers but for those who remember the night club, for those who love the power of music, go” (Currie. “Club act great.” Valley News-Herald.  26 June 1996).

A detailed bio of Katherine Harber, who played Goodman in Nite Club Confidential, tells how this California native got an early start in music and of her current interest in working with children’s theatre.  She confesses, “I’ve danced and sung all my life” (McCarty. 19 June 1996).

Charley’s Aunt, the classic comedy from the 1890s, and directed by Michael Haney from Allenbury Playhouse, was Wayside’s next offering.  Comic timing along with a Victorian set and costumes made this British farce a “breath of fresh air at Wayside this summer.” The reviewer urges his readers not “to miss out on all the fun” (Muller. “ ‘Charley’s Aunt’ Is ….”  TWS.  19 July 1996).  All reviewers praise the energy of this ageless farce.  One mentions a particular funny moment when an actor, “having stripped to his skivvies, redressing by charging like a bull into his dress which is held horizontal by his cohorts” (Horan. “ ‘Charley’s Aunt’ is spry ….”  NVD.  20 July 1996).  It was a high energy production!

By contrast, Greetings, the only play written by a contemporary author performed during this season, posed a challenge to the actors as well as the audience.  The script dealt with the conflict between father and son, between brothers, between two strong women, a lapsed Catholic and an atheistic Jewish cab driver and a household with a handicapped child.  Set at Christmas time when a family is coming together for the season, the “script has its share of jokes … but is capable of taking what appears to be a perfectly mundane situation and making something intriguing from it” (Horan. “ ‘Greetings’ brings yuletide ….” NVD.  17 Aug. 1996).  Cast as the handicapped person was Clark Middleton who is himself “physically disabled from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.”  Raised in Arizona, Middletown attended college in Southern California, and studied acting for three years with Uta Hagen in New York, where he currently resides.  Middleton states that Wayside’s production should not be missed, adding, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a play where the reaction has been so astounding for an audience” (McCarty. “ ‘Greetings’ from the ….”  TWS.  14 Aug. 1996).  Another writer concludes, “Expect to feel your hair bristle a little.  Don’t be surprised if you get a little defensive.  Go with an open mind, and be willing to feel like discussing the point afterwards” (Currie. “Thought play on ….”  TSVH.  21 Aug. 1996).  At some point in the run of Greetings, a change was made for the actor playing the role of Phil Gorski.  A notice, most likely posted on a bulletin board near the Theatre’s entrance, states that Vincent Wares would be playing this role, although the playbill and lobby photos indicate that Dana Bate was the actor originally cast in this role.  All the newspaper reviews refer to Bates in this role.  There is no information indicating when this casting change took place. 

The season’s mystery selection was the classic Agatha Christie title, Ten Little Indians. This play had first appeared on Wayside’s stage in 1965, and would be seen a third time during the 2003-2004 season.  From all accounts, this was a very strong production and all reviewers credit each actor with their own individual paragraph.  An un-named reviewer called attention to the “ingenious sets” stating “I love all the stairs and sinister doorways” and adds “a special mention must also be made about the dandy storm that rages outside” (“Waysides ‘Indians’ provides ….”  CSE.  27 Sept. 1996).  Another, after mentioning each actor by name, states “But, the real surprise – since fine acting is a tradition at Wayside – is where, and how, do the 10 little Indian figurines keep disappearing and if it’s raining, why doesn’t the audience get wet?” (Currie.  “Wayside wins again ….”  TSVH.  18 Sept. 1996).  Actor Hal Blankenship, who played General MacKensie, made another appearance to the Shenandoah Valley as Buffalo Bill in SSMT’s production of Annie Get Your Gun in 2002.

The final show of the summer season was the fast-paced farce, Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde.  One writer calls it the best show of the season with a script that “goes for laughs mixing social comments on female rights, social control, illusions and social facades, debauchery and finesse, roles and barriers, and, finally, the physical body verses the mental body - - all in good fun” (Currie.  “Wayside play strikes ….”  TSVH.  16 Dec. 1996). All reviewers agree that the cast play this fast-paced work for all it is worth. The costumes are great, and the rotating set displays several locations: Jekyll’s office and consulting room, the street outside, and the anti-room off a ballroom.  On the other hand, Muller finds the script weak and that Owens really doesn’t have much to work with nor does it display any sense of suspense (Muller.  “Wayside’s Jekyll-Hyde Farce ….” TWS.  11 Oct. 1996).

Once again, the classic Christmas Carol concluded the season.  For this production Owens combined two versions of the script that he had written previously and brings young “Fred into the picture as somewhat of a narrator” who begins the show with the lines, “Marley was dead, as dead as a door-nail” (Currie.  “Puppets added ….” TSVH.  27 Nov. 1996).  And, for this year Owens double-cast the five children’s parts giving opportunity to more talented youth.  The most obvious change in this year’s version was the use of puppets, “designed by the talented and experienced Kevin Wall, resident scenic designer … who has worked with Jim Henson Puppets [as well as working] in London, learning the theatrics and design of puppeteering from the best” (Currie.  27 Nov. 1996).  The puppets in this production range from being very small to standing over 10 feet!  Wall was also the creator of Audrey II in the season opener, Little Shop of Horrors.  To play the role of Scrooge, Jeff Eiche returned after an absence of five years. “He is cynical, horrid and callous and changes into a gentle laughing and sensitive man with a personable ease that makes it realistic” (Currie.  “Dickens with ….” 11 Dec. 1996).   

On a personal note, it was in this 1996 production of Christmas Carol that this writer first appeared on Wayside’s stage and began his association with this organization.