Christopher Owens: 1998

As expected, a press release in February of 1998 gave the titles of shows scheduled for what was announced as Wayside’s 37th season. As had been done the previous year, the extended season began with a children’s theatre production.  To open the season, David Mamet’s The Frog Prince, was selected and ran from March 31 – April 11.  The four-member cast consisted of three actors from New York with one local actress, Mary Ruth Follett.  While billed as a children’s fable, one reviewer suggests that this play could evoke “a meaningful discussion with one’s youngster on the way home” (Willis-Stokes.  “Wayside’s ‘Frog Prince ….” TWS. 2 Apr. 1998).

Records indicate that Aesop’s Fables was to be a part of the pre-season Children’s Theatre schedule.  To date, no information on this production has surfaced.  It seems that the extension of the 1997 and 1998 theatre season by using two children’s productions had been a two-fold ploy:  it encouraged young people to attend programs designed specifically for their age group, and it extended the Theatre’s regular performance season. Using the two children’s shows to begin the season took place for only two years.  Records show that when Warner Crocker became the Artistic Director in 1999, he did not continue this practice that had begun two years earlier.  While there were many children’s shows performed during the Crocker years, they were never part of the mainstage season.

A second Benefit Event for the Theatre took place at the Handley High School auditorium on May 23.  For this, there were two performances by “one of country music’s hottest bands.”  It isn’t clear who sponsored this event, or if the performances conflicted what was being performed on Wayside’s stage.

The official summer season opened with a production of The Fourposter, marking the third time this title had appeared on Wayside’s stage.  (The previous performances were in 1964 and in 1977.  The musical version, I Do! I Do!, had been performed in 1970 and again in 1980, the summer of the three two-actor plays).  For the 1998 production, Ron Palillo, famous for his role as Arnold ‘Sweathog’ Horshack in TV’s “Welcome Back, Kotter,” played the role of Michael.  He is credited for “moving far beyond that [TV] experience” as he is now “a mature, thoughtful actor with a deft touch for comedy” (Horan. “Palillo, Moran lack ….” NVD.  22 May 1998).  Actress Becky Moran, in the role of Agnes, was, to some extent, overshadowed by Palillo.  Yet she held her own as “we see her change from coquettish bride to young mother to middle-aged combatant to devoted grandmother, and we absolutely adore her” (Randolph. “ ‘Fourposter’ stirs the summer ….”  CSE.  28 May 1998).  Randolph also credits the work of the props master for her excellent work in supplying the abundant number of props required for this show.  Not all reviewers were enamoured with the play, one feeling that, while it did provide a snapshot into developing relationships over the years, “neither the characters nor the plot truly engage us” (Willis-Stokes. “Outdated ‘Fourposter’ Is ….”  TWS.  28 May 1998).

While only mentioned by one source, Owens is quoted as saying that The Fourposter production began a week early because “We had to open our season earlier so we could tour in theaters on the East Coast throughout the summer.” Owens adds that “each time the play moves to a new theater … [Owens will] go to help set things up” including training the behind the scenes running crew” (McCarty.  “Setting the Stage.”  TWS.  7 Mar. 1998).  Theatre files contain no information about this tour.

The season’s second show was also a repeat, as Forever Plaid had first appeared on Wayside’s stage in 1995 and would be seen again during the 2008-2009 season.  The show was blocked for a five-week run when it was performed in 1995 and was a complete sell-out. “We estimated that we turned away between eight hundred and a thousand people,” observed Owens (McCarty.   7 Mar. 1998).  The New York cast for this season’s performance included Joshua Estrin, who had starred in Wayside’s 1996 productions of Little Shop of Horrors and Nite Club Confidential. Though not mentioned in the reviews, bass singer Clayton Fletcher was a Shenandoah graduate who was known as David Fletcher during his student days.  Bobby Smith, the musical director for the show, had been the musical director for Wayside’s 1995 production of Dames at Sea.  Horan called Forever Plaid  “a glorified revue of ‘50s music, heavily laced with humor, [which] is sure to please audiences of a certain age …” (Horan.  “ ‘Plaid’ back ….”  NVD.  13 June 1998).  Another reviewer suggested that while the younger set may not be familiar with the music performed, they will “enjoy the histrionics and the silly goofs, the comic poses and misplaced spotlights … The harmonies are smooth and evocative, and the sense of fun is contagious” (Willis-Stokes. “ ‘Forever Plaid’: Forever Fun.”  TWS.  15 June 1995).  Musical Director, Bobby Smith, had been involved with performances of “Forever Plaid” at various theatres for about a year and a half.  He calls the show, “… endearing, warm, intelligent … with a message,” adding, “the people who come to see it, love it” (McCarty. “Forever Plaid’ returns ….”  TWS.   10 June 1998).

The energetic British farce, The Perfect Wedding, provided a romp “through the ubiquitous bedroom with hilarity and verve” begins one review.  She continues, “There’s no use telling you the plot—that’s the whole point of going to see it:  the delight in watching the twists and turns the story line takes, as mistaken identities and missed communications complicate what should be a simple affair” (Wallis-Stokes. “Wayside’s ‘Perfect Wedding’ ….”TWS. 17 July 1998).  All actors seem to have been perfectly cast in this well directed farce.  In an interview with an actor who had appeared at Wayside in previous productions, Bruce Barney credits the excellent work of director Owens, stating, “… he understands the literature of plays.  He understands directing, but he also understands actors.  And, he is able to talk all three languages at the same time” (Ruby.  “ ‘Perfect Wedding’ opens ….”  TWS.  15 June 1998).  What an excellent tribute to a director!

During the run of Perfect Wedding, Wayside hosted another black-tie benefit, this time with actress Carol Channing as the featured attraction. (SEE: Appendix. Gala & Fundraisers)

Broadway veteran, Sarah Tabor, appeared in the role of the matriarch in Wayside’s next production, Quilters.  In an interview, Tabor observes that the show is “funny, it’s moving, and it’s a wonderful story about all these women.”  The seven- member all female cast “… sing, either solo or in harmony, a musical score that ranges from folk tunes to full bodied pieces with an Aaron Copland feel,” explained Owens.  He added, “’Quilters’ is a funny and dramatic play filled with moving music and sensational story-telling” (McCarty.  “ ‘Quilters’ showing at ….”  TWS.  12 Aug. 1998).  Each actress tells a story either as a solo or ensemble piece, as they work around their sewing project, a quilt.  As talented as each member of the cast was in this excellent ensemble work, the real star of the show “is the finished quilt, a 12 x 12 product that incorporates the vignettes that comprise the production’s story line” (Horan. “ ‘Quilters’ well crafted ….”  NVD.  15 Aug. 1998).  Whether it was for this show or for the production that Westbrook had directed in Richmond, mention is made of the “quilt [that was] made by 18 women from Clearfield, Pa., over a period of six months” (McCarty.  12 Aug. 1998).  In addition to the usual local coverage, an article about the show appeared in a totally different source, giving a musician’s point of view.  The musical score for Quilters is written for piano.  For the Wayside production, the musical accompaniment was expanded to include mandolin, hammered dulcimer, violin, and guitars.  Dulcimer player, Stefani Cochran, wrote about rehearsals, working with other musicians, and concluded, “As far as we know this was the only production of Quilters that used the dulcimer extensively with other instrumentalists -- without piano or keyboard” (Cochran.  “A Peek into the Pit ….” Dulcimer Player News.  Aug.-Oct. 1993).

 Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap had been running in London for 44 years when it was performed at Wayside in 1998.  Owens is credited in having accomplished the goal of the author in staging this ‘whodunit’ with the same expertise of the previous British mysteries he had directed at Wayside.  “The cast is perfect, each carrying out the mystery with classic style until the strangler steps into the limelight” (Currie. “Wayside does it again….”  TSVH. 7 Oct. 1998).  While the various reviewers praise the production, mentioning the very appropriate costumes, the excellent set, and the cast for telling a good story, one writer felt that “for the most part, their interactions are stiff and flat.  As a result the sequences never gathers the energy that would make them shine” (Sullivan.  “Wayside’s production of ….” NVD.  3 Oct. 1998).   

The resignation of Christopher Owens, who had served as Wayside’s Artistic Director for ten years, was announced in some of the reviews of the season’s final show.  It was reported that Owens “is leaving to travel the country as a freelance stage director (based out of Philadelphia)” (Willis-Stokes. “Wayside’s ‘Mousetrap.’ ….” 3 Oct. 1998).  Owens remained on Wayside’s staff to direct for the tenth time the annual December production of A Christmas Carol, making it his final directorial project at Wayside. “I came here Christmas of 1986,” Owens announced,
and it’s only fitting that I depart on Christmas as well.  Wayside’s new Artistic
Director will take over in January and I don’t know whether the production will
continue to be an annual event but it surely has been a good long run for this one
and we’ll go out with a bang (Wayside Theatre Press Release.  9 Nov. 1998).

Jeff Eiche returned to play the mean, skinflint Scrooge, a role for which he was quite famous.  For this performance, there were other actors from previous Christmas Carol productions, new actors from New York, as well as actors from the area.  Horan praises some aspects of the production along with the work of other actors, but, overall, felt that this production lacked the zest of performances from previous years (Horan. “Production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ ….”  NVD.  5 Dec. 1998). 

As a fitting tribute to Owens’ time at Wayside, an extended article appeared in the Star giving an overview of his activities prior to Wayside and his look to the future.  Owens had attended the University of Washington on a golf scholarship, studied at Juilliard in New York following graduation, and earned a masters in directing at Southern Methodist University.  Owens reflects on his Wayside tenure, stating,
The theater has come a long way … The heat works, we don’t leave sets on
stage after a show is done, the theater runs 28 weeks of the year instead of the
10 it was doing when I came, we have three-times the number of people coming
in the door, and now about 800 actors come to auditions looking to work here. 
And, it’s not for the money, but because actors have heard about Wayside and
heard that it’s good, interesting work (McCarty.  “Artistic Directors Bids ….” TWS.  6
Jan. 1999).

And, on that note, the highly successful Owens’ years at Wayside come to an end. Owens later taught at Dickinson College and retired from William and Mary in 2021 after teaching there for 17 years.