Sawyer/Finn

Grantors

No items found.

Sponsors

No items found.

Sponsors

Donors

Tributes

Performers

Carisyn Bartholomee

*

Defense Lawyer

Daryl Berry

*

Muff Potter

Rylan Hayes

*

Joe Harper

Jesslyn Hudson

*

Townsperson

Leenah Kneer

*

Amy Lawrence

Ezra Nava

*

Huck Finn

Ryleigh Nolen

*

Becky Thatcher

Patricia Padron

*

Sid Sawyer

Maverick Parks

*

Ben Rodgers

DeeDee Putzel

*

Injun Joe

Jai Shaffer

*

Master Dobbins

Devyn Shock

*

Townsperson

Ryan Stennis

*

Tom Sawyer

Mayah Tate

*

Amy Lawrence

David Thomas

*

Pap Finn

Delanna Thomas

*

Aunt Polly

Setting

There will be a 15-minute intermission.

Songs & Scenes

No items found.

Production Staff

Sawyer/Finn Production Staff

Director

A. Chris Barton

Assistant Director

Breleigh Kelley Ellie Thomas

Tech/Scenic Designer

EJ Hancock

Lighting Designer

Alex Koontz

Sound Designer

Adam Sahli

Assistant Sound Designer

Cooper Green

Prop Designer

Brianna Houser

Costume Designer

Bec Pawlowski

Assistant Costume Designer

Hailey Eakle

Intimacy Coordinator

Emma Evenson

Stage Manager

Kendra Putzel

Venue Staff

School Administration Staff

No items found.

Musicians

No items found.

2025 Board of Governors

President

Joshua Sparks

President Elect

Chris Hall

Treasurer

Steve Pocsik

Secretary

Samuel Stennis

Past President

Lisa Durgin

Board Members

Natalie Acosta Brad Bullock Casey Green Melissa Hooper Jamie Jenkins Billy Kelley Deida Pressey R.Shaun Rainey John Wilkinson Jessi Willmann

Student Advisory Board

Credits

Lighting equipment from PRG Lighting, sound equipment from Sound Associates, rehearsed at The Public Theater’s Rehearsal Studios. Developed as part of Irons in the Fire at Fault Line Theatre in New York City.

Special Thanks

*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

“Actors’ Equity Association (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers, Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an International organization of performing arts unions. www.actorsequity.org

United Scenic Artists ● Local USA 829 of the I.A.T.S.E represents the Designers & Scenic Artists for the American Theatre

ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents & Managers (IATSE Local 18032), represents the Press Agents, Company Managers, and Theatre Managers employed on this production.

Meet the Cast

Carisyn Bartholomee

*

Defense Lawyer

(

Sheriff

)

(

Sheriff

)

Pronouns:

Daryl Berry

*

Muff Potter

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Daryl is honored to get the be on the Midland Community Theatre stage regularly. He is excited to participate in a Pickwick Production! He was recently seen in Anastasia.

Rylan Hayes

*

Joe Harper

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Rylans Hayes was last seen in A Christmas Carol and Charlotte's Web. He loves theatre, and has enjoyed all the shows he's been involved in. "I'm cool, and I'm , Joe so.... you can't miss me! See you on the stage!"

Jesslyn Hudson

*

Townsperson

(

Thief 2

)

(

Thief 2

)

Pronouns:

Jesslyn is excited to be in this show. She loves being in Pickwick Players and this show is one she hopes ya'll enjoy. Her favorite things to do is to be with friends and singing.

Leenah Kneer

*

Amy Lawrence

(

Doc Robinson

)

(

Doc Robinson

)

Pronouns:

Leenah is very excited to be a part of this production. She is homeschooled and loves being a Pickwick Player. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Ezra Nava

*

Huck Finn

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Ezra is currently a homeschool student. When he is not busy memorizing lines, he can be found playing video games, listening to music, or working out with his brother. Remember his face because he plans to be famous one day. Until then, enjoy more shows at MCT!

Ryleigh Nolen

*

Becky Thatcher

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Ryleigh is excited to be back on stage following her role in Charlotte's Web. Ryleigh is homeschooled and the oldest of eight kids. She enjoys playing piano and being with friends. She's grateful to be a part of an amazing cast and gives all the glory to God. She hopes everyone enjoys the show.

Patricia Padron

*

Sid Sawyer

(

Prosecution

)

(

Prosecution

)

Pronouns:

Patricia is thrilled to be performing in her second Pickwick production! She brings nonstop energy, big personality, and plenty of fun to every rehearsal. When she's not rehearsing for a play, you can catch her scoring the winning goal in soccer or at least trying! She is so excited to be in this play and can't wait to see where she's cast next.

Maverick Parks

*

Ben Rodgers

(

Widow's Brother

)

(

Widow's Brother

)

Pronouns:

Maverick is so excited to be a part of the show Sawyer/Finn. He has been in eleven shows at Midland Community Theatre. His best friend ever is Bert and his inspiration is Danny Devito.

DeeDee Putzel

*

Injun Joe

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

She/her

Dee Dee is excited to be back on stage at Midland Community Theatre for Sawyer/Finn! As well as being on stage, she enjoys helping out backstage as Dresser Chair and other roles as needed. She is happy to share the stage with the talented Pickwick crew!

Jai Shaffer

*

Master Dobbins

(

Widow Douglas

)

(

Widow Douglas

)

Pronouns:

Jai is so glad you came to see the show. Some other performances she has been seen in are, Annie, Newsies, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and Three Sisters. She enjoys hanging out with her friends and laying in the grass, and researching dinosaurs. She hopes you enjoy the show!

Devyn Shock

*

Townsperson

(

Thief 1

)

(

Thief 1

)

Pronouns:

Devyn has been in theatre for 3 years and has been a Pickwick Player for 2 years. She has been in three shows at Midland Community Theatre, A Christmas Carol (2022), A Midsummer Night's Dream (2024) and A Christmas Carol (2025). She is so excited to be in this show.

Ryan Stennis

*

Tom Sawyer

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Ryan is a Seventh Grader at Abell Junior High. He's been in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sound of Music and Charlotte's Web. He hopes you enjoy the show.

Mayah Tate

*

Amy Lawrence

(

Doc Robinson

)

(

Doc Robinson

)

Pronouns:

Mayah is a homeschooled Sophomore student and this is her first year as a Pickwick Player. She is thrilled to be a part of the Pickwick Players and loves every aspect of theatre. She previously performed as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and has also enjoyed working behind the scenes in costume design for Charlotte's Web and Into the Woods. Outside of theatre, she enjoys ballet and spending time with friends and family.

David Thomas

*

Pap Finn

(

Minister, Judge

)

(

Minister, Judge

)

Pronouns:

David Thomas has been in many shows over the years. He was last seen with his wife Delanna in No Room for a Picture on the Blank Wall as Peter Bunther. David teaches theatre and literature at Hillcrest School and can also be seen in the cello section of the West Texas Symphony.

Delanna Thomas

*

Aunt Polly

(

)

(

)

Pronouns:

Delanna Thomas has been on stage since the age of four. She teaches mat at SJJH by day but theatre runs in her veins. She's appreared in numerous productions at MCT since 1993, most recently in No Room for a Picture on a Blank Wall, alongsider her real-life leading man, David Thomas whom she's been married to for 30 years. Her first Pickwick show was in 1979-- and at 58, shes come full circle.

Meet the Team

Cooper Green

*

Assistant Sound Designer

(

)

Pronouns:

Cooper has been on stage in six MCT productions, along with two professional shows in our region, but this is first experience working in the technical side of theatre. Cooper loves music and is excited to use that passion in sound design.

Breleigh Kelley

*

Assistant Director

(

)

Pronouns:

Breleigh is so excited for you to see this show. She hopes you enjoy the adventures and thanks you all for coming.

Kendra Putzel

*

Stage Manager

(

)

Pronouns:

Kendra is excited to be in her first stage manager role at MCT! She also enjoys working backstage in various tech roles and occasionally being on stage. She is proud to be a part of this original Pickwick show.

Ellie Thomas

*

Assistant Director

(

)

Pronouns:

Ellie is a Sophomore at Early College High School at MC and a fourth-year member of The Pickwick Players, where she serves as the Technical Director on Council. She is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work on this show and looks forward to seeing what comes next in her Pickwick journey.

Media

No items found.

2021 National Touring Cast

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"I'm Overwhelmed with Gratitude" The 2026 Tony Nominees React To Their Nominations

Theatrely Staff

May 5, 2026

This morning was a very exciting moment for the theatre industry as the 2026 Tony Award Nominations were announced. Below, see live reactions from the various 2026 Nominees. Keep checking back throughout the day as we update the below.

"I am grateful to be counted among such luminaries as my friend Kelli O’Hara, the truly gifted Rose Byrne, an astonishing Susannah Flood, and the legendary Leslie Manville. I’m also thrilled for my BUG design team, who made a difficult job look deceptively simple." Carrie Coon, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for BUG.

“I think it most appropriate to quote from the song, ‘My legs may be tottery. I must go slow, and be careful of Old Deuteronomy.’” André De Shields, nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for CATS: The Jellicle Ball

"My heart is pounding, pouring over with gratitude. Thank you to the Tony Committee for this humbling recognition. Returning to Broadway has been so artistically fulfilling and it moves me deeply to be witnessed and celebrated by the community. Gosh, I love the theater and I love being in The Rocky Horror Show in the limitless sandbox that Sam Pinkleton has cultivated. It is a gift to unleash Janet Weiss night after night. I can’t wait to keep sharing her with you." Stephanie Hsu, nominated for Best Performance by a Lead Actress for The Rocky Horror Show.

"This is a bit of a moment for me. To be recognised in this way by such an esteemed body is as good as it gets. I couldn’t be prouder of Oedipus and the remarkable team I got to navigate this highly complex play with 8 times a week, most notably the magnificent Mark Strong." Leslie Manville, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Oedipus.

"What a sweet, thrilling surprise! I'm humbled and happy to be in the company of these wonderful actors in my category. And I can't wait to celebrate tonight by playing this beautiful play with such a superb company. Wow." Richard Thomas, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for The Balusters.

"I’m beyond honored to have The Balusters included among this year’s Tony nominees—especially in a season with so many bold, beautiful new plays. The nomination is really a testament to the remarkable artists who brought the play to life—our astonishing director, Kenny Leon, our extraordinary ensemble of actors, our brilliant designers, and the tireless crew, along with everyone at MTC. I’m so grateful to get to make theater and be part of a community that continues to sustain and inspire me in so many ways." David Lindsay-Abaire, nominated for Best Play for The Balusters

"I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this honor. To be working in the theatre, let alone on Broadway, has been my dream since I transformed my grandparents' garage into a stage as a kid. More important than the personal honor is the deep sense of pride I have for my fellow collaborators who poured their souls into the monumental undertaking that is The Lost Boys. They are all my heroes and I am so grateful for the selflessness, rigor, and passion they brought to work every day. Congrats to all the nominees and all the countless artists and technicians who make every show possible and who continue to delight and inspire audiences 8 times a week on Broadway." - Michael Arden, nominated for Best Direction of a Musical and Best Lighting Design of a Musical.

"The Lost Boys was as much of a thrill ride to make as it is onstage. I am incredibly honored to be nominated amongst the best designers working on Broadway and as part of a creative team that was recognized across the board for this biggest of swings." Dane Laffrey, nominated for Best Scenic Design of a Musical for The Lost Boys.

“What fantastic news to wake up to. I was working out, not watching it directly, but I got a text. I’m grateful to the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. Congrats to all of the other nominees, what a spectacular group. My deepest thanks Scott Ellis and everyone at Roundabout. Scott is the most amazing leader, and he created the opportunity to bring this Noël Coward world to stage. And congratulations to Kelli, Rose, and Jeff Mahshie and everyone else involved. This is a total total thrill.” David Rockwell, nominated for Best Scenic Design of a Play for Fallen Angels

"I’m beyond excited to be nominated alongside the most daring collaborators. The Lost Boys took a big, fearless leap, and getting to take that jump with my collaborators is something that I will never forget. I am indebted to and so proud of the greatest lighting team on Broadway!" Jen Schriever, nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for The Lost Boy

“I’m completely over the moon to be nominated for my work on Oedipus which was redesigned for New York after the initial London run. It was, and always is, a pleasure to be welcomed by the Broadway community.” Natasha Chivers, nominated for Best Lighting Design of a Play for Oedipus

“I’m currently on New Jersey Transit to Penn Station to go observe a brain surgery to research a television show I’m filming, but I think they are going to have to put me on an operating table because I cannot comprehend this news. I first heard from my manager David Williams and then my phone just started blowing up. I’m just trying to take it all in. Before David called, my phone sent me a notification about a memory from a year ago where my family was all gathered for my father’s funeral. And it’s so apropos because my dad has been with me this entire process and I just think about him and how supportive he was my entire life. And how I would have loved to have shared this with him in person. But I know I get to share it with him now and every day moving forward. Thank you, dad. Thank you Crystal, my wife, and Chase my son. And all of the Waiting for Godot team, Alex, Keanu, Michael, Zayn, Eric, and Jamie Lloyd, our director, our stage management team, the designers, and especially the crew at the Hudson Theatre who made it a joy to come to work every day. It’s really clarifying how many people it takes to arrive at a singular moment in your life, but it is just a really profound honor to represent everyone who worked so hard on the show and bringing it to the audiences. Here we go!” Brandon J. Dirden, nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Waiting for Godot.

2026 Tony Award Nominations Complete List: SCHMIGADOON! and THE LOST BOYS Lead The Noms

Kobi Kassal

May 5, 2026

The champagne is chilled and the ballots are ready. The nominees for the 2026 Tony Awardswere announced today and now let the campaigning begin!

Eligible for the 2025-2026 season are 30 productions, with six new musicals, nine new plays, five musical revivals, and ten play revivals, who all hoped to hear their name called this morning. The nominations were revealed by Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss, live from the Sofitel Hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

The winners of the 79th annual Tony Awards will be revealed on Broadway's biggest night on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall. Grammy Award winner Pink will host the main event, which will air from 8:00-11:00 PM, ET/5:00-8:00 PM, PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*.

Stay here for live updates as the nominations are being announced:

Best Musical

The Lost Boys

Schmigadoon!

Titaníque

Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)

Best Play

The Balusters

Giant

Liberation

Little Bear Ridge Road

Best Book of a Musical

The Lost Boys

David Hornsby and Chris Hoch

Schmigadoon!

Cinco Paul

Titaníque

Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Music: Caroline Shaw

August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Music: Steve Bargonetti

The Lost Boys

Music & Lyrics: The Rescues

Schmigadoon!

Music & Lyrics: Cinco Paul

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Music & Lyrics: Jim Barne and Kit Buchan

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Will Harrison, Punch

Nathan Lane, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

John Lithgow, Giant

Daniel Radcliffe, Every Brilliant Thing

Mark Strong, Oedipus

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Rose Byrne, Fallen Angels

Carrie Coon, Bug

Susannah Flood, Liberation

Lesley Manville, Oedipus

Kelli O’Hara, Fallen Angels

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Nicholas Christopher, Chess

Luke Evans, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Joshua Henry, Ragtime

Sam Tutty, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Brandon Uranowitz, Ragtime

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Sara Chase, Schmigadoon!

Stephanie Hsu, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Caissie Levy, Ragtime

Marla Mindelle, Titaníque

Christiani Pitts, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Christopher Abbott, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Danny Burstein, Marjorie Prime

Brandon J. Dirden, Waiting for Godot

Alden Ehrenreich, Becky Shaw

Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Richard Thomas, The Balusters

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Betsy Aidem, Liberation

Marylouise Burke, The Balusters

Aya Cash, Giant

Laurie Metcalf, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

June Squibb, Marjorie Prime

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Ali Louis Bourzgui, The Lost Boys

André De Shields, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Bryce Pinkham, Chess

Ben Levi Ross, Ragtime

Layton Williams, Titaníque

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Shoshana Bean, The Lost Boys

Hannah Cruz, Chess

Rachel Dratch, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Ana Gasteyer, Schmigadoon!

Nichelle Lewis, Ragtime

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Hildegard Bechtler, Oedipus

Takeshi Kata, Bug

Chloe Lamford, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman

David Korins, Dog Day Afternoon

David Rockwell, Fallen Angels

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

dots, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Soutra Gilmour, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Rachel Hauck, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Dane Laffrey, The Lost Boys

Scott Pask, Schmigadoon!

Best Costume Design of a Play

Brenda Abbandandolo, Dog Day Afternoon

Qween Jean, Liberation

Jeff Mahshie, Fallen Angels

Emilio Sosa, The Balusters

Paul Tazewell, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Linda Cho, Ragtime

Linda Cho, Schmigadoon!

Qween Jean, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Ryan Park, The Lost Boys

David I. Reynoso, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Isabella Byrd, Dog Day Afternoon

Natasha Chivers, Oedipus

Stacey Derosier, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Heather Gilbert, Bug

Heather Gilbert, The Fear of 13

Jack Knowles, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, Chess

Jane Cox, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Donald Holder, Schmigadoon!

Adam Honoré, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Adam Honoré and Donald Holder (Lighting Design) and 59 Studio (Projection Design), Ragtime

Jen Schriever and Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

Best Sound Design of a Play

Justin Ellington, August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

Tom Gibbons, Oedipus

Lee Kinney, The Fear of 13

Josh Schmidt, Bug

Mikaal Sulaiman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Kai Harada, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Kai Harada, Ragtime

Adam Fisher, The Lost Boys

Brian Ronan, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Walter Trarbach, Schmigadoon!

Best Direction of a Play

Nicholas Hytner, Giant

Robert Icke, Oedipus

Kenny Leon, The Balusters

Joe Mantello, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Whitney White, Liberation

Best Direction of a Musical

Michael Arden, The Lost Boys

Lear deBessonet, Ragtime

Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!

Tim Jackson, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Best Choreography

Christopher Gattelli, Schmigadoon!

Ellenore Scott, Ragtime

Ani Taj, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show

Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant, The Lost Boys

Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, Schmigadoon!

Ethan Popp, Kyler England, Adrianne “AG” Gonzalez and Gabriel Mann, The Lost Boys

Lux Pyramid, Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

Brian Usifer, Chess

Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Wilson, Trevor Holder and Doug Schadt, Cats: The Jellicle Ball

Tony Nominations by Production

The Lost Boys - 12

Schmigadoon! - 12

Ragtime - 11

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman - 9

Cats: The Jellicle Ball - 9

Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show - 9

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) - 8

Oedipus - 7

August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone - 5

The Balusters - 5

Chess - 5

Fallen Angels - 5

Liberation - 5

Bug - 4

Giant - 4

Titaníque - 4

Dog Day Afternoon - 3

Becky Shaw - 2

Every Brilliant Thing - 2

The Fear of 13 - 2

Marjorie Prime - 2

Little Bear Ridge Road - 1

Punch - 1

Waiting for Godot - 1

Inaugural BROADWAY BREAKOUT BRUNCH To Celebrate Next Generation Of Broadway Talent

Theatrely Staff

May 4, 2026

Get those bagels toasted and mimosas poured, we got brunch plans! Today, Theatrely Editor-in-Chief Kobi Kassal and Christopher Ketner and Hunter Regian of Origin Story Productions announced that they will host an inaugural Broadway Breakout Brunch, on Friday, May 22 at Ascent Lounge in New York City to celebrate the next generation of Broadway talent on stage and off.

The brunch will honor breakout stars Anania (The Rocky Horror Show), Isa Briones (Just in Time), Aidan Close & Emmet Smith (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), McKenzie Kurtz (Schmigadoon!), Whitney Leavitt (Chicago), Jake Shane (All Out: Comedy About Ambition) and Runyonland Productions (Thomas Laub and Alyah Chanelle Scott) for their contributions to the Broadway landscape this season and beyond.

Performers, presenters, and host will be announced at a later date.

“It has been such an honor serving as the Editor-in-Chief of Theatrely for the past few years, watching the history of our industry being written in real time.” said Kassal. “I know I speak for the entire team here and our partners at Origin Story Productions when I say that we are so proud to celebrate and honor the young artists both on and off the stage who make Broadway what it is. And what better way to celebrate than with brunch! I look forward to continuing to champion the next generation for years to come. Now pass the avocado toast!”

In a joint statement, Ketner and Regian said: “This event is a celebration of the artists and creatives helping to make this season on Broadway so exciting, and we are honored to produce it alongside our friends at Theatrely. At Origin Story Productions, bringing our community together in creative and showstopping ways is at the core of what we love to do, and the Broadway Breakout Brunch is exactly that. Expect a room full of energy, talent, and the kind of joy that makes Broadway so special.”

Ketner and Regian’s new production company, Origin Story Productions, will serve as Executive Producers for the event. To learn more about the brunch and how to get involved, reach out to info@theatrely.com

Theatrely News

EXCLUSIVE: Watch A Clip From THEATER CAMP Starring Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, and Molly Gordon

Theatrely News

READ: An Excerpt From Sean Hayes Debut YA Novel TIME OUT

Theatrely News

"Reframing the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Stage Manager’s Eyes"

EXCLUSIVE: Watch A Clip From THEATER CAMP Starring Ben Platt, Noah Galvin, and Molly Gordon

By: Maia Penzer

14 July 2023

Finally, summer has arrived, which can only mean one thing: it's time for camp! Theater Camp, that is. Theatrely has a sneak peak at the new film which hits select theaters today.

The new original comedy starring Tony Award winner Ben Platt and Molly Gordon we guarantee will have you laughing non-stop. The AdirondACTS, a run-down theater camp in upstate New York, is attended by theater-loving children who must work hard to keep their beloved theater camp afloat after the founder, Joan, falls into a coma.

The film stars Ben Platt and Molly Gordon as Amos Klobuchar and Rebecca-Diane, respectively, as well as Noah Galvin as Glenn Wintrop, Jimmy Tatro as Troy Rubinsky, Patti Harrison as Caroline Krauss, Nathan Lee Graham as Clive DeWitt, Ayo Edebiri as Janet Walch, Owen Thiele as Gigi Charbonier, Caroline Aaron as Rita Cohen, Amy Sedaris as Joan Rubinsky, and Alan Kim as Alan Park.

Theater Camp was directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman and written by Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman & Ben Platt. Music is by James McAlister and Mark Sonnenblick. On January 21, 2023, Theater Camp had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

You can purchase tickets to the new film from our friends at Hollywood.com here.

‍

READ: An Excerpt From Sean Hayes Debut YA Novel TIME OUT

By: Kobi Kassal

29 May 2023

Actor Sean Hayes is what we in the biz call booked and blessed. On top of his Tony-nominated performance as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar, Hayes has partnered with Todd Milliner and Carlyn Greenwald for the release of their new YA novel Time Out.

Heralded by many as Heartstopper meets Friday Night Lights, Time Out follows hometown basketball hero Barclay Elliot who decides to use a pep rally to come out to his school. When the response is not what he had hoped and the hostility continually growing, he turns to his best friend Amy who brings him to her voting rights group at school. There he finds Christopher and… you will just have to grab a copy and find out what happens next. Luckily for you, Time Out hits shelves on May 30 and to hold you over until then we have a special except from the book just for Theatrely:

The good thing about not being on the team the past two weeks has been that I’ve had time to start picking up shifts again at Beau’s diner and save up a little for college now that my scholarship dreams are over.

The bad part is it’s the perfect place to see how my actions at the pep rally have rotted the townspeople’s brains too.

During Amy’s very intense musical theater phase in middle school, her parents took her to New York City. And of course she came back home buzzing about Broadway and how beautiful the piss smell was and everything artsy people say about New York. But she also vividly described some diner she waited three hours to get into where the waitstaff would all perform songs for the customers as a way to practice for auditions. The regulars would have favorite staff members and stan them the way Amy stans all her emo musicians.

Working at Beau’s used to feel kind of like that, like I was part of a performance team I didn’t know I signed up for. The job started off pretty basic over the summer—I wanted to save up for basketball supplies, and Amy worked there and said it was boring ever since her e-girl coworker friend graduated. But I couldn’t get through a single lunch rush table without someone calling me over and wanting the inside scoop on the Wildcats and how we were preparing for the home opener, wanting me to sign an article in the paper or take a photo. Every friendly face just made the resolve grow inside me. People love and support the Wildcats; they would do the same for me.

Yeah, right.

Now just like school, customers have been glaring at me, making comments about letting everyone down, about being selfish, about my actions being “unfortunate,” and the tips have been essentially nonexistent. The Wildcats have been obliterated in half their games since I quit, carrying a 2–3 record when last year we were 5–0, and the comments make my feet feel like lead weights I have to drag through every shift.

Today is no different. It’s Thursday, the usual dinner rush at Beau’s, and I try to stay focused on the stress of balancing seven milkshakes on one platter. A group of regulars, some construction workers, keep loudly wondering why I won’t come back to the team while I refuse proper eye contact.

One of the guys looks up at me as I drop the bill off. “So, what’s the deal? Does being queer keep ya from physically being able to play?”

They all snicker as they pull out crumpled bills. I stuff my hands into my pockets, holding my tongue.

When they leave, I hold my breath as I take their bill.

Sure enough, no tip.

“What the fuck?” I mutter under my breath.

“Language,” Amy says as she glides past me, imitating the way Richard says it to her every shift, and adds, “even though they are dicks.” At least Amy’s been ranting about it every free chance she gets. It was one thing when the student body was being shitty about me leaving the team, but the town being like this is even more infuriating. She doesn’t understand how these fully grown adults can really care that much about high school basketball and thinks they need a new fucking hobby. I finally agree with her.

[She’s wearing red lipstick to go with her raccoon-adjacent eyeliner as she rushes off to prepare milkshakes for a pack of middle schoolers. I catch her mid–death glare as all three of the kids rotate in their chairs, making the old things squeal. My anger fades a bit as I can’t help but chuckle; Amy’s pissed-off reaction to Richard telling her to smile more was said raccoon makeup, and her tolerance for buffoonery has been at a negative five to start and declining fast.

I rest my arms on the counter and try not to look as exhausted as I feel.

“Excuse me!” an old lady screeches, making me jump.

Amy covers up a laugh as I head to the old lady and her husband’s table. They’ve got finished plates, full waters. Not sure what the problem is. Or I do, which is worse.

“Yes?” I say trying to suppress my annoyance.

“Could you be bothered to serve us?”

Only five more hours on shift. I have a break in three minutes. I’ll be with Devin at Georgia Tech tomorrow. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” I say, so careful to keep my words even, but I can feel my hands balling into fists. “What would you—?”

And suddenly Amy swoops in, dropping two mugs of coffee down. “Sorry about that, you two,” she says, her voice extra high. “The machine was conking out on us, but it’s fine now.”

Once the coffee is down, she hooks onto a chunk of my shirt, steering us back to the bar.

“Thanks,” I mutter, embarrassed to have forgotten something so basic. Again.

“Just keep it together, man,” she says. “Maybe you’d be better off with that creepy night shift where all the truckers and serial killers come in.”

Honestly, at least the serial killers wouldn’t care about my jump shot.

It’s a few minutes before my break, but clearly I need it. “I’ll be in the back room.”

Right before I can head that way though, someone straight-up bursts into the diner and rushes over to me at the bar. It’s a middle-aged dad type, sunburned skin, beer belly, and stained T-shirt.

“Pickup order?” I ask.

“You should be ashamed,” he sneers at me. He has a really strong Southern accent, but it’s not Georgian. “Think you’re so high and mighty, that nothing’ll ever affect you? My kid’ll never go to college because of you and your lifestyle. Fuck you, Barclay Ell—”

And before this man can finish cursing my name, Pat of all people runs in, wide-eyed in humiliation. “Jesus, Dad, please don’t—”

I pin my gaze on him, remembering how he cowered on the bench as Ostrowski went off, how he didn’t even try to approach me. “Don’t even bother,” I snap.

I shove a to-go bag into his dad’s arms, relieved it’s prepaid, and storm off to the break room.]

Amy finds me head in my arms a minute or two later. I look up, rubbing my eyes. “Please spare me the pity.”

She snorts and hands me a milkshake. Mint chocolate chip. “Wouldn’t dare.” She takes a seat and rolls her shoulders and neck, cracks sounding through the tiny room. “Do you want a distraction or a shoulder to cry on?”

For more information, and to purchase your copy of Time Out, click here.

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Reframing the COVID-19 Pandemic Through a Stage Manager’s Eyes

By: Kaitlyn Riggio

5 July 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a national emergency in the United States in March 2020, Broadway veteran stage manager Richard Hester watched the nation’s anxiety unfold on social media.

“No one knew what the virus was going to do,” Hester said. Some people were “losing their minds in abject terror, and then there were some people who were completely denying the whole thing.”

For Hester, the reaction at times felt like something out of a movie. “It was like the Black Plague,” he said. “Some people thought it was going to be like that Monty Python sketch: ‘bring out your dead, bring out your dead.’”

While Hester was also unsure about how the virus would unfold, he felt that his “job as a stage manager is to naturally defuse drama.” Hester brought this approach off the stage and onto social media in the wake of the pandemic.

“I just sort of synthesized everything that was happening into what I thought was a manageable bite, so people could get it,” Hester said. This became a daily exercise for a year. Over two years after the beginning of the pandemic, Hester’s accounts are compiled in the book, Hold Please: Stage Managing A Pandemic. Released earlier this year, the book documents the events of the past two years, filtering national events and day-to-day occurrences through a stage manager’s eyes and storytelling.

When Hester started this project, he had no intention of writing a book. He was originally writing every day because there was nothing else to do. “I am somebody who needs a job or needs a structure,” Hester said.

Surprised to find that people began expecting his daily posts, he began publishing his daily writing to his followers through a Substack newsletter. As his following grew, Hester had to get used to writing for an audience. “I started second guessing myself a lot of the time,” Hester said. “It just sort of put a weird pressure on it.”

Hester said he got especially nervous before publishing posts in which he wrote about more personal topics. For example, some of his posts focused on his experiences growing up in South Africa while others centered on potentially divisive topics, such as the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Despite some of this discomfort, Hester’s more personal posts were often the ones that got the most response. The experience offered him a writing lesson. “I stopped worrying about the audience and just wrote what I wanted to write about,” Hester said. “All of that pressure that I think as artists we put on ourselves, I got used to it.”

One of Hester’s favorite anecdotes featured in the book centers on a woman who dances in Washington Square Park on a canvas, rain or shine. He said he was “mesmerized by her,” which inspired him to write about her. “It was literally snowing and she was barefoot on her canvas dancing, and that seems to me just a spectacularly beautiful metaphor for everything that we all try and do, and she was living that to the fullest.”

During the creation of Hold Please, Hester got the unique opportunity to reflect in-depth on the first year of the pandemic by looking back at his accounts. He realized that post people would not remember the details of the lockdown; people would “remember it as a gap in their lives, but they weren’t going to remember it beat by beat.”

“Reliving each of those moments made me realize just how full a year it was, even though none of us were doing anything outside,” he adds. “We were all on our couches.” Readers will use the book as a way to relive moments of the pandemic’s first year “without having to wallow in the misery of it,” he hopes.

“I talk about the misery of it, but that’s not the focus of what I wrote... it was about hope and moving forward,” Hester said. “In these times when everything is so difficult, we will figure out a way to get through and we will move forward.”

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