Cast Announced for HONK!
Theatricks Director Webster Crocker is happy to announce the 26 member cast for Theatricks spring production of HONK! which will perform March 6 to the 15, 2009.
After a small break from the first night of auditions because of the cold, icy weather that hit our area in January, a cast for HONK! has been selected and is currently in rehearsal. HONK! is the musical based on the Hans Christian Andersen story of the Ugly Duckling as adapted with music by George Stiles and book, lyrics by Anthony Drewe.
HONK!, winner of the Olivier Award (England’s Tony Award), is the story of Ugly, whose odd, gawky looks instantly incite prejudice from his family and neighbors. Separated from the farm and pursued by a hungry Cat, Ugly must find his way home. Along his rollicking and harrowing journey he not only discovers his true beauty and glorious destiny, but also finds love and acceptance in all its forms.
Cast as the character of Ugly is Derek George with Ugly’s parents made up of Ida (Amanda Armstrong) and Drake (Jeffery Hunter). Ugly’s brother and sisters are Billy (Caleb Crocker), Beaky (Landry Neal), Fluff (Gwen Cappel-McCoy), and Downy (Hannah Bowers).
The farmyard where Ugly lives is home to a slew of different animals like Maureen a moorhen (Amber Clay), a Turkey (Hailee Marcum), Henrietta a chicken (Martha Hayes), Grace a royal duck (Maria Hayes), a Jay Bird (Allyson Smith), and the Cat (Kaylea Daubenspeck).
Ugly meets many other animals along his journey like Greylag the leader of a wild goose flock (Will Reynolds), his wife Dot (Sarah Davis), and the rest of the gaggle including Barnacles (Anna Romm), Snowy (Lauren Yance), and Pinkfoot (Lexi Thornhill). The rest of the animals consist of a Bullfrog (Darius Thomas), a Swan family with Father (Daren Thomas), Mother (Katy McGinness), Sister (Christina Childress), and Bewick (Jessie Noblett). To round out the cast is Meredith Neal and Tina Ross as part of the chorus.
The production staff for HONK! consists of Webster Crocker as Director, Sylvia Rivers as Music Director, Amy Dean Choreographer, Samantha Crocker as Assistant Director, rehearsal pianist Dorothy Brinkman, Tammi Daubenspeck and Betty Harper Head Costumers, Joey Oliver Lights, Drew Crocker Sound, and Peter Bellermann spotlight.
HONK! is sponsored by Caskey Orthodontics and Theatricks 2008/2009 season is sponsored by Sherman Tourism Department. Tickets for HONK! will go on sale beginning Monday, March 2 for Theatricks season members, and the general public on Tuesday, March 3.
STONE SOUP Shared
With Local Schools
The Gardener (Elizabeth Geddis), the Butcher (Anne Zehnder), and the Baker (Amanda Brandt) try to figure out how to make Stone Soup in the travel show production by the same name.
Theatricks spring traveling show, STONE SOUP, will be visiting area schools beginning in February and
going until the end of the school year. The traveling show is part of Theatricks educational outreach program,
Project Theatre, which is funded by area foundations.
STONE SOUP is based on the old folktale about a town that is starving, and it takes the cunningness of
a stranger to help them realize that by working together and sharing, everyone can be fed. The production
is only 30 minutes in length, and can be performed easily in gyms and cafeterias at the schools. The production
is also written to include audience participation.
Cast in the show of STONE SOUP are Amanda Brandt as the Baker, Elizabeth Geddis as the Gardener, Anne
Zehnder as the Butcher, and Webster Crocker as the Stranger. Amanda is new to the traveling show cast, and
so is Anne. Amanda is best known for directing the musical ALADDIN, last summer. She has appeared in OLIVER!
and been busy helping to teach dance to Denison High School students and working with a local dance studio.
She is also going to school at North Texas University and working on a degree in administrative education.
Anne has appeared a couple of times for Theatricks in the productions of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and IF YOU
GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE. Anne also serves on the Theatricks Advisory Council. Elizabeth has a long resume
of working with the traveling show for over 10 years now. Besides acting, Elizabeth also enjoys mentoring,
volunteering at the SCP box office and Sherman Public Library. Theatricks Director Webster Crocker is the
one who created Project Theatre in 1989 and writes the scripts for all of the traveling shows.
To have the traveling show come and visit your school, contact Webster Crocker Theatricks Director at
(903) 893-8525 or webster@scptheater.org.
Theatricks Receives a New Grant for Project Theatre
Right before the end of 2008, the Theatricks program received a grant of $3,000 from the Texas Instruments Foundation which will help to fund SCP’s educational outreach program Project Theatre.
To date Texas Instruments joins a list of supporters funding Project Theatre like: the Clara Blackford Smith and W. Aubrey Smith Charitable Foundation, the Oliver Dewey Mayor Foundation, the W. B. Munson Foundation, the Elias and Hanna Regensburger Foundation, the Thelma Braun and Bocklett Family Foundation, the Sherman Council for the Arts and Humanities (SCAH), the Target Foundation, Chapman Inc., the Greater Cincinnati Foundation for Procter and Gamble, and hopefully the Glaser Family Foundation.
Project Theatre was created in the fall of 1989 by Webster Crocker Theatricks Director to help assist and introduce the theatre arts to area school children, and since its creation has helped to touch the lives of over 40,000 individuals a year. None of this is possible without the financial assistance and support of those who have granted money for Project Theatre.
To find out more about Project Theatre, please contact Webster Crocker.
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A Look Back
at the Beginning of Theatricks 2008/2009 Season:
A Mouse Visited Theatricks
The Mouse (Ann Zehnder) drinks milk from a straw in IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE.
The Sherman Community Players/Theatricks performed the play production of IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE for over 1,200
area preschoolers and Kindergarteners in October. The play was received so well by those in attendance that Theatricks
Director Webster Crocker added a performance Friday, October 17 at 6 p.m. in the Honey McGee Playhouse for the
general public.
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE written by Laura Joffe Numeroff has become a favorite children’s book
for this age group, and the author has followed this book up with others like IF YOU GIVE A MOOSE A MUFFIN,
IF YOU GIVE A PIG A PANCAKE, IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO THE MOVIES, and IF YOU TAKE A MOUSE TO SCHOOL. The book
IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE was adapted to a play by Jody Davidson originally for the Seattle Children’s
Theatre (SCT), and later performed at the Dallas Children’s Theatre (DCT).
Performing in the show were Ann Zehnder as the Mouse, Webster Crocker as the Boy, and Samantha Crocker
as the Mouse’s reflection (with a couple performances by Amanda Brandt). The costumes were designed
and created by Tammi Daubenspeck, and lighting operated by Brittani Crocker and Ron Cassady.
The production was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Pediatric Dental Specialists and
also underwritten by American Bank of Texas and Bob Utter Ford. The production was a part of Theatricks
educational outreach program Project Theatre which was created in 1989 to help bring the cultural arts to
area school children.
OLIVER! Ends with
a Sold-Out Audience
Theatricks season opening show, OLIVER! closed in September with a sold out audience on its last performance Sunday,
September 14 with over 225 people in attendance.
“OLIVER!, from everyone that I have talked to afterwards was an excellent production bringing together
very talented actors, musicians, and production elements, making it something for this community to be proud
of,” states Theatricks Director Webster Crocker.
OLIVER! showed off the talents of over 44 cast members, 18 orchestra members, 63 production personnel,
32 house managers, and 15 box office workers. Putting on a musical production is a lot of hard work, but
also a lot of fun to do not only for those who watch them, but those who are involved in them.
Supporting Cast Learning
Theatre Elements
Rachel Mozingo, Megan Ward, Drew Crocker, and Jenna Oliver check out the effects of lighting on the mood of a scene.
The Supporting Cast has been meeting the 2nd Thursday so far this new Theatricks 2008/2009 season, and have already
learned about two elements of theatre: Lighting and scene painting.
Lisa Miller, a professional lighting designer, who designed the lights for OLIVER! taught 12 Supporting
Cast members on September 11 the art of theatre lighting including the instruments used plus added media
like gels, gobos, top hats, barn doors, etc to create the stage effects for OLIVER! She also went into the
topic of programming the light board, and the use of intelligent lights and spotlights. Each member got
the opportunity to handle and operate all lighting elements.
Supporting Cast members practice painting techniques.
On October 9, Theatricks Director Webster Crocker spoke about the art of scene painting. Demonstrating
specific effects achieved by certain painting tools like natural sponges, feather dusters, a wood grainer,
and others. Effects achieved were wood-graining, rock, brick, foliage. Each of the 7 members in attendance
got to see how the effects were used on the set of SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN, and the opportunity to try the
effects themselves on practice boards.
November 13 a scene painting contest was held, and the winners Lexi Thornhill, Makenzie Rains, Peter Bellerman,
and Rachel Mozingo demonstrated with paint the techniques they had learned, and earned a gift certificate
to Braum’s for their efforts.
If you want to become a Supporting Cast member, you can by showing up at the next meeting held the 2nd
Thursday of every month or by contacting Webster Crocker Theatricks Director
at (903) 893-8525 or webster@scptheater.org.
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