May 2023
Avenue Q
By Jeff Whitty
Music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Kevin Thibault, Director - Tylar Jahumpa, Assistant Director
Brittany Dyer, Musical Director
Bonnie Sullivan, Producer
Eric Pjojian, Stage Manager
Production Dates May 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, & 28
Get ready to stroll down Avenue Q, where humans and puppets live (mostly) in harmony. Meet the bright-eyed college grad, the girl next door, the slut(!), the young marrieds, Gary Coleman, and lots of other new friends! This musical tells timeless stories of struggles to find jobs and dates, learn from bad ideas, and find a sometimes-elusive purpose in life.
Along with spectacular vocals portraying the joy and angst of adulthood, the characters are also comfortable with some profanity. And a little nudity – the puppets, not the humans. The show addresses themes such as racism, coming out, and schadenfreude with warmth and humor. Unless you’ve seen it before, you’ve truly never seen anything like it.
The Cast: Dean Hernandez (Princeton), Cheyanne Patterson (Kate), Ian Hudgins (Brian), Rosa Nguyen (Christmas Eve), Jonathan Grice (Gary Coleman), Alyssa Germaine (Nicky), Ray Fournier (Rod), Roger Lemelin (Trekkie), Jami Witherell (Lucy/Ensemble), Samantha Hudgins (Ensemble), Lydia Johnson (Ensemble).
From the Production Committee
Written By: Rachel Nadeau & Kevin Thibault
“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
- Thornton Wilder
In curating the 115th season of The Players, there was a lot to consider. What do we want to bring to our audience? What will best represent us during this moment in time? What do we want to explore as artists, humans, and most importantly, friends? The answer wasn’t easy, at least not until we started to simplify what was already in front of us. Staring straight up at us we found a common thread to begin a conversation that could evolve and deepen over the course of the season.
Walking in the wake of a pandemic and reflecting on several seasons we’ve never anticipated, we wanted to celebrate and honor the tenacity of our community’s resilience in weathering any storm. Looking at the characters and stories that were pulling us in closer with their whimsy and poignancy, we recognized the same qualities as they fought their own battles. And so emerged a theme: Perseverance: A Journey Through Laughter and Tears.
We invite you to join us in exploring the human journey of perseverance. Why? When? How? To what end do we push ourselves further than we thought possible? Is it worth the sacrifice and struggle? Does laughter make it easier and possible to endure? Or do tears steel our nerves and ground us with renewed strength? Maybe it’s a little of both. We’re honestly not sure, but we’re looking forward to discovering the answer alongside you this season.
There is no better place to examine our own humanity than at the theater, among friends, old and new. Please come laugh, cry, gasp, and maybe even learn a few things on the roller coaster of human perseverance. We’ll be sure to save you a seat.
Introducing the 115th Season
When We Were Young And Unafraid
Written by Sarah Treem - Directed by Morgan Salpietro
March 15 - 24, 2024
Wonder of the World
Written by David Lindsay-Abaire - Directed by Richard Griffin
May 10-19, 2024
Into the Breeches
Written by George Brant - Directed by Vince Petronio
September 22 - October 1, 2023
She Loves Me (A Musical)
Written by Joe Masteroff - Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick - Directed by Joan Dillenback
December 1 - 10, 2023
God of Carnage
Written by Yasmina Reza - Directed by Jeff Sullivan
January 26 - February 4, 2024
Benefit Nights
Kay Bullard
Benefits had a successful full house for the March 23 performance of Bernhardt/Hamlet. Two groups attended that production: Wind Walkers and Knights of Columbus. Both groups enjoyed a great play and mingled easily amongst their companion group. May should be exciting as the Lions Club of Rumford has reserved a full house for May 18 and Farm Fresh has reserved a full house for May 25. Both groups are likely to sell most of their tickets, as both are using good marketing ideas.
If you are looking for a way to help at The Players, consider joining the Benefit Committee for next season. You’ll help us connect with the community, meet lots of people, and learn how to lock the front door (this is akin to knowing the secret handshake). Please consider it.
Green Room
Nancy Winokoor & Mark Lima
As we wrap up this year in the Green Room, and reflect on the work that we’ve presented, we are quite proud. It has been a busy season of classes and presentations. These presentations have included workshopping new plays as staged readings, with another staged reading, Metronome written by Judith Strang-Waldau, coming up May 6. Add it to your calendar! A special night at our theater occurred on April 14 and 15, as we presented an original play called There Was and There Was Not - Growing up Armenian in America.
We already have presentations on the calendar in the Green Room for next season. It has been a learning curve, but all in all we believe we are getting a lot done and presenting diverse shows.
Remember that if you have a suggestion or a thought for the Green Room reach out to us.
Construction activity to make the Barker Playhouse ADA-compliant was made possible in part by grants from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and by the Champlin Foundations.
Matching funds were provided by the Barker Foundation, the Sarah Minchen Barker Endowment, and you – our members.
From the President
Bonnie Sullivan
Hard to believe we are approaching the end of The Players 114th season! Since our last newsletter, we thank all who enjoyed Bernhardt/Hamlet, directed by Samantha Hudgins. It was also a privilege to have Growing up Armenian, an original work by Susan Chakmakian, grace our Green Room. At turns hilarious and achingly poignant, Susie made me wish I was at least a little bit Armenian.
Looking ahead–our Green Room will host a reading of the original play Metronome by Players member Judith Strang-Waldau. You’ll see familiar faces bringing this wonderful story to life. Later in May, the talented and agile (human and puppet) cast and crew (all human) of Avenue Q, led by Director Kevin Thibault, will fill our house with incredible music, singing and side-splitting laughter. Leave the littles at home and enjoy this Tony Award-winning guilty pleasure.
As we close this season, I thank our Board of Managers, Committees, and General Manager for keeping everything moving, contributing ideas, guidance, and elbow grease! It takes a lot to do what we do. Thank you also to all casts and crews who worked so hard to delight our audiences. We hope every member will join us to celebrate the season at the Studio Party on June 10th.
There is plenty of fun to be had, and we look forward to seeing you at the Playhouse!
Lunch, Learn, Share, Relax
May 11 is the first gathering
Come and join us! Step out and come to the Barker Playhouse for social interaction, and community.
We will meet on Thursdays, downstairs in the Green Room for an hour and a half, from 12:00 noon till 1:30.
If you can’t get there right at noon, then come when you can. If you can’t stay the whole time, then leave when you must. It is designed to be a casual gathering of people who are interested in changing up their environment for a bit, sharing stories and ideas, learning about something new, meeting new people and enjoying an atmosphere of positive energy, lifting each other’s spirit.
Bring your lunch. The meetings will be casually structured, by choosing a theme, and lightly facilitated to keep the conversation flowing. We will be open to suggestions, and everyone can contribute. This is for everyone, whether you are shy and quiet or if you are lively and interested in speaking up. This is an opportunity to get out, meet some new people, stimulate your brain and have some fun!
Potential Meeting Themes
1 – Laughter is the best medicine
2 – Overcoming challenges
3 – Being young – Growing older
4 – Mission Statements – What is your mission in life
5 – Tell us about your hobbies
6 – Fall down seven times, get up eight
7 – Tell us about your super powers
8 – Positive Addictions
9 – Serendipity, synchronicities, kismet
10 – Creativity
11 – Share the rituals you have in your life
About Being a Producer
Judith Clinton
Here is what I learned about being a producer from Jeff Sullivan, the Producer of Bernhardt/Hamlet. Although a member for almost 14 years, as well as the current Board Vice President, Jeff has both performed in and directed many productions, but he had never produced a show. He was surprised at what he learned.
As a new member of The Players, I am interested in every facet of the way this organization operates. From what I’ve seen so far, it runs like a well-oiled machine, with each production coming together in a smooth and orderly fashion. The credit for this fact must be attributed to the many people who participate, from the actors to the Director, Technical Director, Props persons, Costumes, Front of House, Ushers and the Hospitality Chair, Lydia, who is responsible for the goodies provided to anyone interested in coming downstairs after the show.
Most importantly and at the top of the list, each production starts as a play chosen by the Production Committee. The current co-chairs of the Production Committee are Rachel Nadeau and Kevin Thibault. There are six elected committee members who participate in the tasks assigned to the Production Committee.
The Co-Chairs attend the Budget Meeting and notify each Producer of show budgets and establish the Season’s Calendar including social events and the Annual Meeting. They attend all auditions, and along with the director, help select cast members. Once the cast is chosen, they notify everyone of acceptance or rejection in a timely manner. Finally, they oversee all major productions and lend assistance whenever necessary.
Jeff Sullivan, Producer
The Production Committee is responsible for selection of the four plays and one musical chosen for The Players’ Season. They are submitted for consideration by various directors from our theatre community. Each submission is carefully considered to become a part of the full season of productions. If chosen, then the director will bring on a producer, often someone they have worked with before, who understands the Director’s needs and is familiar with the venue. If the Director does not have a Producer they like to work with, then the Production Committee will reach out to the membership and the theatrical community to find a person willing to do the job.
Jeff tells us that the primary function of the Producer is to act as a liaison between the director and the Production Committee, to help solve problems as they arise. The producer submits invoices for expenses on a weekly basis to the office manager, who pays them or reimburses anyone who paid them. Another important function of the producer is to work with the director and stage manager to gather the information for the program director, to proofread the final copy of the program for delivery to the program editor in a timely fashion. The producer works with the Production Committee to secure members for all technical work, and, finally, the producer makes arrangements with the cast and the office manager to set the date for the cast photo.
Jeff remarked that he felt one of the very important aspects of being a producer for one of The Players’ productions is to act as an ambassador for the theater to new people working with The Players for the first time. Their job includes giving newcomers the lay of the land, showing them how the building is laid out, making them feel comfortable, so they know where everything is and are made to feel at home, so they feel safe and comfortable.
Working on a production is done in an environment that is super safe so that actors will feel the freedom to explore the characters they are playing. Developing and finding a character in a play is a process that takes time. An actor may want to try playing it one way at first, but after rehearsing for a while, they may want to take it in a different direction. The safe environment allows them to experiment and take risks with their performance without fear of being harshly judged, because it takes time for an actor to feel the part and ultimately embody the part. While the Director contributes greatly to creating a safe environment for actors to work in, Jeff’s experience told him to be the person who created the safe envelope for the whole production, and, consequently, he felt it was his place to be able to not only look at the details such as production costs, technical crew, show programs, and director needs, he also felt responsible for the big picture as though he were looking at it like a drone flying over it, seeing the entire production from a higher perspective.
If anyone would like to learn more about being a producer on one of our productions, let us hear from you and we will bring you onboard to learn the ropes from someone seasoned in that role. It is a very beneficial set of skills that you can transfer to a multitude of projects. Consider trying your hand at it soon.
The Players Cookbook!
Our long-awaited cookbook, featuring more than 90 treasured recipes from Players members, and friends, is now available. The cost is $35 each.
You can order your cookbook(s) by clicking here or emailing us. Cookbooks must be picked up at the theatre.
Remember: This is a fundraiser for the Raise the Roof project: $17 of the purchase price is tax deductible.
