Want to go?
WHAT: "Fools"
WHERE: First Lutheran Church, 138 W. First St., Dayton
WHEN: April 7-10; 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 3 p.m. Next Sunday
COST: $10 for adults; $5 for youth (17 and younger). Cash only at the door.
INFO: Visit www.undercroftplayers.weebly.com or send an e-mail to theundercroftplayers@outlook.com. Anyone interested in directing a show with Undercroft should contact Teresa Connair via the Undercroft e-mail.
FYI: Undercroft Players returns July 21-24 with its Youth Summer Stock production of "The Trial of Goldilocks." The troupe's fourth season opens in September with the pre-cast local premiere of "The Velocity of Autumn" starring Dayton Theatre Guild members Debra Kent and Robb Willoughby.
The Undercroft Players presents Neil Simon’s 1981 comedy “Fools” beginning Thursday downtown at First Lutheran Church.
The relatively unknown and short-lived work, which only played 40 performances on Broadway, is set in the small Ukrainian village of Kulyenchikov. Educator Leon Tolchinsky, chosen to teach Dr. Zubritsky’s daughter Sophia, is thrown for a loop when he finds out the village has been cursed with stupidity. Situations swell when Leon and Sophia fall in love.
“There is somewhat of a love-hate relationship with this play, some people like it and some don’t, but it’s still quintessential Neil Simon,” admitted director/founder Teresa Connair, who notably staged the play 10 years ago for Beavercreek Community Theatre. “Although Neil Simon has written this stupidly funny, comedic fable, it is just that – a fable. It has a message. The message is that the things we are told when we are young – whether it’s positive of ‘you’re smart, you’re talented, you’re funny’ or a negative ‘you’re fat, you’re ugly, you’re stupid’ – have a tendency to stick with us and form us as we grow into our adult lives. If it’s a positive, that’s great, but most of us have a negative or two that were planted in our growing psyche and it can take a lot of work, a person or large event, to ‘shake it out’ of us. But overall, this show is just funny and the cast makes it all the more so because of their own personal interpretations of the characters.”
Seen earlier this season as Rosemary Muldoon in the Dayton Theatre Guild’s outstanding local premiere of “Outside Mullingar,” Connair formerly spearheaded BCT’s children’s theatre component. Due to her credentials, she acknowledges some people feel Undercroft is geared toward children’s theatre, but she wants the community to know her troupe serves kids of all ages. In fact, last season, Undercroft delivered a delightful production of “Weekend Comedy” concerning adult relationships.
“Undercroft Players isn’t just a children’s theatre,” Connair said. “Yes, we do have youth shows, but five of the nine shows in our first three seasons have been adult shows. It says on our website that we work with youth of all ages which includes those with a physical age up to 80 plus. We’re always looking to grow our Undercroft family, whether on stage or off, with wonderful, smart, talented, generous and kind people of all ages.”
The “Fools” cast includes Jared Mola as Tolchinsky, Angela Timpone as Sophia, John Spitler as Dr. Zubritsky, Sarah Caplan as Snetsky the shepherd, Stefanie Pratt as Slovitch the butcher, Melissa Sokol as Mishkin the postman, Kelli Gilmore as Yenchna the vendor, Linda Dew as Lenya Zubritsky, Wayne Wolfe as Gregor Yousekevitch the Count, and lighting/sound designer Terry Morris as Magistrate.
“I’ve been blessed with a fabulously talented and wonderful cast for this show,” Connair added. “Seven of the 10 in the cast are completely new to Undercroft. Dan Dunham was extremely helpful in building the very sturdy balcony for the show.”
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