Sarah, Plain and Tall - April 24th & 25th
Set in the early 1900s, this play brings to life the charming, heartwarming story of a Kansas farmer, Jacob Witting, a widower with two children - Anna and Caleb, who places an ad in the newspapers seeking a wife. He receives a letter from a Sarah Wheaton of Maine who says she will visit the family for a month to see how things work out: "I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall." Narrated by Anna reminiscing on the eve of her wedding, the story unfolds in a fascinating flashback on that often exciting, sometimes tumultuous month when Sarah and the Wittings came to know one another and learned a few things about themselves as well. The joys and challenges of everyday life are richly depicted in this classic which the New York Times called "an exquisite, sometimes painfully touching tale."
Big Bad - (Louisburg - June 27th) (Paola - July 24th & 25th)
Auditions for Big Bad will be at the Paola Community Center
Saturday May 9th
See our Auditions page for more info.
The most notorious criminal in the fairy-tale world, Big Bad Wolf, is being slapped with a class-action lawsuit by the countless quirky characters he has wronged. Now, the two greatest legal minds in the Enchanted Forest — the Evil Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother — will clash (on live Court TV, no less, with Sydney Grimm as commentator!) in a trial that will be remembered forever after. As Little Red Riding Hood, her Grandmother, the Three Little Pigs and the Shepherd in charge of the Boy Who Cried Wolf testify, the wolf seems deserving of all that’s coming. But, even though the disreputable Evil Stepmother couldn’t be less interested in pro-bono work on such an obviously futile defense, Mr. Wolf makes a good case for himself. Was he born a criminal, or made one? Perhaps he does deserve compassion instead of condemnation? What will the verdict be? Only the jury — your audience — can decide, when the doddering old Judge invites them to determine the outcome of the trial... and the play!
Cast for Big Bad - Louisburg Cast for Big Bad - Paola
Every Little Crook and Nanny - October 23rd & 24th
Lillie Scones is a sweet retired nanny who runs a boarding house with one resident and "a cat the size of the Louisiana Purchase." Her two friends, Jocelyn and Carmella, help to pass the time by listening to music and gossiping. Then Stuart, an old charge of hers, rents a room. Lillie is tickled to have him around again, not knowing he is planning on robbing the bank on the corner. Stuart's mind may not be totally on the bank job, however, when he meets Betty. However, when Stuart finds out that Betty is about to graduate from an academy on the very night they plan to rob the bank, the perfect alibi presents itself - why not go to the graduation, be seen there, sneak out and rob the bank. Perfect, thinks Little Pat, Stuart's wise-cracking sidekick. Unfortunately for the two would-be crooks the graduation is at a police academy. Throw in a chief of police, a suspicious fiancé and a half-pint brat with an "Al Capone do-it-yourself tool kit," and nobody knows what will happen next. In the spirit of Frank Capra, this tale of a bank heist and three retired nannies has all the classic comedy twists and surprises fit for any audiences.
It's a Wonderful Life Radio Play - December 4th & 5th
This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.