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The sound of laughter can be heard coming from the Masquers Playhouse audiences at the performances of There Goes The Bride, our Season 2015 opener. This John Chapman/Ray Cooney farce takes place the morning of a wedding when events suddenly take a turn for the absurd. During preparations the father of the bride takes quite a clop on the head, after which he…well, you’ll just have to see the show to find out what happens.

Director Angela Mason is particularly delighted to direct this play as it was the first professional show she was in after leaving drama school in London in 1976. "I was so excited because I was cast as the bride, so I thought I had the lead! Not so, but I got to wear the wardrobe mistress's wedding dress and work with an amazing cast, some of whom are still acting today on television and in the

theatre. Just as recently as May of this year, Jean Ferguson who played Daphne was appearing in London with Ray Cooney himself in one of his other farces Two Into One."

Angela continues: “Farce is only funny when it plays like real people embroiled in a silly situation, but when you have absolutely terrific actors trying to keep a straight face when one of the cast is doing brilliant comedy then it is nothing short of hilarious! Our director suggested to the cast that when one of them feels on the brink of "corpsing" perhaps they could think of the sinking of the Titanic, which is what the late, great Dame Edith Evans used to do!! I love directing farce, because it is all about acting seriously in an absurd situation where timing and teamwork blend to produce a wonderfully funny show.

Here Comes 2015 - There Goes the Bride

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Continued:The characters in this play are beautifully written, and the script is as fresh and delightful today as it was all those many years ago.”

The fine cast includes Masquers Shay Oglesby-Smith, Norman Macleod, Loralee Windsor, Michael Sally, Carl Smith and Simon Patton and new faces Giorgia Ghizzoni and Sarah Sloan. While the cast was busy giggling together at rehearsals, set designer Michael Clark nearly lived at the theatre as he built the gorgeous British living room ably assisted by Heinz Lankford and Bob Westman. Lovely wedding-day costumes by Marjorie Moore, lighting by Michael O’Brien and properties by production manager Bob Taylor all contribute to this very funny

production. Kit Turner as stage manager and her assistant Kim Garvin keep everything moving along smartly.

There is nothing better than a good old British comedy to cheer everybody up in January when the holidays are over and the weather is usually lousy. Bride is a delicious farce with a touch of Blithe Spirit, Fred and Ginger in Top Hat and goofy misunderstandings on the morning of the wedding.

This production shows signed of selling out, so we urge you to make your reservations now. As always, you can call our reservation number at 510-232-4031 or order online at www.masquers.org Come on down and indulge in an evening of laughter!

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My Three Angels was the perfect show to close out Season 2014. This comedy told the story of three prisoners who help out a family in distress in 1910 French Guiana. Delightful performances, especially those of the prisoners, kept audiences entranced. Director Steve Hill and his cast had a lovely time as did the audiences. Congratulations to them for giving us this holiday treat!

My Three Angels - A Perfect Cure for Holiday Blues

Auditions have been held and the cast has been finalized for Clare Booth Luce’s The Women, which opens March 27. Directors DC Scarpelli and Peter Budinger were stunned by the turnout at auditions – over 50 terrific actresses vied for the 16 slots, truly a luxury for the directors. Many thanks to Marti Baer for essentially running the auditions, assigning scenes so everybody got a fair chance at reading. You might want to get reservations now for this splendid, sharp comedy from 1937. It’s sure to be a brilliant evening of theatre!

The Women Take Stage March 27

Once again, Masquers Songbook presents a one-weekend-only, semi-staged, benefit concert presentation of a musical theater favorite. Anyone Can Whistle will brighten our stage with three shows the weekend of February 27 - March 1.An elusive favorite for devotees of Stephen Sondheim, Anyone Can Whistle is an insane romp all about the nature of sanity. Full of rapturous tunes that have become cabaret standards - ”Anyone Can Whistle, Everybody Says Don’t, Come Play Wiz Me, With So Little to Be Sure Of, There Won’t Be Trumpets.”

Dennis Lickteig will direct, with musical direction by Pat King.. Benefit tickets are $25 and can be reserved online at www.masquers.org or call 1-510--232-4031.

Whistle Up A Bit Of Sondheim To Welcome Spring!

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Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for a Bay Area Theater Critics award from our production of Johnny Guitar. Shay Oglesby Smith, Michelle Pond, Craig Eychner, DC Scarpelli, Peter Budinger, Joe Ponder and Pat King were nominated. We’re very proud and happy they were nominated and think they all deserve to win.

The next Masquers membership meeting will be held March 11 at 8:00 at the theatre. If you can’t be there, notify anybody on TAS or leave a message on the theatre phone (510-232-3888).

MEMBERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTS

The next offering by the Masquers Envision program is Photograph 51 by Anna Ziegler, directed by Simon Patton. The play is a funny and moving portrait of the unrequited life of Rosalind Franklin, one of the great female scientists of the 20th century, and her fervid drive to map the contours of the DNA molecule. Performances are May 1-3.

The call is for 5 men and 1 woman. Character descriptions:Rosalind Franklin: Dedicated, serious scientist. Knows that being a female in science is an uphill struggle. Does not suffer fools gladly. Maurice Wilkins: Slightly older than Rosalind. Solid scientist, who holds traditional values of his time (or a little earlier) and therefore does not really know how to deal with Rosalind. His friend, Crick, describes him as "a pompous prig". Don Caspar: Gets his PhD during the show. Straight

forward and friendly. James Watson: About the same age (or slightly younger) than Don, but very ambitious and so already has his PhD and is out to make a name for himself. Conceited and arrogant. Francis Crick: Knows Maurice from their time at school. Good friend and colleague but more relaxed. Ray Gosling: Graduate student who worked for Maurice and is now assigned to Rosalind. Tried to keep thing amicable between that pair. A bit awkward and endearing.

For more information call Simon at 510-526-5294 or email him at stagemgr@sonic.net

DNA Laid Bare InPhotograph 51

ENVISION

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In 2014, for the first time since the economic downturn, the Masquers brought in more than it spent! This highly welcome positive result reflects increased donations through our two fundraising letters, more raffle ticket sales, and the addition of the Sweet Charity songbook to our offerings. Stage One also saw a boost in enrollment, which was reflected in higher tuition income. While realizing more income, the theater also managed to reduce overall expenses by a few thousand dollars, which furthered the positive result.

Another way to look at the health of the theater is through attendance numbers. Though we are well below the high water mark of 6,306, which was set in 2008, attendance for our five main shows over the last four years has stayed relatively stable, varying between 4,765 and 5,100. Last year we reduced our show runs from six weeks to five, yet despite having 10 fewer performances we sold more tickets than we had the year before. This meant that we saw a lot of fuller houses that contribute to a more satisfying experience for actors and theatergoers.

This year we will be adding extra Envision performances and staging two songbook fundraisers. With these changes our utilization of the stage, like the use of our finances, reflects an increasingly higher level of efficiency. At the end of the year, I am hoping to report that our total attendance has climbed.

On a related note, a recent NEA survey found that arts events attendance (music, theater, dance and more) in California had fallen by 10 percent between 2002 and 2012. Probably not surprising, it also found that those attending were older, whiter, and wealthier than the population as a whole. All this means that the viability of a theater such as Masquers Playhouse depends on its staying relevant to the surrounding community.

A recent mailing from Cal Shakes touted the fact that it had “evolved from a summer Shakespeare festival to an organization renowned for its artistry, ambition, educational programs, and community impact.” The last two items on this list are not there to pad the copy. Performing arts organizations throughout the country have recognized that they need to expand their mission if they are to continue to exist.

With this in mind, the board and marketing task force have formed an education outreach committee comprised of Ginger Buckner, George Adams, Mary Lee Cole, and myself. Our immediate purpose is to create connections with schools and contribute to local educational programs while building awareness of the Masquers Playhouse in the community. The long-term goal is to help create an audience for the future.

Having been awarded a $1,000 grant from Red Oak Realty’s ROOF fund, the committee is already at work with Pt. Richmond’s local Washington School to bring students and their parents to a performance of Charlotte’s Web later in the year. We are also in discussion with the school principal about a presentation at the school—whether just a guest speaker or a limited performance is still unclear. On another front, we have received encouragement from a local service organization that expressed interest in purchasing a classroom set of E.B. White’s novel so that students could read and study the book before attending the play. It may or may not come as a surprise, but for our underfunded local schools either a field trip to a live event or a set of books for classroom use are unheard of luxuries.

I mention this as just one of several opportunities already at hand where the Masquers can be heroes in the community as well as on the stage. If you would like to learn more, please let me know.

FROM THE BOARDDavid Cole, Board President

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Looking BackMasquers Finally Finds A Home In Point Richmond

Masquers Playhouse Lobby 1961

Masquers Playhouse Stage from House Left 1961

In the summer of 1961 West Side Story was adapted for the big screen, Audrey Hepburn was Holly Golightly, Patsy Cline released “I Fall to Pieces” and “Crazy,” and the Masquers, a fledgling group of theater volunteers who had been staging plays in a variety of venues around the East bay finally found a home.

The Village Playhouse, a theater space converted from the former Liberty Market by a group called the Richmond Players just a few years earlier was proving to be a good venue.The Masquers had staged a few plays at this location beginning in 1959 and were clearly excited to have found a permanent home. It was between productions of Happy Birthday (the April-May offering that year) and The Man in the Dog Suit (August-September) that the location at 105 Park Place underwent a cleaning and refurbishment, thus transforming it from the Village Playhouse to the Masquers Playhouse.Founder and Managing Director Jo Camp told local press at the time “We are very proud of our new home...We feel it is one of the most comfortable little theaters in the East Bay.” The Masquers held an open house on Monday, July 17, 1961 to unveil their new home.

by Joe Ponder

An invitation to that open house, recently uncovered in the Masquers Archives is presented here as well. The Masquers, while initially tenants in this building, would some 20 years later raise the funds necessary to purchase the building outright, thus securing a permanent location for community theater in the East Bay.

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Ginny Miller, the wife of the late Ralph Miller, passed away on January 15. Ralph Miller was a mainstay of community theatre in the Bay Area for many years, often appearing at Actors Ensemble and the Masquers among other venues. Ginny was always there supporting him and even pitched in to help on props and costumes. Her impish presence was a joy to the many and various arts organizations she supported and she will be missed by countless people. Our condolences to her family and friends.

Virginia “Ginny” Miller

IN MEMORIAM

Our dear friend and Masquer forever, Don Waight, passed away at the end of November from cancer. Don has not performed for us in a long time, but at one time he was the mainstay of our organization. If you needed a heroic, handsome leading man, Don was your guy -- a wonderful voice, a great performer and a joy on stage. His list of roles with us is a long one. For those of you who may not have met Don you would recognize him immediately, since his photo along with Joan Nelson’s has been on the wall of our dressing room from when they performed in I Do, I Do. He and Joanie were the leading couple for many shows directed by the late, great Pat Nelson, such as our first Man of La Mancha and Kiss Me Kate. Don also oversaw our dinner benefit program for many years. The last role he performed with us was one of the three Kings, along with George Adams and Robert Love, in our first productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

In recent years, Don became very active in working with his union (he was an emergency room nurse at Kaiser), and enjoyed traveling. We’ve missed Don’s presence in the theatre, but he will be forever fondly remembered.

Don Waight

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Maria Graham is doing contemporary Scottish costuming for Pocket Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor, which runs February 1-15. There will be kilts! In March her costumes for Pocket's reprise of last year's selll-out Pearl Fishers will be on stage again. Fortunately there are few fit problems with saris!

Carol de Chaine Reyes is directing Thumbs, a mystery/comedy about a serial killer by the author of Drood (the last show of Masquers Season 15) where not everyone is quite what they appear. It’s a veritable maze of twists and turns. The action takes place in an isolated cabin in the mountains of Barnstock, Vermont, where the area has been shocked by a series of murders with a grisly

trademark: the killer removes the victims' thumbs! Holmes turns this strange premise into a show with constant revelations and surprises. Actors include Sean Aten, Suzanne Henry, Qrysti Adams-Hart, Brook Robinson and Jim Woodbury. Performances are February 13 through March 8, 2015 at Chanticleers, 3683 Quail Avenue, Castro Valley. For reservations, call 510-SEE-LIVE, buy online at www.chanticleers.org, or email reservations@chanticleers.org. General admission is $18, seniors (60+) and

students $15; Bargain Night is Feburary 14 with tickets going for $13. Group discounts are available. The first staged reading before an audience of Vicki Siegel’s new musical, The Wife of Bath/Marriage of Sir Gawain was held at Live Oak Theater on January 27. It was a fun evening and we have hopes Vicki will be able to produce a fully-staged version in the future. John Maio has announced his cast for the May-June Altarena production of Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross — which includes Masquers Keith Jefferds, Charles Evans and Michael Sally, Masquers friend Bruce Kaplan and Matt Monaco, Ted Barker,

Daniel Hollander, and Khary Moy. With John at the helm, we know that this will be an exciting theatre event!

Jim Colgan’s short play, Interrogation, will be featured in the Lucky Penny Productions 8x10 Festival of 2015 April 23-May 3 in Napa. The 8x10 Festival is an evening of eight ten minutes plays. Jim will have more information later and he’ll probably be coming back from Kentucky, where he’s relocated, for the premiere.

"Why don't we just wait here for a little while... see what happens..."