There once were giants that roamed the American theatre. Playwrights and actors who not only breathed life into the stages most memorable works, but who, by just the sheer force of their talent, transformed the American stage. Principally among the playwrights stood Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, and the great Tennessee Williams.  They created a veritable new pantheon of characters that stand as icons on their own. George and Martha from Whose Afraid if Virginia Woolf? Brick and Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But for Arthur Miller the character that became the most indelible of all was and will always be, Willy Loman. And on April 17^th Willy finally comes home to TCT as we present Death of a Salesman.

It funny that after nearly seventy years TCT has missed producing this play. Never having been produced in a dinner theatre isn’t shocking, but then again TCT has never been just a dinner theatre. I’m more than proud of the catalogue of plays and musicals we have offered. But what’s so special about this play anyway, and why should we care? Mainly because this play still has the bite it has always possessed. It’s not about a hero, or even a great man. Just a man. One of us. And we witness his final hours on this Earth as he grapples to leave behind some vestige of his life that his son will take pride in. His tragedy is ours. And it’s honest, and at times brutal, but nevertheless breathtaking.

Make no mistake, this is a powerful drama and is rightly considered one of the most important plays of the last century. Yet TCT has never produced it before. And, though many of you may have encountered the play in high school or even college, I bet few of you have ever seen it live. I haven’t, and theatre is my life. So why is it so rare to see Death of a Salesman on stage? If it’s so important, why don’t more theatres offer this and other works of Arthur Miller? Well, the biggest reason seems to be the nature of the play. This is a drama, and a pretty heavy one at that. The casual theatre go-er is less likely to buy a ticket for such heavy shows.

In my life the playwrights that have had the greatest impact on me have always been, Tennessee Williams, Henrik Ibsen, William Shakespeare, Edward Albee, and of course Arthur Miller. All celebrated playwrights with a long list of truly remarkable plays. But they’re seldom produced on a community theatre season. Aside from Williams’ Glass Menagerie and Miller’s Crucible, (TCT has mounted these plays twice each), the body of work for most of these authors is box office poison. I hear it all the time, “I come to the theatre to relax, not think.”

But there’s a special reason to be presenting Death of a Salesman today. It seems more poignant than ever considering today’s troubled economy. TCTA planned out our calendars far in advance. In fact, we’ve set a season all the way through August of 2010 already. So when the Play Reading Committee selected Death of a Salesman over a year ago, none of us could have known how timely it would be today. In an environment of down-sizing and lay-offs, the plight of Willy Loman seems all too real. As working men and women are faced with real dilemmas of how they can possibly pay the mortgage or keep ahead of creditors, we all feel a little “Loman-esque”.

Plus, this show features a special program that I could not be more proud of. In 2001 TCT started offering high school matinees and yet there are still many people who have no idea we even do it, even though we’ve done it nearly every year since it started.

Since the 2000/01 season, TCT has been committed to one classic each season and offered it to area schools for a daytime matinee.  With the exception of only the 2006/07 season, we’ve proudly brought such classics as Of Mice and Men, The Crucible, Inherit the Wind, The Lion in Winter, and three different Shakespeare productions to life on our stage. Were they the biggest sellers? No. But over eight hundred area schools attended Macbeth just last year, it was an opportunity few schools ever have and we’re proud to do our part in presenting such noble work on our stage.

The next student matinee is Wednesday April 22.Area schools can make their reservations now for Death of a Salesman. For more information call the box office at 357-5211 and make sure your school knows about this terrific opportunity!

And even if you’re not a student, and even if you don’t like to “think” at a play, see Death of a Salesman this April. Don’t cheat yourself out of such an opportunity either. It’s worth the trip!

Sincerely,

Shannon Reilly - Artistic Director - TCTA

SHOULD IT ALL GO AWAY?

My friend Twink Lynch once said; Topeka Civic Theatre is not a dinner theatre. It is a theatre that happens to serve dinner.” Though it may seem like a perplexing statement to some of you, I’ve often quoted that phrase. Simply put, TCT does not offer typical dinner theatre fare. Our offerings are eclectic and range from classical to farce or musical to macabre. I’m proud of that. And so should all of our patrons and volunteers alike.

But honestly, even when Twink made that statement years ago, we both knew that there are some shows that, even though we may want to offer them, we could never do them. Either their appeal was too limited or the subject matter was too difficult for us to present these plays on a simple eight show season in a small theatre north of the river. So when we made the big move from the Warehouse to the Gage School, we turned an old gymnasium into our new Studio Theatre, and suddenly all things seemed possible. Ten years ago we began our regular Studio Series. Three annual shows that we could not possible mount anywhere else. Productions that offer our actors and audiences alike a fresh and invigorating new theatre experience. But now I ask you a difficult question . . . should it all go away?

You see, even though I’ve been told by many audience members and volunteers alike how much they appreciate having the opportunity to see shows that only the Studio season could offer, we are seeing a rather significant decline in attendance in the past few years. And though an occasional show will pop up that will sell out entire nights or even production runs, those are the extreme exception, and unfortunately not the rule.

I’m reminded of a time many years ago when my wife and I had gone out to eat. We weren’t married yet, just dating. The year was 1996.  The waiter at our table found out I worked at TCT and he said; “Can I ask you something?” I of course said he could and then the young man said rather curtly;”Why do you guys do so many dumb musicals and old plays? Why don’t you do something of substance once and a while?”

I then asked the young man if he had come to our production of Les Liaisons Dangeresuses. A rather heavy and substantial drama we had closed a month earlier. “No;” he said, “I missed it. I was going to go, but I got busy.”

“Then,” I said; “you are the reason, or at least part of it. The people who say they want something more substantial need to support us when we offer it, or we won’t be able to offer it anymore. The people who like those ‘dumb’ musicals or ‘old plays’ as you call them come when we offer it. It’s up to you to support us when we offer other more weighty shows. If you don’t, we cannot continue to even try to mount such shows.”

Needless to say, we had little contact with our waiter after that, but one dinner with a small tip later, I got to thinking about our waiter. It never occurred to him that the sale of tickets is directly related to programming. His apathy about attending a play that might have appealed to him had as much affect on us as it would have had he come. To him, we simple offer plays and musicals, so what’s the difference between offering more or less of a heavier season, he probably thought. But for us, the two topics are forever linked.

And I believe that at TCT we’ve walked that fine line between commercial and artistic productions quite deftly. Sometimes they meet, sometimes they don’t. But even the lightest, “corn-ball” show is presented as artistically as possible and I’m proud of all we do. Don’t get me wrong, I like the occasional “escapist” theatre from time to time myself. The world is far too heavy if we can’t get away to laugh and hum a few bars of music from time to time. But we need the meatier stuff, too.

But when I’m asked why TCT does so many “silly little farces” or “old musicals” my answer is always the same. Whether you like them or not, they sell tickets and make shows like Death of a Salesman and A Shayna Maidel  possible. And they make the Studio shows possible too. But these productions still need your support to survive.

Of course in this economic climate some of us are cutting back. I know my family is. But we noticed this trend even before the big “slow down” began. Now, I know not every show is everyone’s cup of tea, but the Studio Series needs to be supported or it cannot survive. Though I rarely get to work in there myself, to me the best and most interesting plays in northeast Kansas happen in the Oldfather Theatre. But if they don’t sell, they’ll have to stop. Like any business, the product created needs to sell or change to a viable product that does sell, or it must be discontinued and we’re no different on that count. It is called show business after all.

The Studio was never meant to really make a profit, but it can’t become a financial drain either. The goal has always been to produce shows that we could never produce on the Sheffel stage. Shows that are either a little too intimate that it is felt they’re effect would be a lost in our larger venue, (i.e. Tuesday’s With Morrie), or shows that featured strong language or adult situations that seemed to necessary to the plot to remove it from the action, (i.e. Beauty Queen of Lenaan), or musicals that may be lots of fun but lack a recognizable score causing them to be financially impossible for the main-stage to produce them, (I.e. Striking Twelve or Starmites).

The consistent thing I’ve heard over the past ten years of offering these shows has been resounding gratitude from actors and audiences alike. And this theatre is made better, if not richer, when we are able to mount productions like How I Learned to Drive or Fat Pig. The work done in that space betters the performer and the patron at the same time. And as much as the Sheffel stage has become more and more of a commercial venue, it is balanced by the Oldfather season.

            Last night I had the pleasure of attending on of the final rehearsals for Third. Though still two days from opening the production was just top notch. I was amazed by the performances and even though I’ve read and reread the play multiple times, it makes me think about the questions it poses all over again every time I witness this production. The cast, direction, designs, and crew are all strong. I wish I could say the same for ticket sales.

We have a diamond here in the center of TCT’s building. It’s called the Oldfather Theatre. Through those doors we have witnessed the best and worst of the human condition. We saw Shakespeare return to TCT here. We were a part of the villainy of being told; “it’s a privilege to pee” here. We witnessed grief and joy in Three Viewings, we questioned the nature of a father’s love for his son in The Sum Of Us, and we felt the anguish of death in Lonely Planet. We saw two actors become an entire Irish village in Stones in his Pockets, and we relived the tragedy of terrorism in Women of Lockerbie.

Each and every one of those productions, as well as the many I haven’t mentioned, have stayed with me. I’ve been in awe of the work done in the Oldfather Theatre. And I’m equally excited about the play, Third, which opens this Friday. Please join me in supporting the fine work of this wonderful cast and crew. And spread the word about TCT’s Studio Series. We need to keep such glorious opportunities alive and well for years to come.

Sincerely,

 Shannon Reilly, Artistic Director

When I began work as Marketing Director at TCTA a little over a year ago, I was excited to make a huge push online with the theatre.  “That’s where it’s at Baby!”, right?  With the surge of My Space and now Facebook happening, it’s really fantastic to be able to communicate with so many volunteers, patrons, and academy students all at once and in a completely free way!  Years ago, TCTA had to go through a painful process of designing, printing, and mailing postcards to keep people “in the know” about what was happening at TCTA.  Now, with the click of a button we can send fun reminders, send out press releases, and keep in touch with our TCTA family.

I’ve also been thrilled with the number of people asking to be removed from our Encore mailing list who are willing to receive their information online through our Eblast.  It’s truly the same info…just enhanced.  Any information not received in the weekly Eblast is included in the online pdf version of the Encore that we post on our website.  It’s really a win-win situation for computer savvy patrons because we save printing and postage costs…and we help in a little way to save the environment. 

We even make buying tickets easy by providing this terrific website with ticket purchasing options.  It’s pretty cool to see people who have logged on in the middle of the night to purchase tickets the day they go on sale to the general public.  What a great way to get ahead of the crowd and not have to wait until our box office opens.  (Although, it’s always nice to get to chat with Donna, Cathy, and our terrific box office volunteers.)

I realize we have patrons and volunteers who still like to receive hard copies in the mail of items.  Some aren’t fans of using online information, and some just still like the feel of a nice piece of paper in their hand that they can put up on the refrigerator for a reminder.  So, we will, of course, continue to send things via the US Mail.  But, it’s very exciting to know that TCTA is keeping up with the times and allowing our family to use online options for information.

So, if you haven’t signed up for the Eblast, I encourage you to do so. And, please consider “opting out” of receiving the Encore by contacting Donna@topekacivictheatre.com.  Also, please think about becoming a “friend” to our My Space page and linking to our Topeka Civic Theatre & Academy group on Facebook.  Most of all, please continue reading our blogs and think about posting some information of your own.  This is a two-way forum…a great place to ask questions that you may never think to ask when you are here.  We are happy to share information about all the goings-on at TCTA.

If you need any help with any of our cool online tools, please feel free to call me.  Seriously!  It’s my favorite part of my job (next to seeing some really awesome plays & musicals) and I’d be happy to talk you through anything.  My number at TCTA is (785) 357-5213.

Happy surfing!

Chelle

In my last posting I wrote that TCT would soon have a new improvisational company on the Oldfather Stage. And I promised to tell you more about it in a subsequent posting. Well before I do I wanted to tell you about something interesting I noticed about this group. It’s kinda’ funny to me how odd little circumstances can turn up in a person’s life, coincidences that make no sense at first, and then suddenly, there’s a little pattern that seems to emerge that lends a sort of kismet to random happenings.  

In 1983 I was an undergraduate at Iowa State University. I was on my fourth declared major and to be honest sort of drifting. Even though Secondary Education seemed to be my career path, I think deep down I knew I wouldn’t finish that major either. The only thing I was doing with any gusto back then was University Theatre. I played a few roles and spend most of my free time with my theatre friends, but I was not a theatre major.  That was when a wonderful man named Edward Britt approached me after one performance and asked me to try a new kind of theatre - - improvisational comedy.

And now, twenty five years later, I’m still proud to say that improvisational comedy continues to be a very major part of my life. The skills I learned with Mr. Britt I’ve passed on and shared to literally hundreds of other actors in nearly every state I’ve lived. And I’m proud to say, a whole new batch of comedians will soon be calling TCT home!

But before I introduce them, I wanted to tewll you about how I came to love improvisational comedy. Now my first company was at the Union Board Theatre in Ames Iowa. This was an off shoot theatre group on campus that was not really apart of the University theatre program. As such participants got no class credits and often had to fit these shows in around our already hectic class schedules. Few universities have two theatre’s on campus and I was lucky enough to spend my undergraduate years bouncing back and forth between these two programs.

The comedy company had the ridiculous name, The Comedy Thing. As silly as the name sounded, from 1983 until it ended in 1988, it was the hottest ticket on campus. Ed Britt was the Artistic Director of the Union Board Theatre, and The Comedy Thing was Ed’s brain child, a rotating company of around a dozen young actors performing improv once a month between his regularly scheduled shows. (Sound familiar?) I cut my teeth with this group, so to speak, and some of my fondest college memories were of those shows in a tiny smoke filled bar/theatre.

After graduation I headed off to UMKC to pursue my masters. The first request I made of my new school was to allow me to form an improve company off campus. Performing outside the graduate program was a big no-no. But for some reason, they granted my request. Within six months I had formed Laughing Stock, an improvisational comedy company that for six and a half years ran in various theatre’s in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

It had a very humble beginning. Crowds were so small the performers often outnumbered the audience. But we were a band of determined and feisty comedians and everyone who joined our group became dedicated improvisationalists, and my life long friends. A certain long haired comic was one of my original performers in that troupe, his name was Ted Shonka, but that’s a different blog.

The company even ran while I was in Manhattan doing my internship with The Acting Company in the winter and spring of 1990. This is the country’s largest touring Shakespearean Acting Troupe and I was darn lucky to be a small part of their season. While serving as Assistant Director to the Assistant Director, (I guess that made me Assistant Assistant?), I mentioned my love for two things, Shakespeare and Improv. He told me that a few of the company gathered every Sunday night to play improve games and asked me to join them. Needless to say being invited to play improve with the graduating class of Julliard was not a chance I was going to pass up and once again, a new troupe was formed. (Though to my knowledge, they never performed publicly. Only among friends.)

Shortly after returning to Kansas City and graduating in 1990, I did my first stint at TCT as a guest director for Wait Until Dark in the fall of that year. I returned in 1991 for The Night Hank Williams Died and finally joined the staff full time in 1992. And on March 22, 1993, Laughing Matters was born. My third company of comics and the longest running company I’ve ever served with. Last March was our fifteen anniversary with hopefully no end in sight.

So, I should be happy to stop there right? Well, no. You see, about six years later, Marvin Stottlemire started the Senior Class. A group of senior improvisationalists. And at the time I thought; “Gee, we really should have one for the younger set.”

So I’m proud to announce that after all this time I’m finally doing it. On Saturday night, January 17^th, TCT’s newest company Laughing Matters Jr. will take the stage in the Oldfather theatre. Some of these kids performed under this name last season, and that was the catalyst for me to really want to do this again. They’ve been in training now since September and I’m really looking forward to their launch!

Company members include, Alex Chaney, Matt Hammel, Catherine Meehan, Melanie Remp, Dillon Vansyckle, Josh Witt, and Katy Wright. Helping me along the way with their training are Jennifer Van Bruggen, Dorianne Rees, and Greg Krumins who serves as our Music Director. It’s just another reason that TCT is always moving forward and we have great plans for these kids.

And remember when I said that it’s kinda’ funny to me how odd little circumstances can turn up in a person’s life, coincidences that make no sense at first, and then everything seems clear. My first time on stage doing improve was January of 1984. Twenty five years ago. That’s kismet, isn’t it.

Join me in welcoming these kids to our comedy family on January 17^th. After all, who can’t use a little more comedy?

Sincerely,

 Shannon Reilly

So, to help shed some light on why everyone at TCTA is so crazy about the show, here is a link where you can go check out more info about it!  You can even hear music from the show and watch video footage of the New York production.

http://www.striking12.com/about_striking_12.php

Check out how cool it is, then pick up the phone and call the box office to make your reservations soon!

For a second year in a row, Greg and Sara Myer have been kind enough to lend us their creative abilities to build a detailed home for display.  They are such valuable volunteers at TCTA.  I don’t know what we’d do without them!  If only Greg would have sang with his beautiful voice while we worked, then it would have been the ultimate experience! 

The gingerbread home will be displayed at TPAC as part of their annual fund raiser where thousands of people come to see the homes on display, shop for homeade local goods, and build their own gingerbread homes to take home.  It’s a fundraiser for their youth programming.  The people who come through the doors of TPAC to see the displays are people who also support TCTA. So, it was a great opportunity for us to promote our current shows.  So, this years display called for a design promoting both Annie Warbucks and A Year with Frog & Toad.  …doing that, however, created a new challenge…making the characters for the show!

Because everything on the home must be edible it was a challenge to find materials to make the characters.  But, we found handy marzipan to use and even better we incorporated the talents of Janet Rees to do the sculptures for us.  They were absolutely adorable!  We are so lucky to have her join our building team this year.

Since Janet was helping us out, we also recruited in her daughter Dorianne “Doe” Rees to also help out, run get things from the store for us, sculpt flowers, and generally make us laugh and keep the late nights fun!  Thank you to both of the Rees ladies for their help.

And, once the masterpiece is built, it takes a lot of delicate care to deliver the final project to TPAC, so thank you to Stacy Myers for the help with that.  It’s so nice to have her back in Topeka.

If you have a chance to go see the homes this weekend, I highly recommend it. It’s a great event and it’s something great to do with the whole family.

And, speaking of family…make sure to bring them to see the final weekend of A Year with Frog and Toad and Annie Warbucks!  Both shows are terrific for the family!

There was a line once in a Woody Allen film that went something like this; “A relationship is a lot like a shark. It’s got to keep moving forward or it dies.” I’ve quoted that line a lot in my life because in many ways it’s true of the arts as well.

When you think about, TCTA produces a lot of shows. Few community theatre come close to the schedule we operate around here with sixteen annual productions, four performance companies and a host of creative classes that run non-stop throughout the season. As great as that is, it’s also dangerous. TCTA has had to create a calendar that follows a certain formula to ensure everything we do gets done not only on time, but to the best of our ability. But following a set list of expectations can seem like following a recipe in a cookbook and we often run the risk of becoming a “theatre factory”.

A good friend of mine from out of state asked me; “If you do that much work, how do you keep it fresh?” That’s a good question, indeed. The answer is change.  Like that shark we move forward. Sometimes in small ways, but always forward. We approach each show carefully and as if it’s the only thing we’re doing - - even though it’s far from the only thing in reality.

But this autumn, we have some big changes and unfortunately, not enough people either know or are planning on supporting them. So first let me tell you about those changes, their rationale and how we expect to pull them off. Then you can decide if they deserve your support.

The first big change is adding Theatre for Young Audiences to our schedule. Many people haven’t caught on to this change at all. A patron recently asked me; “Haven’t you been doing Children’s Theatre for years?” Well, actually no we haven’t. What we’ve done has been Youth Theatre. Youth Theatre is area youth, (the most talented kids in the mid-west if you ask me), performing for peers and older audiences. Basically it’s kids on-stage for kids in the audience.

Now, we’re proud of that. Don’t get me wrong! And we are going to always continue doing our Youth Theatre. But Theatre for Young Audiences is different. It’s experienced actors, adults mostly, performing for very young kids. Our target audience for this program is toddlers to early grade school. Basically it’s adults on-stage for very little ones in the audience. We haven’t been doing that. But we are now!

A Year with Frog and Toad is delightful and the first production of it’s kind for TCT. With special curtain times for parents with wee ones, 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM matinees on Saturdays, (another first for us). As a father with little ones myself, I cannot express more how excited I am to be giving the gift of live theatre to our most precious new audience. But just in case you think only the little ones will enjoy this show you should know it was nominated for the Tony and as the presenter at the awards said the night of the ceremony; “A Year With Frog and Toad demonstrated to a whole new generation that theatre can be fun while proving to the older generation that Children’s Theatre can be art!”

It’s a delightful show and another example of how TCTA grows, evolves, and continues to swim forward.

Our second big change is our Studio musical, Striking 12. This musical was easily the favorite musical of the play selection committee last season. But the one thing almost everyone said was; “This is so good, it’s a shame we can’t do it.” After hearing that phrase one to many times I had to finally say we’ve got to find a way to pull this off.

So why is pulling this show off so hard? Well, it’s unlike any other show we’ve ever offered. Part musical, part concert, part play, part narrative, Striking 12 is a musical sensation. It takes the story of The Little Match Girl and superimposes it over the tale of a man with a failed relationship, alone on New Year’s Eve with a fear of never falling in love again balanced with a fear of actually meeting the right person. And it’s all told through rock and roll music that is inspirational at the very least. Our story is sad, funny, touching, and frankly incredible.

But the real crux of the matter is how it’s performed. Striking 12 is completely performed by three musicians, a pianist, a drummer, and a violinist. Two of them are relatively stationary and the violinist is even limited in her movement. There are no set changes, no costumes really, and though theirs a lot of light cues, the execution of this play is simple. It’s all about the music and the wonderful trio that presents it.

Never have we offered a concert/musical of original untested work before. Never. But brother, its music so good and a story so touching we simple could not pass up the opportunity.

That in itself makes Striking 12 quite a departure from the same ole’ same ole. But there is another wrinkle in the deal. You see, we needed to hire our musicians. TCT has always paid for the musicians who perform in our pits since the Warehouse on the Levee Theatre opened in 1974. But paying an unseen person in the pit seems so different than paying an actor. TCT does not pay for actors. Musicians yes, actors no.

However, the American Theatre hasn’t always lived by our rules. It’s evolved, too. Plays like Pumpboys and Dinettes and Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story demanded musician/actors. Actors had to not only be brilliant on stage with there performance, they also needed to be musicians at the top of their craft. More and more plays are surfacing every year that demand musician/actors. Now, we could throw up our hands and walk away in disgust from these shows, but we are robbing ourselves and our community of some perfectly magnificent shows. We just can’t afford to do that forever.

             Sometimes risks are too valuable not to take. I’m proud that we offered Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story even though the musicians on stage were paid, whether they were acting or not. And I’m equally proud that we took the courageous step to mount Striking 12 under the same condition. So, the musicians are paid for their craft, but it’s a bargain. They just happen to be throwing their acting in for free.

And if that’s not enough change for you, how about a whole new company called Laughing Matters Jr.? I’ll tell you more about this new group in another posting. But for know, look for their first performance after the first of the year.

Please consider checking out these new wonderful opportunities. We’d really, really love to see a lot of faces as we launch into uncharted waters with A Year with Frog and Toad and Striking 12. As I said above, art is like a shark. It has to move forward. And under my watch I’ll never let you find a dead shark at TCT.

Sincerely,

 Shannon Reilly

One of the best ways TCTA gets “the word out” to prospective friends is our Stage Door Sneak Peeks.  If you’ve never been to one, it’s time you get signed up.  I had never been until I started my job here at TCTA a year ago.  I have been volunteering at TCTA since 1996 and figured there wasn’t much new to learn.  I was wrong.  The sneak peek was so informative and fun.  So, if you haven’t been, I highly recommend it.  The sneak peeks happen at least once per month and last only one hour.  Best of all…it’s free.  We promise you won’t be asked to donate any money.  It’s really just a fun learning experience and our way of trying one more way to help you feel a part of the TCTA family.

I know many people who volunteer at TCTA have family members who might join them in their volunteer work.  Consider bringing them to a one-hour sneak peek, so they have a chance to see what TCTA is and why you spend your time here.  Or, maybe you have co-workers who wonder why you spend so much time at TCTA.  Invite them to come have a behind the scenes tour and they might want to come see you in more shows…or they might at least have more of an appreciation when you come to work with dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep during a tech week.

Everyone is welcome at sneak peeks and it is easy to find one that fits in to your schedule.  Linda Falley, our Development Director, schedules the sneak peeks and she even schedules special dates for groups wanting to come check us out.  You might have a civic or church group who would like their own special tour!  Call Linda for details (785) 357-5213.

Have a happy day, and thanks for being part of the family!

Ann Arnold, Bethany Ayers, Jeremy Barclay, Mary Laura Barnett, Betsy & Jerry Bergen, Donna Bouye, Derie & Steve Briman, Ashley Bunyar, Amy Burgardt, Denise Butterfield, Cara Christianson, Corine Christman, Nick Cobos, Melinda Cooper, Rosie Cutrer, Lisa Deghand, Don & Lynda Denton, Amber Dickinson, Kathy Diehl, Bob Dipaling, Tanya Dorf Brunner, Diane & Skip Ellis, Sheryl Ervin, Linda Falley, Jennifer Fletcher, Diane Good, Dick & Shirley Gorman, Andi Greco, Michelle Haas, Stacey Haynes, Arlene & Tom Heere, Jan Howard, Cortni & Jay Hurst, Amber Farmer, Donna Faulkinbury, Amy & Paul Fluke, Guy Forbes, R.V. Fortner, Breanna Johnson, Gary Johnson, Linda Johnston, Joe Kampsen, Betty King, Cathy Kready Smith, Greg Krumins, Ainka Kweli, Donna Lambrecht, Keith Land, Marjorie Lathrop-Allen, Gail Laughlin, Billie & Paul McDonald, Marilyn Meiners, Brad Merryman, Jeff Montague, Greg & Sara Myer, Greg & Sue Palmer, Sylvia Palmer, Kay Payne, Janet Pionkowski, Jill Pope, Melissa Quirarte, Susan Rank, Raymond Remp, Jr., Jesyca Rodenberg, Clark & Margaret Roush, Marcia Sandels, Mary Beth Saylor, Don & Marge Schepker, Jeanine & Katie Schieferecke, Frank Schultz, Joan Shirron, The Shyster Mountain Gang, Kate Sieverson, Les Smith, Virginia Starr, Kate Stires, Becky & Roy Sullivan, Jeni Thomas, Dave Timpany, Judy Toelkes, Linda & Mickey Trimble, Karen & Roger Viola, Becca Wales, Cindy & David Warrick, Marilyn & Steve Waugh, Elaine Wellborn, Phyllis West, Evelyn & Mike Wilson, John & Sue Wine, Annette Witt, and Carolyn Woodruff!

And of course, thank you to our cast and crew: Gary Bodenheimer, Dionne Carter, David Crawford, Robin Murphy, Eddie Shirron, Bruce Smith, and Shawn Trimble!

You can purchase your membership through the TCTA box office, or in the lobby during our November Laughing Matters shows.  Either way, I hope you join the “cool kids” and get a membership in one of the silliest clubs ever invented.

Cheers,

Chelle Decker

Proud Member of the Laughing Matters Chicken Club