Press Releases

GSQ Presents Area Premiere of “Never the Sinner”

You’ve never seen anything like this on a Kerrville area stage: two college-aged kids pick out a random youngster and kill him for the thrill of it. The real life story behind John Logan’s “Never the Sinner” was the first to be dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” and in the Chicago of the 1920s it certainly lived up to its billing.

The Guadalupe Stage Quartet is producing the first-ever staging of the award-winning play based on the killing, its aftermath and the trial itself, which featured Clarence Darrow for the defense, at the Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts, opening this Friday, March 4th at 7:30 p.m. and running for ten dates through March 27th.

Nathan Leopold, a brilliant student studying Ornithology, and his friend, the thrill-crime obsessed Dickie Loeb engage in a sordid compact, trading sex for crime to satisfy each other’s desires. When Leopold suggests they are smart enough to be above the law, Loeb uses their newly-found, heady superiority to convince Leopold to escalate their crime spree.

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks, walking home from a baseball game, becomes their unwitting target. And from there life, and the play, devolve into a battle of intense intelligences and touchy egos.

The GSQ production is like no other area production in its tackling subject matter unique to our stages, in portraying a forbidden love tainted by psychopathy, and in a unique experimental production style designed to engage the audience in solving the complex mental issues at play in each scene.

Audience members who come prepared to be mentally challenged, shocked, and ultimately question everything they know about crime and punishment will not be disappointed.

The Guadalupe Stage Quartet builds on its history of plumbing the most intense dramatic scripts being staged in the U.S. with this show. After the critical success of their production of Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”, and with the help, encouragement and support of Playhouse2000 Theatre Director Jeff Cunningham, they are staging their premiere show on the Cailloux stage.

The killers and lovers are played by T.J. Ashabranner (Leopold) and Philip Huddleston (Loeb) with the promise of brilliant characterizations. The lawyers are drawn in great detail by Jeff Cunningham (Darrow) and Ken DeZarn (Prosecutor Bob Crowe). Playing myriad roles as reporters, policemen, psychiatrists, and femme fatale are Jeremy Sosa, Deanna Brandt and Blake DeWitt. Max Watson makes a cameo appearance as the doomed Bobby Franks. The play is directed for GSQ by Tony Gallucci.

GSQ would like to alert patrons that this show has adult themes, situations and language, and contains a scene of graphic violence. Please consider this for you own level of comfort, as well as if you are considering bringing children.

The Guadalupe Stage Quartet was founded in 2005 by the late Roy Burney, Holly Riedel, Marie Cearley and Gallucci to present area theatre-goers with serious dramatic theatre not otherwise seen on area stages. Recent years have included productions of “Death of a Salesman,” “The Lion in Winter,” “The Drawer Boy,” “The Octette Bridge Club,” and “A Walk in the Woods”.

All GSQ income from this show will go directly toward funding educational opportunities for the Ingram Tom Moore High School Thespians, and scholarships for senior theatre students. To date five such scholarships have been awarded from show proceeds.

The play will be presented on Friday, March 4th, and Thursday through Saturdays, March 10-12th and 24-26th, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinees on March 6th, 13th and 27th at 2:00 p.m. at the Kathleen Cailloux City Center for the Performing Arts in Kerrville, Texas. The play will skip the weekend of March 17-20th to allow area theater groups to attend the State Non-Profit Theatre One-Act competition in Fort Worth – one of the advancing plays, “Almost, Maine,” features “Sinner” leads Philip Huddleston and T.J. Ashabranner.

Noises Off! Cast Announced

“Noises Off,” the comedy within a comedy is Playhouse 2000’s second show of the current season and opens at the Cailloux Theater, appropriately on April Fool’s Day: Friday, April 1st at 7:30PM.
British playwright Michael Frayn got the idea for “Noises Off” while sitting backstage during another play where he realized that the backstage activities where sometimes funnier that the show out front. So the show tells the story of another comedy complete with a befuddled director, uptight stage manager, and a cast of neurotic actors. Then, during the second act, the Kerrville audience literally gets a backstage view of the show as the entire stage set turns to reveal its backside complete with prop tables, costume racks and raw scenery.
“Noises Off,” is a high energy farce, that requires flawless timing in its heavily choreographed slap-stick gags. For comic performers wishing to stretch their acting skills, “Noises Off” is a perfect opportunity. Director Jim Boman had is work cut out for him.
Auditions were held this weekend at the Cailloux and Boman was fortunate to get a cast of Playhouse and Schreiner talent to execute this wacky but challenging play. Dr. Rob Ward (Tartuffe, Miracle Worker) plays stage director Lloyd Dallas. Dallas’s dysfunctional acting troupe include Maggie Meek, Jerry Mertz, Zach Salcich, Suzanne Edwards, Brandi Neely, and Fredericksburg’s Bob Strauss. The long suffering stage crew will be played by Darcey Hill, and Dowell Mudry with Brent Mills filling in as an understudy. “I’m looking forward to working with an experienced cast to create an energetic and entertaining show” says Boman.
The actual stage crew will include Carol Weatherred, Boman’s long time stage manager and “right-hand woman,” as well as many of the 2011 Academy students.
Boman, who has directed many successful shows for Playhouse like: Miracle Worker, Tartuffe, Willy Wonka, and Rumors, has his hands full again. In addition to directing and preparing for this huge comedy, he has also directed the Playhouse 2000 AACT winning play “Grace and Glorie,” which will be going to the state meet in Fort Worth next month. Boman and the “Grace and Glorie” team will be joined by their friends with the Point Theatre’s “Almost Maine,” which is also headed to state.
Rehearsals for “Noises Off” begin immediately as the show requires more than the usual practice and preparation as the cast gets ready for their April 1st opening.
Tickets for this show as well as Playhouse Season tickets are available at the box office (830) 896-9393 ext. 223 and online at www.caillouxtheater.com. Being the second show of the year also means that the Playhouse playbill advertising program is beginning. If you or your business are interested in advertising in the Playhouse theatrical program, call Jeff Cunningham at (830) 896-9393 x 226 and leave a message.

Playhouse 2000 and Point Theatre Advance to State AACT Fest

For the first time ever, the Point and Playhouse theatres have competed together in an AACT Festival. The Point has not submitted a play to this community theatre competition in over twenty years. The Playhouse has never competed prior to last weekend. In a late night award ceremony following the festival at the Cailloux Theatre, it was announced that both Kerrville area companies had successfully advanced to the State Festival.

The Point Theatre’s comedy “Almost, Maine” opened the AACT Quadfest Friday evening and the Playhouse ended the event Saturday night with “Grace and Glorie.” The two theatres’s shared the weekend with four other companies, all of which presented “solid, entertaining shows.” In the end, four shows were able to advance to the state level including: Bastrop Opera House’s “Souvenir” and the Del Rio Upstager’s “Greater Tuna.” The State Festival will be in Fort Worth the third weekend in March.

In addition to advancing, the two local theatres enjoyed four “All Star Cast” awards for Jessica Roberts, and Phillip Huddleston of “Almost, Maine” and Joan Bryson and Amy Goodyear of “Grace and Glorie.”

As the Festival came to a close and the Cailloux’s out of town guests left for their homes or hotels, the casts and crews of both local shows stayed around to celebrate, visit, and help Festival Host Heather Cunningham clean-up and lock down the Cailloux. As they did they made plans for the upcoming trip to Fort Worth.

The two companies were made up primarily of volunteers who have worked and performed for both theatres in the past. The first decision they all made was to share transportation to Fort Worth for the personal and the scenery of both shows. They also agreed to work together to find local sponsors to help them with the cost of bringing the two shows to the next competitions.

Individuals and businesses who want to help the two local companies as they travel to Fort Worth are encouraged to call Jeff Cunningham at the Playhouse at (830) 896-9393 ext 226 or David Cockerell at the Point Theater (830) 367-5121.

The American Association of Community Theatre’s Texas State Meet will be held in Fort Worth’s Scott Theatre during the Texas Not-for-Profit Theatres’s Annual Convention during the third week in March. More information is available at www.texastheatres.org

Kerrville Theater Hosts 3 Music Events in One Week

On Wednesday February 9th at 7:30 at the Cailloux Theater, the Texas State University Wind Ensemble will be performing a program for the public.

The Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Rod Schueller, is comprised of wind and percussion majors in the School of Music and other non-music majors who are selected by audition. The ensemble has performed for such prestigious music associations as the Texas Music Educators Association, the College Band Directors National Association, the College Music Society, and the Music Educators National Conference.

This year will feature performances for both the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic and Convention in San Antonio as well as the National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association on the campus of the University of Washington and in the city of Seattle, Washington.

Ensemble member and Kerrville native Marty Lenard contacted Playhouse 2000 when the group decided to prepare for their performances at TMEA and in Washington before a live audience. A large portion of the ticket sales will go to fund the travel expenses for both Conferences.

Playhouse staffers, many of whom are TSU graduates were quick to welcome the Wind Ensemble to the Cailloux Theater stating “We were anxious to provide the community with the same high quality musical and performing groups with which they had become accustom. TSU is well known for excellence in the performing arts.”

The Wind Ensemble shares the Cailloux with several major musical performers that week including: Violist Esther Kim and Robert Earl Keen. Tickets and information for these events are available at the Cailloux Box office at (830) 896-9393 ext 223 or online at www.caillouxtheater.com

Arsenic and Old Lace Ends a Successful Run

This is the final weekend for the Playhouse ‘s family comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace.” The show runs Thursday 27th through Saturday 29th.

Beginning this year, Playhouse has changed the schedules and pricing of its main-stage shows. The 27th will be the only Thursday performance. It will also be the one night with special reduced prices to help ensure that everyone in the community has access to these shows. All adult seats purchased at the box office are $5 off their regular prices.

The staff, students, and volunteers at Playhouse, as well as the theater community as a whole learned that “Arsenic and Old Lace,” will come to a bittersweet conclusion this Saturday as it was announced that it will be the last show Ms. Sally Ritch plans to perform in the area.

Ms. Ritch has been referred to as a “Grand Dame of the Hill Country Theatre.” Not only has she performed and directed countless shows at the Point and Playhouse, but she is also the matriarch of a family of performers well known to Hill Country audiences.

Andy Ritch, Sally’s husband have been active in the theatre here since his childhood, primarily at the HCAF on the stage that bears his family’s name. Most recently, Mr. Ritch directed the critically acclaimed “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” for the Guadalupe Stage Quartet at the Warrior Theatre.

Many of Ms. Ritch’s children and grandchildren have made their mark on local stages. Tom Hale has conducted and played in the pit orchestra for many musical comedies over the years. Suzanne Edwards is known as a high-energy comic actress. Kathleen Ritch, like her mother before her, has portrayed a great many of the most beloved musical heroines on Hill Country stages. Even Jonathan and Adam Edwards, Ms. Ritch’s grandsons (both of whom went on to serve their country in the Military,) have performed in local shows.

In addition to their own family, the Ritchs have been involved the theatrical education of countless Hill Country performers as teachers. Ms. Ritch taught for many years as Tivy High School’s Drama Teacher, contributing to the development of many students who would eventually become theater professionals. Among them are her current director, Heather Cunningham of Playhouse 2000 and Chris Huber, who is currently directing the Point Theatre’s AACT Festival play “Almost, Maine.”

Mr. Ritch has taken every opportunity to teach. His dedication to strong vocal skills and powerful stage presence have helped define our amateur theatre community by holding it to the highest standard possible. “I still remember my first voice and diction workshop with Andy,” says Playhouse staffer Jeff Cunningham “I was sore and out of breathe after working for hours on a monologue from ‘Taming of the Shrew’ but in was a fundamental part of the training and the professional attitude that we are trying to instill in our Academy students, decades later.”

Playhouse staffers say they will miss the presence of Andy and Sally in the Kerr Area as they plan to move out of state, but are hopeful that the couple will visit frequently and continue to make their presence felt in the community that they helped define for so long.

Fans of Sally Ritch are encouraged to see her perform this weekend along with Ann Reynolds, Kirk Logan, Zach Salcich, Darcey Hill, and a cast full of “talented local performers.”

Tickets to this show, as well as Season Tickets and other Cailloux events are available at the Box Office (830)896-9393 ext. 223 or online at www.caillouxtheater.com. Patrons are advised to note the new Playhouse performance schedule.

Murderers Teach Kerrville Students about Theater

Playhouse 2000’s current comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace,” goes into its second week this Friday and as always, education is key to the success of both the show and the company producing it.

Much mention has been made lately of the theatre’s 1998 mission statement that reads “…to provide education to people of all ages in all aspects of the performing arts more specifically for youths…” “Arsenic and Old Lace” perfectly represents this mission in many ways.

Firstly, the two leads Sally Ritch (Aunt Abby Brewster) and Ann Reynolds (Aunt Martha Brewster) are both retired public school teachers.

Ms. Ritch taught theatre at Tivy High School for many years. Once again “Arsenic…” unites her with one of her former students, Playhouse Director Heather Cunningham. Cunningham studied theatre under Ritch for four years at Tivy as well as at the Point Theatre where both were extremely active. Cunningham says working with Ritch is “very comfortable. It should be intimidating, but working with the person who taught you means you understand each other’s styles and techniques.” The two have worked together on many Playhouse projects in various capacities.

Ms. Reynolds taught elementary school in Kerrville and now heads up the YES center, an afterschool mentoring program at the Presbyterian Church. She too has been working with the Playhouse team longer than the company has been around. Reynolds last actual Playhouse role was in “On Golden Pond” that performed in the company’s interim theatre prior to the opening of the Cailloux Center. “It’s wonderful to have her back.” says Cunningham “I saw her chemistry with Sally during auditions. It was palpable. Together on stage, they are electric.”

Adding to the educational aspect of “Arsenic…” is the presence of several Schreiner students. Kirk Logan and Zach Salcich play dueling brothers, one good, one very evil. Zach Tysor plays Officer O’Hara, a bumbling cop with ambitions of being a playwright. All three performers are Schreiner students who are extremely active in choir and theatre. Playhouse has become very active in expanding the experience of Schreiner students by showcasing their talent on stage.

Guadalupe Stage Quartet co-founder Tony Gallucci plays Lieutenant Rooney. Gallucci’s involvement in the show is quite literally a barter trade between Playhouse and the GST. Heather Cunningham required Gallucci to be in the show in exchange for her husband, Playhouse Artistic Director Jeff Cunningham. Jeff will be performing in the next GSQ show “Never the Sinner,” which will be the first GSQ show performed at the Cailloux. “Never the Sinner,” opens in March. The Guadalupe Stage Quartet itself is an educationally focused group with all of its profit going straight to the Roy Burney Memorial Scholarship fund. Also, Gallucci works as a year round Playhouse Academy volunteer faculty member.

The Academy makes up a majority of the “Arsenic…” crew. Academy Delta Class students Emily Peters, Shirley Dixon, and Taylor Sparkman are running the show from the control booth. “These young ladies’ average age is about 13 and they are doing professional level production work,” beams Jeff Cunningham. “We are thrilled to be entertaining our community while exposing so many different people to new and fun educational experiences.”

“Arsenic and Old Lace,” runs for two more weeks at the Cailloux. Tickets to this show, as well as Season Tickets and other Cailloux events are available at the Box Office (830)896-9393 ext 223 or online at www.caillouxtheater.com. Patrons are advised to note the new Playhouse performance schedule.

Two Old Ladies Who Like to Kill

Playhouse 2000 is greeting the New Year with the “Earnie Awards” and their January comedy “Arsenic and Old Lace.”

“Arsenic…” the 1930’s comedy about two kindly old landladies, whose boarders mysteriously disappear, opens next Friday the 14th at the Cailloux Theatre. “Arsenic…” is a very well-known and celebrated story that even became a 1944 motion picture starring Cary Grant and Priscilla Lane. The Playhouse version stars Sally Ritch and Ann Reynolds as Aunt Abby and Aunt Martha, the sweet spinsters who kill off their guests with poisoned elderberry wine. Their three nephews include Kirk Logan as Mortimer, the play’s befuddled hero; Zach Salcich as the villainous Jonathan; and Dowell Mudry as Teddy who believes he is President Roosevelt and frequently storms San Juan Hill in the living room and is digging the Panama Canal in the basement.

“Arsenic and Old Lace” also features veteran performances from Jerry Mertz, Tony Galucci, Neill Day, Andy Bachofen , and Schreiner student Zach Tysor. Many actors are making their sophomore performances like: Brent Mills, Darcey Hill, as Elaine, Mortimer’s love interest, and Sonny Payne as Mr. Witherspoon, the mortician who benefits from the Aunts’ murderous hobby. Jaime de la Rosa, makes his Playhouse debut as Dr. Einstein, the mad surgeon sidekick of the evil Jonathan.

Tickets are on sale now for “Arsenic and Old Lace,” which opens on at 7:30 Friday 14th and runs Saturday 15th, Friday 21st, Saturday 22nd, Thursday 27th, Friday 28th, and closes on Saturday 29th. There will be one 2:00 matinee on Sunday the 23rd. Ticket prices now vary and season tickets are available. Online ticketing for Cailloux events has been very successful and well received.

This Saturday the 8th at 6:30 at the Cailloux, Playhouse 2000 will host the 10th annual Earnest T. Player Awards. The “Earnies” are a Playhouse tradition where the volunteers and performers are thanked and honored for another year of hard work and talent. Ballots for Earnie voting will be accepted through Friday January 7th and are available at the Cailloux Box Office.

The Earnies begin with a family style dinner in the Cailloux Lobby at 6:30PM. Everyone is invited to bring a covered dish, dessert, or drink. The ceremony itself begins at 7:30 in the Theatre. The entire public is invited to attend.

Other upcoming Cailloux events include: violinist Esther Kim as part of the Mary Rohe Classical Music Series, The Texas State University Wind Ensemble, and The HCYO fundraiser featuring Robert Earle Keen.

For tickets and information on all these events, call the Box Office at (830) 896-9393 ext. or visit our tickets page.

Don’t Miss the First Show of 2011!

Although the Playhouse’s 2011 Season is still a month away, rehearsals for the first show, “Arsenic and Old Lace,” are already in progress at the Cailloux.

The show will kick of the big 2011 theatre year on Friday, January 14th and will have a three-week run at the Cailloux Theater.

“Arsenic and Old Lace,” is the 1939 comedy by playwright Joseph Kesselring which was turned into the 1944 Frank Capra motion picture starring Cary Grant. The story follows poor Mortimer Brewster who is dealing with his dangerously eccentric family including one murderous brother and another who believes that he is President Teddy Roosevelt. Mortimer’s biggest problem is his two sweet loving spinster aunts, Abby and Martha who happen to poison their guests with arsenic and elderberry wine.

Recent interest into the crimes of Aunt Abby and Martha have resurfaced with the publication of “The Devil’s Rooming House,” by M. William Phelps, which tells the story of Amy Archer Gilligan, a sweet but sociopathic landlady who killed her boarders for their money. Gilligan’s story was the inspiration for Kesselring’s play, which dispite its dark subject is a well-known and well-loved comedy.

The Playhouse cast begins with Sally Ritch and Annie Reynolds as the two angel-faced murderous aunts. Schreiner student, Kirk Logan, plays Mortimer. New-comer Darcey Hill is Elaine Harper, Mortimer’s love interest. Hill Country veteren Jerry Mertz is her father Dr. Harper. Playhouse regular, Zach Salcich (1776, Tartuffe, Bye Bye Birdie) is Mortimer’s evil brother, Jonathan. The cast includes: Dowell Mudry, Jaime de la Rosa, Brent Mills, Andy Bachofen, Sonny Payne, Neill Day, Zach Tysor and Tony Gallucci.

Tickets are on sale at the Cailloux Box Office (830) 896-9393 and online at www.caillouxtheater.com. Season Tickets are still on sale and Playhouse staff members highly recommend that patrons consider season ticket membership because this season they are a 50% discount on the best seats in the house.