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Guys & Dolls JR debuts Friday on square

AMY WILDER
Posted 7/8/21

Fayette Main Street will present Guys and Dolls JR. this weekend on the east side of the Howard County Courthouse. The show runs for two nights: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a possible makeup …

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Guys & Dolls JR debuts Friday on square

Posted

Fayette Main Street will present Guys and Dolls JR. this weekend on the east side of the Howard County Courthouse. The show runs for two nights: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a possible makeup performance on Sunday in the event Friday’s or Saturday’s show is canceled due to inclement weather.

A large company of youngsters from the Fayette area, including Gracie Doolin, Ethan Lavalley, Jillian Flaspohler, Jayden Johnson, Wesley Miner, Ben Oeth, and more than 20 other children, will bring this rousing musical comedy to life. 

The story, set in locations from Times Square to Havana, follows the adventures of gamblers and missionaries and the antics that ensue with their interests overlapping and at odds. Things get rolling when Nathan Detroit, who risks losing a location for his craps game, makes a bet with confirmed gambler Sky Masterson, that Sky can’t get missionary Miss Sarah Brown to accompany him on a trip to Havana. 

Directing the show is Carrie Strodtman, with Cindy Dudenhoffer as assistant director. The music director is Vanessa Miner, Caryn Jeffries is choreographer, Terri Rohlfing is costumer, and Brenna O’Neill is the stage manager for this production. Many of these individuals have long histories of theatre productions in town, either with the schools, Fayette Area Community Theatre (FACT), or with their children.

Strodtman directed the junior version of Wizard of Oz in 2019 through FACT, and “I promised my family I wouldn’t direct another children’s musical,” Strodtman said in an email, “because of how time consuming and exhausting it was.” A year later, she said, both her children were cast in the school production of Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bridget Hussey, but didn’t get to perform because of the COVID-19 pandemic and school moving to online classes. 

According to Strodtman, Hussey renewed the kids’ creative energy through two one-act plays at school this spring, and that in turn inspired her to think about putting together a summer production. “I reached out to Bekki Galloway,” she said, “who was an amazing volunteer…in Wizard of Oz.” Together the pair brainstormed ways to bring a live theatre production safely to Fayette audiences this summer. 

“I had heard many stories of FACT performing Music Man on the Howard County Courthouse steps, back in the ‘80s,” Strodtman said. Inspired, she decided to revive the idea and hope for “the same positive outcome.”

The process hasn’t been without its “hiccups,” as Strodtman described the challenges of producing a musical with a cast of more than 20 youngsters. Toting props across two blocks in all sorts of weather conditions from rain to intense heat, juggling busy summer schedules and deaths in both her family and in Miner’s have presented unique difficulties. But the community has rallied to get the show off the ground. 

“Many other people have contributed their time and energy to this as well, including many who have no children in the show,” Strodtman said. She credited many community members and organizations for stepping in and filling vital niches. “Tina Queen, a retired middle school teacher and friend, has spent many hours helping us in rehearsals. Nancy Symes, parishioner of First Christian Church and a friend, helped us in rehearsal when we were short on adults.”

Strodtman also recognized Fayette Area Historic Association board member Gary Bagby for offering FAHA building space for prop and sound equipment storage. She said CMU theater professor Lonna Wilke helped facilitate the use of the Little Theatre sound equipment, while former CMU web master Parker Johnson has agreed to run sound for the performances.  

“Many of the parents of our actors have been most helpful as well,” Strodtman said. “Derry Wiswall, father of one of our actors and Director of Plant Operations (at CMU) has offered folding chairs for our audience as well as tents to help create wings for our ‘stage.’ Stacey Johnson, stylist and mother of one of our leads, will be doing makeup and hair for our performers.” 

The FACT board offered access to props and costumes. “It is truly a community effort,” Strodtman said. “I love that Fayette supports the arts as well as our artsy children.”

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at any Fayette bank.

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