Posted by Joey on May 09, 1999 at 11:21:01:
In Reply to: DAF Children's Theater posted by Warren Sampson, Jr. on April 17, 1998 at 21:55:34:
: I was one of those busloads of kids going to the Elston Jr. High auditorium. It was 1967 and I was in first grand and clearly remember seeing productions of The Emperor's New Clothes (with an Asian motif) and Rip Van Winkle. Years later I met Sue Stephenson who was one of the tailors, though owing to Nora's proclivities for double and triple casting, I don't know if I actually saw Sue. It was a long time ago.
: And thus, in that tiny auditorium, theatrical magic was cast upon me and I was hooked for life.
: Skipping forward to the summer of '76 -- through a labryntian series of events I came to audition as a dancer for DAF's production of Brigadoon, was cast and spent a few weeks in a kilt. Oh, man! This was a major rush.
: Two summers later, between my Jr. and Sr. years at Rogers, the DAF announced an ambitious lineup. Jon Putzke (formerly of Scotties and The Tin Tree Dinner Theatres in New Buffalo) was producing a season of rotating rep. Six shows in the adult season: Royal Hunt of the Sun, The Sound of Music, ladies in Retirement, Candida, The Importance of Being Earnest and Funny Girl. There were four shows in the Children's season: Tom Sawyer's Treasure Hunt, Alice in Wonderland, Aesop's Falables and Johnny Moonbeam and the Silver Arrow. The season was to be broken in half by a weeks run of a ballet, I think called The Queens. For the life of me I can't remember which Queens, but it featured Sally Montgomery, Judy Joseph and Sallie Anne Black. (I apologize for any misspelled names.)
: I got cast in Royal Hunt and the musicals and it was suggested I audition for Nora. Oh-My-God! I heard about this lady for years from kids at school who'd gone to the summer drama program. She was a legend.
: Well, I did audition. I remember very clearly her method of auditioning - she just put kids in roles and had them do the play. We must have gone through the entirity of Johnny Moonbeam at least ten times before it was cast. Well, I got roles in Tom, Alice and Johnny and choreographed Aesop (at least parts of it - I don't remember if I got to do the whole thing. I do remember 3 mice doing a Supremes routine)which was a "rock and roll" musical. They might have been crows.
: Once the summer began, we had a semi-professional company in residence and I'd become something of an apprentice. I was living on the grounds in a tent staked out by the cabins. I was eating Naomi Edinger's fabulous food. And I was working in a theater 24 hours a day! Heaven.
: There was much debate that summer among the company about the nature of CT. Should it be adults making theatre for children? Or should it be children making theatre for adults? Or should it just be theatre for children. Well, Nora had no part in that discussion -- she just directed the plays with that etherial no-nonsense approach.
: I remember she wasn't particulary pleased when we turned Alice in Wonderland into a virtual drag show. I was the Gryphon, costumed in a sequined leotard, purple boa, and feathered hat. There were also a felt beak, and some furry slippers and a tail pinned on the leotard. The Queen of Hearts was played by Michael O'Bannion, who was, basically, our leading man for the summer.
: Aesop was reserved for the summer program kids.
: Johnny Moonbeam and the Silver Arrow, to date, is one of my favorite experiences. It's a narrative with a dance-story accompanying. We worked so hard. I play the God of Fire or King of Fire, or maybe just Fire. There was also an Earth, played by Kurt Voglesang, Water and some Native American folk. Opening performance -- very exciting -- nobody came. Something had gone terribly wrong and nobody had sold any tickets. Or, apparently included it in the children's subscription series. Who Knows? But we performed it anyway. Nora insisted. And when we did have an audience, we were that much better. An early lesson in the importance of marketing.
: Let's see, who else was involved that summer? Tara Lonzo, who's now casting director at The Goodman in Chicago, was box office. So many people I've not thought of in so long. Mary Fridh was there, building everything needing to be built. She was also in Alice.
: Anyway, I've gone on too long.
: I'd love to hear from anyone about CT or DAF history. I used to sit looking through the archives at The Brewery all the time during rehearsals.
: Contact me at:
: Warren Sampson, Jr.
: 128 1/2 E. 10th St
: Michigan City, IN 46360
: 219/879-7623
: OtherDaryl@aol.com
: I just relocated back to Michigan City after years of wandering the theatrical bye-roads in Chicago and New Orleans. I'm anxious to get back in touch with anyone who's still in the area.
the dunes arts foundation is the greatest thing in the entire world. i love every minute of the plays they put on----a fellow dunes actress :-)