Quirk’s Players Hard at Work on Fall Productions

Submitted by Quirk’s Players

While students and staff members were on summer vacation, Quirk’s Players of G. Ray Bodley High School were already hard at work on this year’s fall productions. For the first time Quirk’s Players will present two offerings this fall. They will present a cabaret production in partnership with Fulton Community Theatre entitled An Evening on Broadway and the hysterical new comedy Unnecessary Farce; both productions will be presented this October. The two productions involve over thirty students in the cast and crew.

Fulton Community Theatre and Quirk’s Players will present An Evening On Broadway, part of the successful cabaret series FCT has presented over the years. An Evening On Broadway celebrates the Broadway musical and is under the direction of Kathy DeGolyer from Fulton Community Theatre. “Partnering with Fulton Community Theatre provides an additional opportunity for our students to perform,” explained Tom Briggs, Theatre Director at G. Ray Bodley High School and Faculty Advisor to Quirk’s Players. “Students will have to opportunity to sing from the scores of several Broadway musicals people love.” Briggs stated that since this is a joint production with Fulton Community Theatre, the first half of the evening’s program will feature music from Broadway shows that both organizations have presented over the years.

In addition to songs from former productions, the second half of the program will feature music from other popular Broadway shows. “Fulton Community Theatre’s An Evening On Broadway productions have been well-received by the community and our students are excited to be participating in one,” Briggs said. Members of Quirk’s Players who are performing in this fall’s An Evening On Broadway include: Chelsea Avery, Alex Bawarski, Clare Bawarski, Logan Carvey, Nate Deavers, Jenna Doherty, Ciarra Ferguson, Kyla Freeman, Sara Jay, Eva Jones, Danni Kline, Mitchell Lalik, Vanessa Langdon, Kaitlyn Lauber, Shane McCarthy, Joe Medico, Alexis Pawlewicz, Laura Perwitz, Lacey Rusaw, Amanda Tetro, Amanda Trombly, Mark Wettering and Krysta Woodcock.

An Evening on Broadway will be performed October 1, 2 & 3rd in Jubilee Hall at Holy Trinity Church (formerly Immaculate Conception Church) – times TBA. The production will be presented cabaret style with special desserts prepared by students in the gourmet cooking class at G. Ray Bodley High School who will also be sharing their talent with the audience.

Quirk’s Players will also present Paul Blade Smith’s hysterical fast-paced comedy Unnecessary Farce. Set in an economy motel in a typical American town, Unnecessary Farce features two police officers in one room overseeing a sting operation in the adjoining room from which they hope to gather evidence to arrest their mayor for embezzlement. Things get complicated when one officer falls in love with an accountant who is helping them. The pace picks up when identities are mistaken and as word that the Scottish Mafia (the “Clan with a C”) is involved and is sending The Highland Hit-Man in to commit murder. “Unnecessary Farce contains all of the elements of farce that audiences love – mistaken identity, fast-paced story lines, physical comedy and bizarre chase scenes,” Briggs stated. “It will certainly keep the audience laughing.” Briggs further stated that because the script moves quickly, students have been learning their lines throughout the summer. “We cast the show before summer vacation and gave students their scripts before they left school in June. They have been memorizing their dialogue over summer vacation so that they can focus on blocking and the physical comedy when they return to school in September.”

Appearing in the upcoming production of Unnecessary Farce are: Neil Devendorf, Gwen Gibson, Nathan Hawthorne, Steven McDougall, Zach Mizener, Christine Proud and Morgan Stafford.

Unnecessary Farce will be presented Friday and Saturday, October 22nd and 23rd in the G. Ray Bodley High School Auditorium. Curtain time will be 7:30 PM each evening. Please be aware that Unneccessary Farce is rated ‘PG-13’ for mature comedy and situations.

Quirk’s Players is the student theatre troupe at G. Ray Bodley High School. Named in memory of Mr. William Quirk, a long-time English teacher and theatre director at both Fulton High School and G. Ray Bodley High School, the group presents two main productions a year and participates in at least one high school theatre festival. Most recently, Quirk’s Players presented the fast paced farce Don’t Tell Mother as well as the Broadway musical The Sound of Music last year.

Print this entry