Corn Stock revived the 1953 play “Tea and Sympathy” by Robert Anderson (I Never Sang For My Father) in November as part of its Winter Playhouse season. It was well directed by Rebekah Bourland. The 63- year-old play has not…
Jeff Sloter, who directed the hit production “The Foreigner” for Cornstock with Peoria native now Broadway actor, Steve Vinovich, has turned his sights on a musical. Mr. Sloter said he first met the playwright/composer Derek Childs 30 years ago during…
Deric Kimler has been busy. He directed the very successful production of “Rent” for Peoria Players this past spring and then he played Huey Calhoun, the male lead, in Cornstock’s recent wonderful production of “Memphis.” He is as good a performer…
Eric Ewan directed an excellent production of “The Spitfire Grill” for Corn Stock. The musical is about the journey of a young woman just released from prison who decides to start her life anew in a rural Wisconsin town. It…
William Shakespeare was a great friend to actors; not only did he provide employment through his words, he also prescribed how to play their parts through his dialogue. Take the line, “How now Horatio, you tremble and look pale”; one…
Peoria Players closed its season with an excellent production of the rock musical “Rent” directed by Deric Kimler. The late composer and lyricist, Jonathan Larson, adapted Puccini’s popular opera “La Boheme” into the 1990s avant-garde scene on Manhattan’s Lower East…
I am pleased to report the “Invalid” is ambulatory in Canton thanks to the efforts of the Many Lights Theatre, a small group whose mission statement in part reads: “Many Lights will produce plays that make a difference to the…
Political writers are fond of using “Kabuki dance” to refer to various tactics and machinations during political battles. We have unfortunately had too many examples of this during the past several years with government shutdowns, bailouts, failed grand bargains and…
“That guy pulled a real Stanislavski!” exclaimed Frank Gifford years ago during a Monday Night Football broadcast. The reference was to Constantine Stanislavski, the Russian theater director, acting teacher and founder of the Moscow Art Theater (MAT) and a punter…
The British stage and screen actor John Ronane (“Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Six Wives of Henry the VIII” (PBS), “Art” at the Apollo on Main Street) once remarked that people used to say they were going to “hear” a…
