The Director's Chair
2015 Fall Show - Calendar Girls
Patti Ross discusses the Bobcat Players 2015 Fall Show "Calendar Girls" a classic comedy by Tim Firth.
(standing left to right) Joline Atkins, Shelly Cary, Patti Ross
(seated) Dave Neuhart
Don't Dress For Dinner - Spring Show
A Farce by Marc Camoletti
Directed by Shelly Cary
May 15, 16, 21, 22, 23
Written by Marc Camoletti, who also wrote the popular farce BOEING, BOEING, this play tells the story of a man who is planning a secret rendezvous with his mistress – complete with a catered dinner and his best friend as an alibi. But miscommunication, mistaken identities, and altered plans turn this night into a comedy of errors that’ll have the audience in stitches!
I have always enjoyed shows where I could sit back and escape the rigors of everyday life and just laugh and have fun. This script had me laughing out loud only two pages into the dialogue! I cannot wait to jump back in the director’s chair and get to work on this fantastically fun and fast-paced farce!
Moonlight and Magnolias - Summer Show
A Comedy by Ron Hutchinson
Directed by Joline Atkins
July 24, 25, 30, 31, August 1
Think old Hollywood, 1939. The glitz. The glamour. The iconic film, GONE WITH THE WIND. MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS begins before that film ever graces the silver screen. Based on true events, we open on the office of David O. Selznick, Producer of GONE WITH THE WIND – only the film, already in production, has been shut down due to problems with the screenplay. Faced with embarrassment in a town that remembers everything – (not to mention that his father-in-law is THE Louis B. Mayer), O. Selznick gathers the creative troops of Victor Fleming, fresh from the set of THE WIZARD OF OZ, and famed screenwriter Ben Hecht to rewrite the script.
This is no traditional rewriting. Watch what ensues when the three egos, along with trusty secretary Miss Poppenghuel, engage in a weeklong lock-in (literally) in order to refashion what we now know as the beloved GONE WITH THE WIND.
MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS will mix an inside look at vintage Hollywood with surprises, good old -fashioned slapstick comedy, and hilarity!
Calendar Girls - Fall Show
A Comedy by Tim Firth
Directed by Patti Ross
Dates to be determined
Originally immortalized by the Helen Mirren movie of the same name, this is the true story of a group of tightly knit older Englishwomen. When the husband of one of them falls ill and succumbs to cancer, they rally to raise money for a comfortable settee in the local hospital. They do so by posing for a calendar, proudly exposing their age and much more.
I always have had a fondness for scripts that examine the tender yet tenuous relationships among female friends, and this is one of the best I’ve read since STEEL MAGNOLIAS. These characters that fly in the face of propriety are very real and very memorable. Mark your calendars for a date to meet our calendar girls; this promises to be a humorous and heartwarming evening at the theater.
Almost, Maine - Season Special
A Romantic Comedy by John Cariani
Directed by Dave Neuhart
Dates to be determined
In this delightful show, six actors create nineteen characters to tell nine different stories. The stories are united by their theme: that dangerous four-letter word…LOVE, with its joys and sorrows; and by their location: a mythical town of Almost, Maine, where the stories unfold on a cold winter’s night.
This is my second opportunity to direct the show and I am looking forward to it. In uniquely humorous, yet meaningful ways, the playwright speaks with keen insight to some of the common feelings and follies we all experience in love and relationships.