Our look back at Staples Players’ past shows continues today, with the fall 2005 production of “Children of Eden.”
David Roth and Kerry Long directed the 1991 musical. Based on the Book of Genesis, it tells the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah and the flood.
Longtime media teacher Jim Honeycutt created these “nutshells,” part of “06880”‘s continuing coverage of Players, yesterday and today.
He notes that some of actors in this show went on to bigger things.
Mia Gentile (Eve) starred on Broadway in “Kinky Boots.” She also made it onto “Good Morning America,” with hilarious Stanley Steemer ads.
Jacob Heimer (Adam) starred on Broadway in “Beautiful.” Adam Kaplan (Japheth) went on to star on Broadway too, in “A Bronx Tale.”
Drew Angus (Ham) is now a successful recording artist.
In the spring of 2004, Staples Players brought “City of Angels” to the stage.
Former media teacher Jim Honeycutt taped the Tony Award-winning musical, with dual story lines — and all of directors David Roth and Kerry Long’s shows.
This week, in our chronological look back at highlights of past productions — called “nutshells” –Spri we bring you back to that show about a Hollywood screenwriter, and his detective creation.
So it was natural for the Staples Players director to choose “Merrily We Roll Along” as the spring 2003 production.
Former media teacher Jim Honeycutt taped it — and all of Roth’s shows.
This week, in our chronological look back at highlights of past productions, we bring you that memorable “Merrily.” Click here or below to see.
PS: This year’s spring show — “Urinetown” — debuts Thursday (March 12, 7 p.m.). It runs Friday and Saturday (March 13 and 14) at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday (March 14 and 15) at 2 p.m. Click here for tickets, and more information.
In 2001, David Roth kicked off his second year as Staples Players director with a surefire favorite: “The Music Man.”
His troupe did not disappoint. Today “06880” offers our audience — those who saw it, those who missed it, those who were not here and those who were not yet born — a chance to relive its high-energy magic.
Former Staples High School media teacher Jim Honeycutt taped all of Roth’s shows. Now, he’s selecting highlights to share with our readers.
Click here or below, for “Trouble in River City,” “76 Trombones,” “Lida Rose and more.
Last week, “06880” introduced a new feature: a video look back at Staples Players’ productions.
Staples High School media teacher Jim Honeycutt started taping shows when David Roth became director, in 2000. His first — and Honeycutt’s first “nutshell” highlight video — was “Guys & Dolls.”
Today we rewind back to Roth’s second musical: Rupert Holmes’ “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” the show-within-a-show based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel.
Click here or below, to see 9 minutes from the spring 2001 show.
During his 3 decades teaching at Staples High School, Jim Honeycutt helped develop the Media Lab.
It grew from radio and television production into a full-fledged, versatile studio.
Jim and his students recorded TV shows, Candlelight Concerts, and many Staples Players productions.
For several months, Jim — now retired — has been creating “nutshells” from the archives. They’re brief (10 minutes or so) highlights of every show, beginning with director David Roth’s first one in 2000.
It was “Guys and Dolls.”
Jim is sending these nutshells to “06880.” He hopes readers enjoy the shows — whether they were there then or not. Click here or below, for “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” and many more classics.
(“06880” covers Staples High School, Westport’s entertainment scene, and so much more — and we do it 24/7/365. Please click here to support our work. Thank you!)
Staples High teachers Jim Honeycutt and Mike Zito spent many years running the school’s Media Lab.
Jim Honeycutt
They’re retired now, but have followed the radio and TV productions — and more — with great interest. In response to Sunday’s “06880” Opinion piece about the “On the Wreckord” show, they write:
We support Kasey Feeley and her passionate advocacy for “On the Wreckord.”
We started the Staples TV program “Good Morning Staples” around 2011. We had so much support from the Staples administration that our teaching load was reduced to 4 classes, to allow us the time to produce the show twice a week with our TV Production classes.
The 2 TV classes had 4 periods each week to produce a 20-minute “Good Morning Staples” show. We worked frantically, but managed for each class to get a show out each week.
The first “Good Morning Staples” show (including yours truly) …
Jim’s motto for the show was “Building Community Through Communication.” Twice a week during the school’s “Communication Time,” it was shown throughout the school. Everything stopped, in every classroom.
Our last “GMS” aired June 2016, the year we retired.
Unfortunately, the show was not sustained. The media program is still very successful, but went in a different direction.
Years later English instructor Mary Elizabeth Fulco contacted Jim for help. Inklings — the school paper — was interested in broadcasting a show similar to “GMS.”
Both of us helped. We worked with one student, and made some suggestions.
We watched the shows get better and better as time went by. They were well on their way.
Mike Zito, in the Staples Media Lab.
It would be more than a shame for “On the Wreckord” to go the way of “GMS.”
“On the Wreckord” will be a key to many students’ future college and career paths. We have had incredibly talented students over the years grace our TV shows. Eric Gallanty, DJ Sixsmith and Cooper Boardman are 3 who come immediately to mind. They are now broadcast professionals.
Jon Karmen went on to make the hit Netflix movie “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal.” While at Staples, he and Jake Andrews created the RubyDog 189 channel on YouTube. “Mentos: The Fresh Maker” had over 3 million views.
Many other students have gone on to careers, in a variety of media roles.
We told our students that more video is being shot now than ever before in world history. There are many jobs and careers out there.
A 4-part “Good Morning Staples” series starred TV Production student Charlie Greenwald (right) and Spanish teacher Horacio Ballesteros. Greenwald went on to study communications at Emerson College.
I am sure Kasey Feeley will find her place in that world as well. Keeping “On the Wreckord” supported is not only the right thing to do; it is something that should be supported and expanded.
We implore the Staples administration and Board of Education to support the development of media programs like “On the Wreckord” and “Good Morning Staples.” These programs build school community, and allow students to develop media skills that they can continue into college and careers beyond.
(NOTE: All “Good Morning Staples” shows can be found on YouTube.)
(“06880” Opinion pages are open to all. Email 06880blog@gmail.com.)
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