Tag Archives: Kerry Long

“Millie” Remembers Matheson, Gilbert

Posted on November 17, 2013 | 2 comments

Audiences are raving about Staples Players’ fall production, “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Co-directors David Roth and Kerry Long have created a wonderful show, filled with talented, tap-dancing performers; clever costumes, and a peppy pit orchestra. Technical directors Peter Barbieri and Dave Seltzer added a stunning set, and sophisticated lighting.

But Roth, Long, Barbieri and Seltzer are quick to note that they — and Players — would not be where they are today without the pioneering contributions of Craig Matheson and Steve Gilbert.

This Saturday (November 23, 5 p.m., following the 2 p.m. “Millie” matinee) they join former Players, family members, the audience, Staples Orphenians and the public in paying tribute to those 2 men.

Craig Matheson (right) and Steven Gilbert.

Craig Matheson (right) and Steven Gilbert.

Matheson — the founder of Staples Players back in 1958 — and Gilbert, who started the Staples Stage and Technical Staff — will be honored with the dedication of a sculpture. “All the World’s a Stage” is installed in Staples’ courtyard, a few feet from the lobby of the auditorium Matheson and Gilbert loved.

The 6-foot-diameter steel sculpture was donated by 1965 graduate and former Player Adam Stolpen. Revealing a medley of changing color, light and pattern, it’s named for the famed monologue from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It,” which compares life to a play.

“Craig Matheson was loved by so many people who were honored to work with him, and were touched by his wonderful, creative and generous spirit,” Roth says. “Working with Craig was an incredible experience.”

Appropriately, the last Players production Matheson saw was “You Can’t Take It With You,” in May. It was the 1st show he directed for Players, in 1958. Matheson died in August.

Gilbert — who died in the 1970s — was beloved for his ability to create, innovate and inspire backstage crews.

“Steven Gilbert taught me early an artistic professionalism that has served me well. Craig Matheson was the consummate teacher and lifelong mentor,” says Staples ’68 graduate Joan Elizabeth Goodman.

“Their gifts enriched my generation of Players. And their legacy extends to the Staples Players of today and tomorrow.”

(Players representatives hope to locate Steve Gilbert’s former wife and 2 children, to invite them to the ceremony. Email contact information to droth@westport.k12.ct.us.)

(Tickets are not necessary to attend Saturday’s dedication. For tickets to the matinee, or this Friday and Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. shows, click here.)

"All The World's A Stage": the sculpture.

“All the World’s a Stage”: the sculpture.

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Staples Players Tap Into “Thoroughly Modern Millie”

Posted on November 8, 2013 | 1 comment

Last year, Staples Players wowed audiences with fantastic choreography in “A Chorus Line.” The year before, the Jets and Sharks danced their way through Players’ “West Side Story.”

This fall’s production of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” takes dance to a new level: tap.

The show is unique. Set in the Roaring Twenties, it’s based on a 1967 movie. Opening on Broadway in 2002, “Millie” won 6 Tonys — including Best Musical.

Amanda Horowitz as Millie Dillmount. (Photo/Kerry Long)

Amanda Horowitz as Millie Dillmount. (Photo/Kerry Long)

“It’s the best of both worlds,” says director David Roth. “It’s got crazy, madcap ’20s and ’60s sensibilities, but it’s a modern musical. It’s not dated at all. It’s very contemporary and accessible to modern audiences. And it’s a great show for families.”

It’s also very funny. And the huge amount of tap dancing is a first for former Players actor — now director — Roth.

He hired Abigail Root — a young dance teacher — to join regular choreographer Andrea Metchick.

“It’s been exciting to watch boys and girls learn tap,” Roth says. “That’s a very different style of dance. It’s like playing a percussion instrument — there are lots of different rhythms. But they love it.”

“Millie” also includes plenty of Charleston and flapper dances.

And it’s a huge costume show. Roth estimates at least 200 are displayed throughout the show.

Nick Ribolla as Jimmy Smith, surrounded by the ladies of the Hotel Priscilla. (Photo/Kerry Long)

Nick Ribolla as Jimmy Smith, surrounded by the ladies of the Hotel Priscilla. (Photo/Kerry Long)

Audiences will see several new faces in leading roles. Ryder Chasin, Nick Ribolla and Jack Baylis are among the first-time stars. The 2 Millies — Amanda Horowitz and Maddy Rozynek — are more familiar to Players fans.

“A Chorus Line” and “West Side Story” showcased Players’ dance talents to thousands of Westporters. “Thoroughly Modern Millie” will tap that choreographic mother lode once again.

(“Thoroughly Modern Millie” opens Friday, November 15. Performances follow on November 16, 22 and 23 — all at 7:30 p.m. — with 2 p.m. matinees on Sunday, November 17 and Saturday, November 23. For ticket information, click here.)
 
Cara McNiff as Muzzy Van Hossmere. (Photo/Kerry Long)

Cara McNiff as Muzzy Van Hossmere. (Photo/Kerry Long)

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“Bye Bye Birdie” Sweeps Onto Staples Stage

Posted on July 23, 2013 | 5 comments

“Bye Bye Birdie” is a staple on high school and middle school stages.

But until this coming weekend, it has never been performed in the Staples auditorium.

Staples Players (and summer production) directors David Roth and Kerry Long are huge fans of the musical. They’ve often talked of doing it — but the time never seemed right.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, it is.

Jack Seigenthaler (as Conrad Birdie) is surrounded by adoring fans. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Jack Seigenthaler (as Conrad Birdie) is surrounded by adoring fans. (Photo by Kerry Long)

The show — inspired by the intense popularity of Elvis Presley, and his 1957 draft notice — is a satire of that era. But some school productions — well, let’s just say they stage it a bit too straightforwardly.

That won’t happen this time. David and Kerry are working their magic once again, bringing the satirical best out of a big — and enormously talented — cast.

It’s perfect summer fare. Kids will love it, because the “kids” onstage have such a blast. It’s funny and fun, with tons of bright colors, intriguing characters, and great dancing and music.

Jack Bowman as Hugo Peabody, and Michelle Pauker as Kim MacAfee. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Jack Bowman as Hugo Peabody, and Michelle Pauker as Kim MacAfee. (Photo by Kerry Long)

“Bye Bye Birdie” offers a chance for many Staples Players — plus recent graduates, and excellent performers from surrounding towns — to strut their stuff.

Jack Seigenthaler — Weston High’s popular leading man — plays Conrad Birdie. Clay Singer and Tyler Jent are double-cast as Conrad’s manager. Claire Smith is Albert’s secretary and love interest. Michelle Pauker is Kim MacAfee, the small- town girl upon whom Conrad will bestow his “last kiss.”

And after half a century, Conrad will finally do it on the Staples stage.

“Bye Bye Birdie” will be performed on Friday, July 26 (7:30 p.m.), Saturday, July 27 (2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.), and Sunday, July 28 (4 p.m.). Click here for tickets.

Maddy Rozynek plays Mae Peterson; Clay Singer is Albert Peterson. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Maddy Rozynek plays Mae Peterson; Clay Singer is Albert Peterson. (Photo by Kerry Long)

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“Oklahoma!”: The Show Goes On!

Posted on November 6, 2012 | 6 comments

On Broadway, there’s a venerable tradition that “the show must go on.”

At Staples — where Players productions have long been compared to Broadway shows — the same tradition holds true.

Which is why — almost miraculously — “Oklahoma!” opens this Friday night.

Right on schedule.

Curly (Clay Singer) and Aunt Eller (Claire Smith) sing the classic “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” (Photo by Kerry Long)

The decision to open as planned came after co-directors David Roth and Kerry Long decided the musical was in  good enough shape to really push things this week — the home stretch.

Rescheduling was not an option. The weekend after the show closes is Thanksgiving. The weekend after that, the auditorium is occupied by “The Nutcracker.”

With dire warnings about Sandy in the air, the directors talked to the cast about preparedness. Actors were told to bring their scripts home, and spend free time going over lines, staging and choreography.

Yet no one anticipated an entire week off from school.

The teenagers rose to the occasion. They organized their own, completely student-run rehearsals — including a full run-through at the Conservative Synagogue (which, perhaps by divine intervention, had power) — under the leadership of Players president Adam Mirkine.

Will Parker (Everett Sussman) and the ensemble, during “Kansas City.” (Photo by Kerry Long)

As soon as power returned to Staples, administrators let Players back in to set light cues and start returning to normal.

As a result, cast and crew has made up lost time. Yesterday they were right about where they usually are, entering the final stretch: “Hell Week.”

Players shows are great community events. Audience members span all ages. Many have come for years. The scene in the lobby before the curtain rises is  almost party-like.

After the craziness of Hurricane Sandy, Roth and Long wanted Westporters to get back to some semblance of normalcy, with a dynamic, entertaining production. The directors were glad for the hard-working cast, too, that the show could go on.

Thanks to Staples Players, it will.

And, because it’s Staples Players, “Oklahoma!” will be doing fine. Far more than “okay.”

(Of course, ticket sales were hurt by the extended power outage — it’s hard to buy them online without power. But if you’re reading this, you can click here for tickets. They’re also on sale at the box office before the show.)

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Matt Van Gessel’s Mysterious “Willy Wonka”

Posted on July 24, 2012 | 2 comments

Lots of people like “Willy Wonka.”

Matt Van Gessel loves “Willy Wonka.”

The 2011 Staples grad — now a rising sophomore at North Carolina School of the Arts — has vast experience playing not-quite-normal characters. (Remember the dentist in “Little Shop of Horrors”?)

This weekend he gets his shot at another. Matt stars as Willy Wonka in Staples Players’ summer production of the same name. The show runs Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., in the high school auditorium.

Matt Van Gessel (Willy Wonka) and Maddy Rozynek (Violet Beauregarde). (Photo/Kerry Long)

Matt knows a lot about the 1971 movie “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.” He says that Gene Wilder — Willy — saw it as a movie for adults, not kids.

Wilder “seems whimsical and crazy, but viewed from an adult perspective, we see the creepy resentment he has toward kids,” Matt says. “Every time I watch his performance, I find something new and unusual.”

Matt says that Willy feels “very pleased with himself when each kids gets his comeuppance — like when they turn into blueberries and shrink. Justice has been done. It’s a twisted way of teaching kids lessons.”

Matt adds, “Willy Wonka is an instantly recognizable cultural character, like King Kong. Everyone knows who Willy is, but I’m approaching it with an open mind. I’m not copying Gene Wilder. I’m just using him for inspiration, so I can arrive at my own interpretation.”

Matt has also seen the 2005 movie version, with Johnny Depp.

Using those two actors as inspiration, Matt says, “I think I can bring the arc of a real character.” His Willy is “a bit more accessible as a real human being. He has depth, and soul.”

Matt draws upon the lives of “real life eccentrics,” like Salvador Dali, Howard Hughes and Michael Jackson.

Johnny Shea (Grandpa Joe) and Will Haskell (Charlie) in the “Fizzy Lifting Room.” (Photo/Kerry Long)

Directors David Roth and Kerry Long have enjoyed working with a large ensemble. The show features popular songs like “Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination.” It’s got every trademark of a Staples Players production, including spectacular costumes.

Matt is excited about all that. But — as a self-described Willy Wonka “obsessive” — he always comes back to his character.

“I’ve put a large amount of thought into Willy’s objectives, and ulterior motives,” the lead actor explains.

“Some of those ideas I haven’t told to anyone, including Mr. Roth. I like being able to keep Willy Wonka’s secrets. It adds an air of mystery to everything.”

(Click here for ticket information on “Willy Wonka.”)

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Taking Teen Actors “Into The Woods”

Posted on March 13, 2012 | 4 comments

David Roth is a Stephen Sondheim aficionado.

In the spring of 2002 Roth was in his 2nd year as director of Staples Players. In the aftermath of 9/11 — with Americans still shell-shocked and saddened — he replaced his original spring production choice with “Into the Woods.”

The Sondheim musical weaves together several popular fairy tales. It’s funny and uplifting. A major theme — how people from different walks of life band together in the face of crisis — fit well with the country’s post-9/11 mood. It won the prestigious Moss Hart Award — one criteria of which is “social relevance.”

Ten years later, Staples Players are again producing “Into the Woods.” This time, though, 9/11 has faded from most Americans’ memories.

And something else has changed: Two years ago, Lucy Roth was born.

Amanda Horowitz (Little Red Riding Hood) and Clay Singer (Jack, of beanstalk fame), in the 2012 Staples Players production of "Into the Woods." (Photo/Kerry Long)

Being a father — and working with co-director Kerry Long, who plays dual roles as his wife and Lucy’s mother — has caused Roth to examine “Into the Woods” with fresh eyes.

“I realize now there’s another theme: the legacy parents leave for their kids,” he says.

“After Lucy was born, Kerry and I see how our actions are reflected in her.”

Songs like “Children Will Listen” have influenced the couple’s direction of the current production, Roth says.

A tale of 2 princes: Cinderella's (Charlie Greenwald, left) and Rapunzel's (Tyler Jent). (Photo/Kerry Long)

In fairy tales, Roth now realizes, “there are almost no fathers.” Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Cinderella — all referenced in “Into the Woods” — have forced the director to think deeply about fatherhood.

In the show’s “new” fairy tale, a baker and his wife try to begin a family. They finally succeed —  but the wife dies, and the baker must bring up the child alone.

“We’re focusing on those things more,” Roth notes. “Last time we concentrated more on the havoc the giant was inflicting on people, and how they overcame it.”

Roth and Long have used their insights as parents to help their teenage actors understand the dreams their parents have for them. “We share some of our own personal experiences,” he says. “We describe our discoveries as parents, and how we’re learning about life through Lucy.”

Joanna Gleason — who won a Tony Award for her portrayal of the baker’s wife — spent time with the Staples cast. She too discussed how the show resonates with her as a parent. (Then she went into the studio, to tape some audio. She will be heard on the Staples stage, as the voice of the giant.)

David Roth and Kerry Long have taken their young — but very talented — Staples actors on a long journey “Into the Woods.” This weekend and next, audiences will marvel at how far they’ve all come.

(“Into the Woods” is performed at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and  Sunday, March 16, 17, 23 and 24, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. Click here to order tickets; click here for more information.)

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Jesus Christ Comes To Westport

Posted on July 26, 2011 | 3 comments

“Jesus Christ Superstar” bursts upon the Westport stage this week.

The Broadway blockbuster is this season’s Staples Players Summer Theatre/Westport Continuing Education show.

Following in the tradition of “Rent” and “Les Mis” — previous show-stoppers — the production will be memorable.

And — in keeping with directors David Roth and Kerry Long’s tradition — it will take the familiar play in an unfamiliar direction.

This “Jesus Christ” is set in the late 1960s.  It was a time as tumultuous as Jesus’ own, with social and political tumult up the wazoo.

Clay Singer plays Judas -- reimagined in the 1960s. (Photo/Kerry Long)

“Religious themes aside,” Roth says, “the story remains relevant because of its social commentary on celebrity worship, ultimate betrayal, and the passion and power of the human spirit.”

“The story of Jesus parallels, to some extent, that of Martin Luther King:  preaching love and peace, not violence; loving your fellow man, ideas like that,” Long adds.  “Non-violence was the essence of the flower power movement.”

Costumes and staging reflect the time period.  The show begins with a violent protest that channels Kent State.

“The famous photo of the hippie sticking a flower in a gun barrel was the catalyst” for this production, Roth says.  That image is recreated with Jesus in the opening scene.

Both Roth and Long are too young to remember the ’60s.  Of course, their actors — nearly 50 very talented teenagers from Westport and beyond — are far younger.  They were born in the 1990s.

To prepare, the directors showed them a History Channel documentary about the era.  They also watched parts of “Hair.”

“It’s not exactly total immersion,” Long admits.  “But we’ve talked extensively about the time period, and the parallels between the story of Jesus and his followers, and the tribes of hippies.”

Jesus (Johnny Shea) and a soldier (Charlie Greenwald) share an important moment in "Jesus Christ Superstar." (Photo/Kerry Long)

The directors’ enthusiasm is palpable.  Roth grew up listening to the album.  Players performed the show the summer after Long’s senior year at Staples, fueling an “obsession” with it (and the music).

“It’s one of the few cast albums that David and I listen to even if we’re not working on the show,” Long said of her co-director (and husband).

“Jesus Christ Superstar” — which opens this Thursday night, continues Friday night and closes with 2 Saturday performances — is an ensemble piece.  The voices are strong — and they’re backed by Chris Coogan’s incredible band.

“A lot of the kids love the music,” Roth says.  “We’ve been hearing kids with different roles singing other people’s parts.  It’s fun music that sticks in your head.”

And it’s an important show, sure to stick in the heads of everyone who sees it.

(“Jesus Christ Superstar” will be performed at Staples this Thursday, Friday and Saturday — July 28, 29 and 30 — at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, July 30 at 2 p.m.

(Tickets are available online — click here.  Any remaining tickets are sold at the door, 30 minutes before curtain.  For more information, call 203-341-1310.

(Click below to see Matt Van Gessel’s trailer.)

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Inside The Actors Studio

Posted on May 13, 2010 | Comments Off on Inside The Actors Studio

Audiences at “Book of Days” — Staples Players’ Black Box Theater production that opens tonight and runs through Sunday — will see a complex show.  Part murder mystery, part family saga, part comedy, it’s an intriguing, contemporary piece set in a small, present-day Midwestern town.

Part of the plot involves a play within a play.  It’s challenging to the actors — but that’s been the hallmark of Players since their founding 51 years ago.

And — as this cast proves — acting is not simply an after-school activity at Staples.  It’s a way of life — an all-consuming passion that often extends into college, and beyond.

In fact, of the 12 actors in “Book of Days,” nearly all will continue their theater education once they leave Westport.

Glenn Leo explains a crucial idea, as Shannon Walsh and Dan Shure listen. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Shannon Walsh, for example, will study acting next year at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  A gymnast nearly full time until junior year, she leaped into acting full time.  She took classes in New York, joined Players — and less than 2 years later was accepted into a very competitive acting program.

Maya Hubbard will also got to NYU for acting — at the same Stella Adler Studio as Shannon.

Dan Shure will study theater directing at Skidmore College.

Max Stampa-Brown, whose “Book of Days” character speaks in tongues — talk about a challenge! — is headed to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, for acting.

The passion for theater extends to the tech crew too.  Sound technician Robinson Batteau will study audio production next year at SUNY-Purchase.

Jake Yarmoff -- the sheriff -- is engrossed in the action with Maya Hubbard and Alison Manning. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Current juniors are burnishing their resume this summer. Max Samuels will attend a summer acting program at Yale, while Matt Van Gessel, Whitney Andrews and Glenn Leo all plan to audition for college acting or directing programs.

(Matt might want to show colleges the trailer he made for the show — click here for a great YouTube clip.)

The cast and crew has had just 5 weeks to prepare for “Book of Days” — a compressed time frame that’s given them a taste of the real theater world.  They developed characters, memorized lines and blocked scenes with the seriousness this show demands.

“They’ve been an inspiration to us as directors,” said directors David Roth and Kerry Long.  “The way they’ve risen to the challenge has made us even more confident of their success at their college programs.”

Which is where so many Players end up, when their Staples days are done.

(“Book of Days” will be presented tonight, tomorrow and Saturday (May 13-15,  7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (May 16, 3 p.m.) in the Black Box Theater.  Click here to order tickets.)

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Painting “Horrors”

Posted on March 15, 2010 | Comments Off on Painting “Horrors”

It was the mid-1970s, and 19-year-old Lynn Muniz needed a summer job.  The Trumbull native was studying to be an art teacher, but couldn’t find work.

One day at the Westport Country Playhouse, she saw a group of young people painting sets.  She joined them, spent the rest of the summer there — and got sucked into the theater world.

Lynn Muniz (left) paints a Staples set with Andrea Sherman. (Photo by Kerry Long)

Lynn did not become an art teacher.  After graduating from Penn State with a degree in painting and a minor in theater, she went to Broadway.  She’s been a set painter — officially, a “scenic artist” — ever since.

“Amadeus,” “Starlight Express,” “Lion King,” “Hairspray,” “Hair,” “West Side Story” — Lynn worked on them all.

She also worked on feature films like “Confessions of a Shopaholic”  and “Promises! Promises!”  And she’s painted sets at the Metropolitan Opera.

A couple of years ago Lynn told a colleague she hoped to get that long-forgotten teaching certificate.  She wanted to work in a public school.

The friend was Reid Thompson — scenic designer for Staples Players shows like “Guys and Dolls” and “Twelve Angry Men.”  He hooked her up with Players director David Roth, and associate director Kerry Long.

Two years ago, they asked Lynn to run a painting workshop for “Romeo and Juliet.”  She had fun; the tech crew did too.  A new partnership was born.

This winter, Lynn lent her talents to “Little Shop of Horrors.”  The Players’ production opens this Friday.  “We’ve done some texture technique and lettering that’s cool,” she says.  “And we’re using some of the huge ‘Guys and Dolls’ set, which is also fun.”

Lynn is awed by the Players’ tech crew talent — and work ethic.  “They’re there on weekday evenings and Saturdays,” she says.  “They’re like sponges — so anxious to learn.  Once I give them some direction, I let them go off and they do it.”

Lynn’s move from Broadway scenic artist to public school art teacher has been inspired, in part, by the Staples students.

“The older I get, the more jaded I become,” she says.  “These kids take me out of that.  There always something they can learn — and always something I can learn from them.”

(“Little Shop of Horrors” will be presented March 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m.  Tickets are available at www.StaplesPlayers.com; by calling 203-341-1310; in the Staples main lobby from 12:30-2 p.m. March 15-19, or at the door as available 30 minutes before curtain.)



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