STEEL RIVER PLAYHOUSE ACCEPTING ENROLLMENT FOR SPRING CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Picture 577Pottstown, PA​ — Steel River Playhouse is now accepting enrollment for the Spring term which includes private study in guitar, piano, voice, trumpet and acting, along with group classes in acting, performance, improvisation and much more.

Steel River’s spring term begins on Monday, March 28​. Classes for the Spring include four different acting classes geared towards different age groups, Improvisation, Group Vocal Study (for young performers who are not quite ready for solo study), Broadway Dance Styles, and the popular Flights of Fancy program for young actors, where students create an original show for parents. Several new classes have been added for Spring for Pre­K to 12th grade and adults! Private lessons are also available in piano, voice, guitar, trumpet and acting.

A new addition to the program is a group class for guitar players of all skill levels called Guitar Calisthenics ​with instructor Russ Ferrara. Students may try the class for free with advanced sign up by March 28, for up to three classes!

Students may join Ferrara on Thursday, March 31, April 7, and 14 at 6 p.m. for a one-hour class allows students to work on guitar in a group class setting. Classes will only run with advanced sign up, so make sure to reserve your spot in the class. The class will continue for nine weeks, and students will need to enroll to continue in the class after the three free sessions.

Students may also enroll for Spring workshop productions of DRACULA (classical workshop for dramatic actors), CINDERELLA (musical workshop for young performers) and Broadway Cabaret workshop​, all planned for Spring Semester. Workshop productions that culminate in performance are offered ALL year this year in the education department. Workshops offer acting lessons for the first part of class, and then use those lessons to work on rehearsing a fully staged production. The productions go up at the end of class on the black box main stage of the Steel River Playhouse.

Summer camp enrollment has also begun, ​ and students can register for three different two­ week camps. The first camp for singers and actors has a Vaudeville theme, and runs from July 11 to July 22. The second two-week camp runs from July 25 to August 8, and is a musical theater camp presenting Arabian Nights (a musical), and the final camp focuses on acting and the creation of original one acts. The One Act camp runs August 8 to 19. Camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily (with option for half day camp for younger students). Before and after camp is also available. Each camp also culminates in a performance for parents, and includes workshops in specialty skills that will be used in that performance, such as juggling, Broadway dance styles and more.

Steel River Playhouse employs performance educators who are regionally and nationally renowned in their fields. All are trained in their fields with many holding advanced degrees. The facility is also renowned as one of the highest rated theatrical venues in PA, featuring state of the art performance spaces, studios, classroom space, sound reinforcement equipment and seating, full set, costume and prop shops as well as the best green room of any theater in the area. Steel River’s goal is to provide the highest possible educational experience for students and participants in the Tri­County area, focused on every level of training from beginner to expert!

About Steel River Playhouse: ​­Steel River Playhouse is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable education and performance facility that seeks to strengthen community, inspire creative exploration, educate, and entertain, through the presentation of quality performing arts events and education for diverse audiences. Designated as a “gateway” performing arts center, Steel River provides affordable, high quality performances, comprehensive educational offerings, and enriching volunteer opportunities in all aspects of theatre arts. Students and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to explore and grow their skills by working side ­by­ side with professional instructors, performers, directors, and designers.

Dracula Takes A Bite Out Of Pottstown

By Roy Keeler

On Sunday, October 11th, I had the pleasure of attending my third Village Productions play at the Tri-County Performing Arts Center in downtown Pottstown.

I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into the Main Stage area and realized it has been totally reconfigured and everything is black.  This time, the seats are in one large row, stadium style, and the stage area is much smaller than it was for Miracle on 34th Street and The Wiz.  The set is appropriately Gothic.  We were seated in the fourth row and center stage for optimum viewing.

After a quick introduction and some housekeeping items, Marta Kiesling relayed to us that the role of Dr. Seward was being filled by her husband Bill.  The actor who was playing Dr. Seward was unable to continue in the role after Wednesday night’s dress rehearsal.  Her husband stepped in the day before opening night and took over the role.  Talk about saving the day!  Without further delay, the production began.

The room was pitch black, there was some thunder, lightening, fog and music began to play (Camille Saint-Saëns: Dance Macabre) which was extremely appropriate!  Great mood setter!

Act I takes place in the library of Dr. Seward’s sanatorium in England.  This is the longest segment and a fifteen minute intermission takes place at the end of the act.  Act II takes place in Lucy’s boudoir and is followed by a five minute “stretch”.  Act III has two scenes: back in Dr. Seward’s library and in a crypt.

This production has a strong cast and I was impressed with the acting!  There are some special effects, which are well done, but the high caliber acting by the cast draws you into the story.  Elizabeth Hennessey and Scott Minor are back for another “Village Production” after appearing in Miracle on 34th Street.  I became a fan of both actors after seeing them in Miracle on 34th Street and in this production of Dracula their acting skills are showcased even further. Scott has the role of R.M. Renfield, a bug eating lunatic in Dr. Seward’s sanatorium.  Not exactly an easy role to pull off.  Elizabeth is the female lead, Lucy Seward (Dr. Seward’s daughter) who becomes Count Dracula’s love interest/victim.  Both Scott and Elizabeth delivered superb performances.

Michael Shoeman plays John Harker, Lucy Seward’s love interest.  Michael delivers another strong performance as his character desperately struggles to save the woman he loves.  You feel the intensity and raw emotion of Michael’s performance.

Paul Dake was cast as Abraham Van Helsing.  Van Helsing is a strong character in need of a strong actor to due justice to the role.  The pivotal role as Dracula’s nemesis was skillfully executed by Paul.

As I mentioned earlier, Bill Kiesling was thrust into the role of Dr. Seward on opening night.  It is a performance using the script as there was no time to memorize hundreds of lines.  However, the script in concealed in a book that he carries at all times.  Personally, I was not bothered by it.  Several of the people who were with me felt it was distracting, although they completely understood there was no other option.  I think Bill does an amazing job with this role.  It is a main character.  The emotion and depth of feeling put into the role is excellent, especially considering he had 24 hours to ready himself.  There was no awkwardness or missed cues that I noticed.

Diane Davis as Miss Wells (maid) and Eamon Goebel as Butterworth (butler) delivered wonderful performances.  They added some comic relief which is necessary in a drama as intense as Dracula!

Last and certainly not least is Jerome Neville as Count Dracula.  In my humble opinion Jerome rocks the house as Dracula!  He has all the right moves, even down to the hissing when crosses, garlic, mirrors, Wolf’s-bane and the Blessed Sacrament are used against him.  Think Bela Lugosi!  The classic Dracula of my childhood; creepy, charming and everything in between!  Great performance!

The play runs about 2 1/2 hours including the intermissions.  Excellent costumes, sound, lighting, sets etc… It may be a little scary for small children but is otherwise great entertainment for all ages.  The special effects are excellent and I thought the ending was “killer”.  I give Dracula two fangs up!

Dracula runs through October 25th. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  For more information about tickets sales, performance times and dates visit their website at http://www.tripac.org. The Tri Country Performing Arts Center is located at 245 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464.  They can also be reached by telephone at (610) 970-1199.

Grab The Garlic! Dracula Comes To Pottstown!!

Tri-County Performing Arts Center
245 East High Street Pottstown,  PA  19464
 
 
 
Presents Dracula
Thriller by Deane and Balderston
Presented by arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.
Not recommended for young children due to potentially frightening situations and suggestion of mature themes

Get ready for Halloween thrills and chills with the play based on the novel by Bram Stoker! A young friend of beautiful Lucy Seward dies unexpectedly, supposedly of anemia. Now Lucy is ill too, and her well-meaning father (Dr. Seward) and fiancé (Jonathan Harker) consult with the specialist, Van Helsing, to seek a cure. Their mysterious new neighbor, Count Dracula, appears to be unusually attracted to Lucy’s predicament. Meanwhile Dr. Seward’s mental patient, Renfield, is exhibiting increasingly bizarre behavior, torn between embracing the Count’s promise of immortality and saving his own soul. Dr. Seward’s attendant, Butterworth, can’t contain Renfield, and both he and Lucy’s maid observe increasingly odd disturbances within the household. Van Helsing is the first to realize the Count’s true nature, and together with Dr. Seward and Jonathan Harker, seek to destroy Dracula to save Lucy.

CAST
Count Dracula – Jerome Neville
Van Helsing – Paul Dake
Renfield – Scott Minor
Lucy Seward – Elizabeth Karpinski
Dr. Seward – Stephen Blumenthal
John Harker – Michael Shoeman
Miss Wells – Diane Davis
Attendant – Eamon Goebel

Directed by – Geoffrey Berwind

DRACULA (October 8 – 25, 2009)
Thursday October 8,15, 22 – 7:30 pm
Friday October 9, 16, 23 – 8:00 pm
Saturday October 10, 17, 24 – 8:00 pm
Sunday October 11, 18, 25 – 3:00 pm

ADULT: Thurs $17; Fri, Sat & Sun $21
STUDENT/SR (65+): Thurs $15; Fri, Sat & Sun $19
CHILD (12 & under): Thurs $13; Fri, Sat & Sun $15
$2 off per ticket for groups of 10 or more!