Tred Avon Players

Tred Avon Players Present “The Prisoner of Second Avenue”

October 10, 2019 by Tred Avon Players Leave a Comment

Tred Avon Players are presenting the Broadway comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue by Neil Simon on October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2 and 3 at the Oxford Community Center. Ed Langrell is the director and John Perkinson is the assistant director.

Edna and Mel are a struggling, middle-aged couple living in New York City. Mel has just lost his job, the walls of their apartment are much too thin, and the city is in the middle of a heat wave. Their troubles escalate when Mel suffers a nervous breakdown. Mel becomes slightly paranoid, the apartment is robbed, and their neighbors, well, they don’t help matters much. Throughout it all, Edna does her best to support her husband, even getting a job of her own after Mel is fired. Mel’s siblings are called in as backup. Quickly, in a crowded apartment in the most crowded city in the world, all hell breaks loose.

Photo: Top row: Maire McArdle, Susan Patterson, Barbara Mann, John Norton. Bottom row: Leigh Marquess, Steve Ford

Leigh Marquess and Steve Ford portray Edna and Mel, and the siblings are portrayed by Barbara Mann as Pearl, Maire McArdle as Jessie, Susan Patterson as Pauline, and John Norton as Harry.

Performances dates are October 24, 25, 26, 27, 31; November 1, 2, and 3. Performance times are Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30pm with Sunday matinees at 2pm.

Tickets are $22 for adults, and $11 for students (fees included). October 24 is Half Price Preview Thursday. For tickets go to TredAvonPlayers.com or call 410-226-0061.

The Oxford Community Center is located at 200 Oxford Rd. Oxford, MD 21654.

Tred Avon Players is sponsored in part by revenues from the Talbot County Arts Council, which is funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

Tred Avon Players Present “It Shoulda Been You” Musical

July 11, 2019 by Tred Avon Players

Tred Avon Players are presenting the Broadway musical It Shoulda Been You, book and lyrics by Brian Hargrove, music by Barbara Anselmi, and directed by Joe Tyler, August 15 through August 25 at the Oxford Community Center.

The charming, funny and original new musical, It Shoulda Been You invites you to a wedding day that you’ll never forget, where anything that can go wrong does, and love pops up in mysterious places. The bride is Jewish. The groom is Catholic. Her mother is a force of nature. His mother is a tempest in a cocktail shaker. And, when the bride’s ex-boyfriend crashes the party, the perfect wedding starts to unravel faster than you can whistle “Here Comes the Bride!” It’s up to the sister of the bride to turn a tangled mess into happily ever after in this musical comedy for anyone who ever had parents.

The cast includes Bill Gross as George Howard; Debbie Harmon as Judy Steinberg; Tyler Henry as Albert; Malley Hester as Rebecca Steinberg; Matthew Keeler as Brian Howard; Beth Anne Langrell as Georgette Howard; Erinne Lewis as Annie Sheps; Lisa Roth as Mimsy & Aunt Sheila; Danielle Sanford as Walt & Uncle Morty; Mike Sousa as Marty Kaufman; Shelby Swann as Jenny Steinberg; Jeremy Wolfberg as Greg Madison and Herb Ziegler as Murray Steinberg. Ray Remesch is the musical director.

Performances dates are August 15, 16, 17, 18,22, 23, 24, and 25. Performance times are Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30pm with Sunday matinees at 2pm.

Tickets are $22 for adults, and $11 for students (fees included). August 15 is Half Price Preview Thursday. For tickets go to TredAvonPlayers.com or call 410-226-0061.

The Oxford Community Center is located at 200 Oxford Rd. Oxford, MD 21654.

Tred Avon Players is sponsored in part by revenues from the Talbot County Arts Council, which is funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

Tred Avon Players Presents “Laughing Stock” May 2 through 12

April 18, 2019 by Tred Avon Players

Tred Avon Players are presenting Laughing Stock, written by Charles Morey and directed by Zack Schlag, May 2 through May 12 at the Oxford Community Center.

Laughing Stock is a hilarious backstage farce and genuinely affectionate look into the world of the theatre. When The Playhouse, a rustic New England summer theatre, schedules a repertory season of Dracula, Hamlet and Charley’s Aunt, comic mayhem ensues. We follow the well-intentioned but over-matched company from outrageous auditions to ego-driven rehearsals through opening nights gone disastrously awry to the elation of a great play well told and the comic and nostalgic season close.

Tred Avon Players are presenting Laughing Stock May 2-May 12. From L-R: CJ Barnes, Alex Greenlee, and Rob Sanchez

The Laughing Stock cast includes C J Barnes as Tyler; Val Cavalheri as Daisy; Missy Doyle as Susannah, Alex Greenlee as Jack; Tyler Henry as Henry; Ben Lee as Braun; Kyla Lynch as Karma; Brian McGunigle as Richfield; Bob O’Boyle as Vernon; John “Perk” Perkinson as Craig; Jackie Royer as Mary; Lynn Sanchez as Sarah, and Rob Sanchez as Gordon.

Performances dates are May 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Performance times are Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30pm with Sunday matinees at 2pm.

Tickets are $22 for adults, and $11 for students (fees included). May 2 is Half Price Preview Thursday. For tickets go to TredAvonPlayers.com or call 410-226-0061.

The Oxford Community Center is located at 200 Oxford Rd. Oxford, MD 21654.

Tred Avon Players are sponsored in part by revenues from the Talbot County Arts Council, which is funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

The Tred Avon Players to Start 2019 with Four Weddings and an Elvis

January 31, 2019 by Tred Avon Players

The Tred Avon Players will open their 2019 season with Four Weddings and an Elvis, by Nancy Frick, and directed by John Norton in February at the Oxford Community Center, 200 Oxford Road in Oxford, MD.

Four Weddings and an Elvis is composed of four wedding scenes that take place in one Las Vegas wedding chapel. Sandy, the four-times-married-three-times-divorced owner of the wedding chapel, has certainly seen her fair share of matrimonies. In the comedy Four Weddings and an Elvis, we witness four of her funniest: Bev and Stan, who are getting married—by the King himself—as revenge on their exes; Vanessa and Bryce, two arrogant aging Hollywood stars who are tying the knot as a publicity stunt, and who are vexed by an aging Elvis who doesn’t know who they are; and Fiona, a tough ex-con, and Marvin, a gentle postal-worker who are trying to get married before the police arrive. The last wedding, Sandy’s fifth and final, brings all the characters together.

Four Weddings and an Elvis opens on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14th, 2019 at 7:30 pm, and runs Friday the 15th at 7:30 pm; Saturday the 16th at 7:30 pm; Thursday the 21st at 7:30 pm; Friday the 22nd at 7:30 pm; and Saturday the 23rd at 7:30 pm. Matinees are on Sunday the 17th at 2:00 pm, and Sunday the 24th at 2:00 pm.

Tickets are $22 for adults, and $11 for students (fees included). February 14 is “Half Price Preview Thursday.”

The cast includes Maureen Curtin as Sandy, Lindley Bounds as Bev, Archie Tinelli as Stan, John Perkinson as Elvis, Steven Ford as Lou, Anna Kusinitz-Dietz as Vanessa, Craig Brittingham as Bryce, Tim Weigand as Marvin, Julie Mowery as Fiona, and Nick Grande as Fist.

This program is sponsored in part by revenues from the Talbot County Arts Council, which is funded by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

TAP Holds Auditions for Four Weddings and an Elvis

November 7, 2018 by Tred Avon Players

The Tred Avon Players will open their 2019 season with Four Weddings and an Elvis, by Nancy Frick, in February. Auditions for the comedy will be held on Sunday, November 11^th at 1:00 pm, and Monday, November 12^th at 6:30 pm at the Oxford Community Center, 200 Oxford Road in Oxford, MD.

Four Weddings and an Elvis takes place in a kitschy Las Vegas wedding chapel that features and Elvis impersonator as a minister. Director John Norton is looking for four women and six men:

Sandy, the jaded wedding chapel owner (50-70)

Bev, the angry bride (20-50)

Stan, the angry groom (30-50)

Vanessa, a fading Hollywood starlet (40-60)

Bryce, a fading Hollywood star (40-60)

Fiona, the tough ex-con bride (30-40)

Marvin, the mild-mannered groom (40-60)

Fist, Fiona’s scary friend (30-50)

Lou, a gentle minister who was once an Elvis impersonator (50-70)

and of course, Elvis (ageless)

Readings will be cold from the script.

Please bring your calendar, and note any conflict dates between November 15, 2018 and February 24, 2019.

Four Weddings and an Elvis opens on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2019 and runs through February 24, 2019.

Please email any questions to John Norton at john@declarity.com

Tred Avon Players Performs “The Odd Couple” August 10-20

July 20, 2017 by Tred Avon Players

Tred Avon Players performs one of Neil Simons’ most well-known plays, The Odd Couple, directed by Ed Langrell with Assistant Director Alison Lynch. The play opens August 10 and runs through August 20 at the Oxford Community Center as Simon celebrates his 90^th birthday this July. He was born Marvin Neil Simon in the Bronx in New York City. During his long life he married Diane Lander, Marsha Mason, Joan Baim and is currently married to Elaine Joyce.

He is a writer and producer. Almost every one of his 30-plus plays, mostly Broadway comedies, has also been adapted into a motion picture. Simon has received more Oscar and Tony nominations than any other writer in the history of show business. He became so successful financially that he backs his own plays.

L-R sitting: Zack Schlag, Bill Gross, Patrick Fee, Paul Briggs, Brian McGunigle. L-R standing: Lisa Roth, Bob Chauncey, Annie Dietz

As Simon once mentioned of his writing, “I don’t like writing for comedians. I like writing for actors. The best comedians are the best actors.”Among his most well-known plays are Brighton Beach Memoirs, Plaza Suite, Biloxi Blues, Barefoot in the Park, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The Sunshine Boys, Broadway Bound, Sweet Charity, Chapter Two, Lost In Yonkers, for which he received a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize, and The Odd Couple.

His brother, Danny Simon, began writing the The Odd Couple and unable to finish he asked Neil to take it over. Neil did in exchange for sole author credit, however, he continues to pay Danny 10% of everything the play generates. Simon based the play on his brother’s divorce.

Sitting L-R: Annie Dietz, Bob Chauncey, Lisa Roth, Standing: Bill Gross.

Neil Simon sold film and TV rights to Paramount Pictures in 1967. Paramount produced two theatrical films, three live-action TV series and an animated series based upon the play. In 1968, The Odd Couple was made into a film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. An updated version of the 1965 show appeared in 2002 with the title Oscar and Felix: A New Look at the Odd Couple.

An ABC sitcom featuring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman ran from 1970–75. In the fall of 1975, ABC aired a cartoon version of the play entitled The Oddball Couple, in which the roles were played by a cat and dog named Spiffy and Fleabag.

In 1982, ABC aired a new version of the series, The New Odd Couple starring two African American actors, Ron Glass and Demond Wilson. Simon also wrote a female version about two women, Olive Madison and Florence Ungar.

Tred Avon Players will perform the original stage play showcasing the two mismatched roommates, a fastidious, hypochondriac Felix Ungar (Bob Chauncey) whose marriage is ending and the sloppy, easygoing recently divorced Oscar Madison (Bill Gross).

L-R around table: Zack Schlag, Patrick Fee, Bill Gross, Bob Chauncey, Paul Briggs, Brian McGunigle.

Felix, a neurotic, neat freak news-writer is thrown out by his wife and moves in with his friend Oscar, a slovenly sportswriter. Oscar enjoys life, with careless spending, excessive gambling, and a poorly kept house filled with spoiled food. Felix, however, is incapable of enjoying anything and only finds purpose in pointing out his own and other people’s mistakes and foibles which is extremely annoying to those around him including their friends and poker buddies.

The four Poker buddies bring along their own wit and laughs to the card table. Murray (Patrick Fee), Speed (Brian McGunigle), Vinnie (Zack Schlag), and Roy (Paul Briggs). Excitement seems to come into their lives with a visit from upstairs neighbors, Cecily (Anna Deitz) and Gwendolyn Pigeon (Lisa Roth), a pair of giggly English sisters. The former is a divorcee and the latter is a widow.

Director Ed Langrell brings out the best of the characters to create a hilarious and laugh filled performance. The production crew includes assistant director, Alison Lynch; producer, John Norton; stage manager, Rob Lynch; stage crew, Bill Roth, Lynne Heller, and Madeline Webb; costumes by Janet Pfeffer, Barbara Mann, and Lisa Roth; Light design by Skipper Marquess and tech by Tom Gross; Sound design by Patrick Fee. Set design and construction by Lawrie Jessup.

Performances are Thursdays, August 10 & 17 at 7:30 pm. Fridays and Saturdays August 11, 12, 18, & 19 at 7:30 pm, Sundays August 13 & 20 at 2pm. Tickets are $20 adults, $10 for student. Call for reservations 410-226-0061.

Tred Avon Players Announce this Year’s Foster Scholarship Winners

May 12, 2017 by Tred Avon Players

The Tred Avon Players have awarded David H. Foster scholarships to five Mid-Shore students who will use the funds to help further their college educations. This year’s recipients are Julia Gannon, Clair Gross, Catharine Jacobs, Michael J. McCormack and Summer Snead.

David H. Foster scholarships are awarded annually to students who are judged on their commitment to Mid-Shore community theater and contributions to TAP productions. They also must show a balance of community service, creativity and scholarship.

Julia Gannon plans to attend Washington College as a creative writing major in the fall. She has worked on many TAP plays, most recently “Cemetery Club.”

Photo, from left, Michael McCormack, Summer Snead, Claire Gross, Herb Ziegler, Catherine Jacobs, and Julia Gannon.

Claire Gross plan to study biology and anthropology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the fall. She wants to become a paleoanthropologist. Here most recent TAP show was “A Man of No Importance.”

A student at North Caroline High School, Catharine Jacobs has been a volunteer in a many shows, including TAP’s current production of “Lend Me a Tenor” as assistant director. She expects to attend Chesapeake College and later pursue a bachelor’s degree in teaching.

Michael J. McCormack has been involved in Mid-Shore theater productions on stage or behind the scenes for the last 10 years. A senior at Saints Peter and Paul High School, he enjoys the challenges of theater production and wants to major in arts and entertainment management when he enters college in the fall.

Summer Snead has been in a range of shows for TAP and other community theater groups since she was six years old. She plans to study musical theater in college in the fall.

A legend in the TAP community, Foster was a board member, director, actor, producer and writer for nearly three decades. His love for theater and working with young people converged in his directing three plays at Easton High School. He also taught acting to youngsters at the Oxford Community Center for many summers and mentored theater-loving high-school seniors in their pursuit of acting in college and summer theater programs.

Donations may be made in David H. Foster’s memory at any time to TAP, PO Box 444, Oxford, MD 21654, Attn: David H. Foster Scholarship Fund. The Tred Avon Players are funded by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency dedicated to cultivating a vibrant cultural community where the arts thrive, and from the Talbot County Arts Council.

Tred Avon Players to Present Madcap Comedy ‘Lend Me a Tenor’

April 13, 2017 by Tred Avon Players

The Tred Avon Players will present Ken Ludwig’s side-splitting comedy “Lend Me a Tenor,” opening April 27 and running through May 7 at the Oxford Community Center. The second production in TAP’s 2017 “season of comedy,” the play is set in the world of opera and directed by Zack Schlag.

TAP’s “Lend Me a Tenor” cast, seated from left, Jared Koenig, Jaclyn Royer. Standing, from left, Missy Barcomb-Doyle, Alison Lynch, Craig Brittingham, Nick Grande and Ashley Chroniger. Photo Courtesy: Cid Collins Walker

Called one of the funniest modern stage comedies ever written, “Lend Me a Tenor” revolves around the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, where the general manager, Henry Saunders, is primed to welcome world-famous tenor Tito Morelli, also known as “Il Stupendo,” to appear for one night only as Otello in the Verdi opera. The star arrives late and, through a hilarious series of mishaps, passes out. Believing Morelli is dead, the frantic Saunders persuades his assistant, Max, to get into Morelli’s Otello costume and fool the audience into thinking he’s Il Stupendo. Saunders’ scheme succeeds admirably, but the high jinks that ensue are sure to leave Oxford audiences teary-eyed with laughter.

Evening performances of “Lend Me a Tenor” are scheduled for Thursday (“Thrifty Thursday,” featuring two-for-one tickets), April 27; Friday, April 28; and Saturday, April 29, all starting at 7:30 p.m. A Sunday matinee on April 30 begins at 2 p.m. The following weekend, evening shows are set for Thursday through Saturday, May 4-6, at 7:30 p.m., with the run wrapping on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m.

The Tred Avon Players are funded in part by a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

For more information, contact Cid Collins Walker, publicity, at cidcollinswalker@gmail.com, (202) 210-8383.

Tred Avon Players Auditions for Production of ‘The Odd Couple’

March 20, 2017 by Tred Avon Players

The Tred Avon Players have scheduled auditions for August performances of Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple,” directed by Ed Langrell. Auditions will take place Tuesday, April 4, and Wednesday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at the Oxford Community Center. If you are unable to make either of the two audition dates, please contact the director for alternate arrangements (details below.)

The principal characters are Oscar Madison, a slovenly, recently divorced sportswriter, and Felix Ungar, a fastidious, hypochondriac news-writer whose marriage is ending. Supporting characters are poker buddies Murray, a New York City policeman; the sarcastic Speed, mild-mannered Vinnie; the witty Roy, Oscar’s accountant; and Cecily and Gwendolyn Pigeon, Oscar and Felix’s giggly upstairs neighbors, a pair of English sisters.

“The Odd Couple” will open at the Oxford Community on Thursday, August 10, and run weekends through Sunday, Aug. 20.

The Tred Avon Players are funded in part by a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council, with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

For further information, contact Ed Langell at president@tredavonplayers.org or call (410) 310-5660.

TAP Opens 2017 Season with Poignant Comedy “The Cemetery Club”

February 2, 2017 by Tred Avon Players

From left, Susan Patterson, Lynn Sanchez, Maggie Garey, Brian McGunigle and Anna Dietz in a scene from TAP’s The Cemetery Club. Photo Courtesy: Cid Collins Walker

The curtain will rise on The Tred Avon Players’ 2017 season with “The Cemetery Club,” directed by John Norton, opening Thursday, Feb. 16, and running through Sunday, Feb. 26, at the Oxford Community Center.

The play, written by Ivan Menchell, is a touching comedy-drama about three widows in Queens, N.Y., who gather once a month to visit their husbands’ graves and talk about life and love. A trio of TAP veterans will appear in the key roles. Lynn Sanchez plays Lucille, while Maggie Garey and Susan Patterson grace the stage as Ida and Doris, respectively. Brian McGunigle plays Sam and Anna Kusinitz-Dietz returns to the TAP footlights as Mildred.

Coinciding with the opening of “The Cemetery Club,” TAP has announced a modification in its scheduling this season. Performances will run two consecutive weekends instead of the previous three with four shows per week—Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings plus two Sunday matinees. In addition, curtain time for all evening performances, including Thrifty Thursday, which features two-for-one tickers, will be 7:30 p.m. Curtain for Sunday matinees will remain the same, 2 p.m. Doors will now open 45 minutes before curtain instead of an hour. Ticket prices are $20 for adults and $10 for students.

Performances of “The Cemetery Club” are set for Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 16 to 25 at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays, Feb. 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for students. Thrifty Thursday, offering two-for-the price-of-one tickets is Feb.16 at 7:30 p.m.

The Tred Avon Players are funded in part by a grant from the Talbot County Arts Council with revenues provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

For further information contact Cid Collins Walker, director of publicity, at cidcollinswalkergmail.com, or (202) 210-8383.

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