Siren Song of The Annual Holiday Show

[caption id="attachment_57710" align="alignnone" width="800"] The cast of "It's a Wonderful Life," a radio play which will be presented at Southampton Cultural Center. Dane Dupuis photo[/caption]

By Dawn Watson

If putting on a community theater production takes a village, then it makes sense that doing two of them back to back would call for cast members from all over the East End.

Utilizing a core group of local talent, and adding in a few new faces, Michael Disher is making the most of the local talent pool for his two upcoming radio play productions, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Carol,” at the Southampton Cultural Center.

“It’s a Wonderful Life, a Live Radio Play,” features the highlights of the beloved American classic film (directed by Frank Capra, and starring James Stewart and Donna Reed), getting straight to the heart of the story while aurally and visually recreating an era of hope and understanding, “A Christmas Carol, a Live Radio Play,” based on the novella by Charles Dickens, brings to life the characters of the familiar and perennial holiday favorite, including the miserly and miserable Ebenezer Scrooge and his various ghosts and tormentors. Both have been adapted for the stage by Joe Landry.

The classic holiday-themed shows, which will stage as 1940s-era radio plays during the last weekend of November and first weekend of December, have brought together a talented pool of dedicated and diverse cast members from all over the East End, including from Sag Harbor, says the veteran director.

“It’s a great community endeavor that’s brought us to this place,” he says. “I particularly love that these two specific shows are by the community and about the community, and also presented from people from almost every facet of our own local communities.”

A total of 21 local actors will appear in the two back-to-back productions, including: Richard Adler, Daniel Becker, Dane DuPuis, Rebecca Edana, Sheree Elder, Tim Ferris, Richard Gardini, Joey Giovingo, Bonnie Grice, Kristin Guldi, John Higgins, Barbara Jo Howard, Samuel Johnson, Joan Lyons, Geoffrey Milton, Deb Rothaug, Carol L. Sjoholm, Jack Seabury, Edna Winston and Gerri Wilson

Many of them have participated in a number of shows at the Cultural Center. Some of the actors will be in both upcoming productions. And at least one of them is a first-timer. But they all felt the call of the theater, and of Mr. Disher, and have something to say about it.

Getting the chance to work with the veteran director again was a no-brainer for radio personality Bonnie Grice. The Noyac resident, WPPB 88.3 FM radio personality and host of “Bonnie In the Morning” says that she’s eternally grateful to him for giving her her big theatrical break.

“You kidding? ANYthing for Michael Disher!,” she exclaims. “Seriously, Michael gave me my first chance to walk the boards six years ago and since then I've been hooked. Together we've done a number of productions including both ‘Wonderful Life’ and ‘Christmas Carol’ for the radio—WPPB repeats them every year for the holidays—I’m so happy to be working with him again. It feels like home.”

Dr. Daniel Becker, who has appeared in countless SCC productions, echoes Ms. Grice’s statements. The Montauk resident says that there’s nothing finer than getting to trod the stage with friends.

“I love working with such good-natured and talented folks,” says the psychiatrist-cum-thespian. “And Disher is the best/teacher director out here and has always challenged me with completely different roles.”

Dane DuPuis has been photographing theater all over the East End for a quite some time. But until now he’s never been on stage before as an actor. Mr. Disher prompted him to change that, and to learn something new in the process.

“I have been working with Michael for the past couple of years as production photographer and after some serious arm twisting I finally agreed to audition for these two shows,” he says. “It's always an honor to work with him and watch the progression from rehearsal to a show's close. This new experience in acting has given me a newfound respect for the dedication and sacrifice that cast and crew gives to bring art and entertainment to our community. I would encourage anyone who has thought about being a part of SCC's theater program to stop thinking and just give it a shot.”

By day, East Hampton resident Joan Bennett Lyons is an administrator at a law firm. By night, she’s a serious actor and director, and a regular on the Southampton Cultural Center’s stage.

“I think theater is something that gets in the blood, it's a chance to be with people of like mind, who are creative and imaginative and who want to transport themselves into another being. I love the collaborative process of theater,” says the woman not only stars in these productions but who will also be directing “The Money Shot” up next at SCC in January and February. “I personally enjoy working with Michael because he's creative in a way that I'm not and I like to learn new ways to get what I want out of actors. Working with him as my director and taking his classes has increased the ‘toys in my box’ as we like to call them—new methods or approaches to acting and directing I may not have considered before.”

And lastly, Barbara Jo Howard, who is Director of Marketing and Communication at Guild Hall in East Hampton, weighs in on the importance of community and collaboration on the local stage.

“I awakened this morning thinking about how often funding support is revoked from the arts and yet, the theater, particularly community theater, is a prime place to learn how to be a ‘team player,’” she says. “At the SCC our merry ensemble of unpaid cast and crew willingly give up evenings and weekends. The real payoff is being a part of a team, banding together to put on a show for the love of performing well-written work, in this case two radio plays capable of uplifting the spirit and celebrating the holidays.”

The Montauk resident adds that she hopes that East End friends and neighbors will come out in support of the shows as enthusiastically as the cast and crew has.

“Both ‘Wonderful Life’ and ‘Christmas Carol’ impart timeless lessons we all can benefit from,” she says. “I hope the community will come and experience the joy of both these delightful classic tales artfully staged and directed by Michael Disher as 1940s radio plays. It is a perfect way to start the season.”

Directed by Michael Disher, Joe Landry’s “It’s a Wonderful Life, a Live Radio Play,” will stage on Friday, November 25, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, November 27, at 2 and 5 p.m. “A Christmas Carol, a Live Radio Play,” also adapted for the stage by Mr. Landry, will stage on Friday, December 2, at 7 p.m.; on Saturday, December 3, at 2, 5 and 7 p.m.; and on Sunday, December 4, at 2 and 5 p.m. at Southampton Cultural Center’s Levitas Center for the Arts. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students under 21. At every performance, Center Stage’s Third Annual Cookie Walk will be available providing home-baked treats. For additional information and reservations, visit www.scc-arts.org or call 287-4377.