The Tyrone Community Players are putting the final touches on the one-act drama “Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me A Song” to prepare for this weekend’s Pennsylvania Association of Community Theaters Festival at the historic Mishler Theater in Altoona.
Director of production, Cindy Bennett states, “We’ve practiced a lot of hours.”
This hard work will pay off when TCP spends the weekend in workshops and then rigorous competition. Three judges will choose a winning theater group to represent Pennsylvania by advancing to the EastCoast Championships and finally to national competition.
Including TCP, there will be seven theater groups competing from Pennsylvania. Some groups are rather large and travel from as far as Philadelphia and Wilkes Barre to participate in the festival held at the Mishler Theater.
Bennett remarked, “For a company our size, with our financial resources, it’s pretty great that we compete at this level.”
Even the judges for competition go through special training from the American Association of Community Theaters. They learn how to judge the theater groups fairly and consistently. Also, the judges travel from different cities and states for the festival.
There are different types of awards that TCP could win, called merit awards. These are awards decided by the judges for something outstanding that they might notice like an interesting set. However, judges do not have to give merit awards.
Three of the seven competing theater groups will be placed. However, only the first place winner moves onto the East Coast Championships.
Of the actual competition Bennett said, “It’s pretty tense… we have an hour and a half to set our lights, set our sound cues, our sets, and rehearse our show.” This is the third year for TCP to compete in the festival.
The one-act drama that Bennett is directing for the competition is entitled, “Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me A Song,” written by Jean Lenox Toddie.
“It’s a very dramatic piece about a mother and a daughter and their growth over 40 years,” said Bennett.
The reason TCP chose this particular piece is because of the challenging aspects of drama which embody the play and which stretches the actors’ range of ability.
Bennett added, “It’s the evolution of a mother-daughter relationship.”
Working with Bennett is Ed Kuhstos as the stage manager for the production and Nancy Sloss as the assistant stage manager.
There are only two performers in the drama which TCP will take to the festival. Catherine Anastasi portrays the mother, and Christine Lusardi Stoner plays the daughter. Both have experience with TCP and have participated in the festival competition before. Anastasi was recognized at the last festival by winning the best actress award.
The competition at the Mishler is in addition to the TCP’s regularly scheduled spring production, “Steel Magnolias.” The play will run on Feb. 14, 15, and 16 at the Tyrone YMCA Theater.
The PACT Festival will be held on Jan. 17, 18, and 19 at the Mishler Theater. The Tyrone Community Players will be competing on Jan. 19 at 11 am. The public is invited to attend. For complete ticket information, contact 943-4357.
There is a TCP dress rehearsal tonight at 8 pm at the YMCA Theater, which is also open to the public.
