Saline Area Players.... the beginning!

At Cabaret Gala

I recently returned from a delightful afternoon talking with Rose Carol Toth, one of the founding members of Saline Area Players.  This is our 40^th year and we’re celebrating with a Gala on June 22 at Liberty School Auditorium, which used to be called the Middle School Little Theatre, and was the first auditorium in which the Players ever performed.  Rose Carol talked about how the group was formed….

It began when a local resident, Betsy Wellwood, had an idea.  She put a small article in the Saline Reporter asking if anyone was interested in starting a local theater group in Saline.  The meeting took place on Monroe street in what had originally been a Catholic Church, but was at that time a UAW hall.  Not sure what it is now.  They met in the basement.  In Rose Carol’s recollection, about 12 people attended that first meeting, most of whom didn’t know each other.  Some of the people she remembers, along with herself, were Ralph Swenarton, Norma Keller, Russell and Marilyn Ellis, Betsy Wellwood, Leroy King, Dottie Barnes, and Christine Horn, whom she describes as young, and the only person there who had ever done or studied theater.  It was from this meeting that they decided to put on the first Saline Area Players show, “Was this Murder?”.  Rose Carol was in it along with many of the founding members of the Players.  I looked at her program of the show, and I was impressed at how well-supported the show was with local businesses.  Rose Carol remembers that her husband, Ted, and Bob Barnes, were some of the first set builders. 

Queen in Once
Upon a Mattress

With that first production, and many of the early ones, she says that people pitched in and did everything.  At that time the theater didn’t have any lights like it does now so they had to make them using large coffee cans.  They also had to figure out a way to hang them.  They moved them in and out of the theater using large crates.  When not in use, they were stored in various garages, including that of the Toth’s.  The biggest storage area, however, as time went on, was over Big Daddy’s (which is where Mangiamo’s is now).  She reports that Big Daddy’s was very generous, letting them store things there on the upper floor for free.  Unfortunately, there was a fire in the building causing damage to Big Daddy’s, and the Players lost much of their stuff.  So other storage areas were found and that may be when the Players moved to the Saline Depot.  For awhile, the depot was used for storage and for rehearsals, but later was turned back to the historical society.  I personally remember being there for auditions in the first SAP show I auditioned for, Carousel. Over the years, SAP has stored things in people’s barns too, including Bill Burnette and the late Dave Strait, to name a few.

Not long after the group got started, they decided to write bylaws.  Although Rose Carol wasn’t the first president, she was when they wrote the bylaws, which she describes as a tedious process.  They used other groups, like Ann Arbor Civic Theater, and CTAM (Community Theater Association of Michigan) for help.  She says that Dottie Barnes, also on the board, did a lot of work on this project.  Rose Carol stayed on the board for years, and if she wasn’t on it, her husband Ted was.  They were never on at the same time since one of the rules was, and still is, that two people from the same family cannot be at the same time.  (In my opinion that was a great rule because you could give a spouse a break but they are still roped in by the one who IS on the board J ). Rose Carol notes that when they did Oklahoma, their first musical, into the beginning of the second year, they generated a lot of interest, and the families came out for that.  She describes it as a “huge community production” and described this as a big boost for the new group.

In the early days, play reading was a group activity.  The chair or co-chair of the committee would find out about plays through hearsay, CTAM, or perhaps research, and they would suggest that the board read them.  Everyone would sit around and read through the plays, taking the different parts.  It was from these readings that the plays were selected.  Then the season was developed and they put out advertisements for directors.  She remembers that Roger Wertenberger from Ann Arbor Civic directed and Jim Posante choreographed South Pacific, a huge musical production for SAP.  They were well known in the community.  At that time, the artistic and the music directors were the only ones paid.  The rest, pretty much like it is now, were volunteers!

Ted Toth

Rose Carol’s husband Ted was one of the main set builders for SAP for years.  Although a pipe fitter for General Motors by trade, he was in the Air National Guard and through that erected buildings and made temporary sites.  He learned a lot about building from that, and also worked a bit with Ann Arbor Civic Theater where he learned about set design and painting.  Rose Carol said that he always carried a small pad of paper and a pencil in his pocket, and every time they traveled, he would sketch things he saw, like buildings, towers, etc. hoping to use some of these drawings in the future on a set.  While visiting her, I had the honor of viewing many of his pieces of art throughout her home.  We were incredibly lucky to have Ted beyind the scenes.  (And, occasionally, we’d be able to get him on stage, but only for a cameo role). 

Currently, one of the best things about being part of the Saline Area Players are the parties.  It is fun to work hard on a production and then get to enjoy everyone at a party.  I didn’t join the group until 1984 but was able to participate in some very late night parties.  But evidently, they weren’t as late as I thought.  According to Rose Carol, the cast would frequently go to Big Daddy’s after a rehearsal.  The grill would close by 1:00 (a.m., that is), so they would make sure they got their orders in by then.  She remembers the occasional person who had to rehearse later shouting out their order as others went out the door.  The restaurant would stay open later, though, and she remembers staying until 2 or 3:00 a.m. until they closed.  She thinks those were on the weekends.  For the cast parties, everybody would come dressed up, in long dresses (the women, that is).  She remembers that the parties went late into the night, sometimes until 6:00 a.m. After the party broke up, the cast would go over to what was the Big Apple at the time (now Saline Inn) and have breakfast.  That was before my time!  She also remembers the annual picnics at the Barnes’ home where they have a pool.  Dottie would make most of the food, often spaghetti with garlic bread and salad.  She says that the parties were so cohesive with no squabbles…just fun, fun, fun!!!

"Gooch"

As we talked, I realize that not much has changed.  People come together to create a play and become part of the group.  The people come from all walks of life and often don’t know each other ahead of time.  Families are very much involved and often share the experience.  Publicity, finding an audience, getting enough funding, and keeping up the enthusiasm remain ongoing challenges.  And, certainly, we still like to have parties, but sadly, they don’t go until breakfast anymore. 

Come learn more about the Saline Area Players and celebrate with us at our 40^th Anniversary Gala on June 22.

Who is she?

What goes into developing a character – for starters, dedication, personal reflections, and connecting with parts of your life. For everyone, it is different, and depends on the character the person is playing and the actor’s different experiences.  No one person will have the same take on a character as another, which makes live theater so wonderful. I’m producing Steel Magnolias, Saline Area Players’ upcoming show this week, and asked some of the cast members to reflect on what it is like for them.  The richness of their answers excited me.

Diana Armistead, who plays Ouiser Boudreaux, an eccentric wealthy woman in this southern town, says that her character is a composite of various people she has known.  She doesn’t want to say who, but notes that she is not playing one person, but perhaps parts of different people that she can pull from.  She thinks of her character as a composite of different moments of different people all in one.

She also has a special connection to this play – roots.  When she first read the play, she realized that it takes place in the northwest part of Louisiana, which is personally significant to her since her father was from Shreveport, a town a little north of where this play takes place. She never knew her father who died in Monroe and lived mostly in Shreveport.  Her great grandpa started a hospital in Shreveport.  Although she grew up in Michigan, she has visited the area several times, driven around the cemeteries to find the names of ancestors, saw the home in which her father was born, and began getting to know her cousins.  Doing so has helped her really visualize the area of the country where the show takes place, and being in this show, is an opportunity to live in that world for awhile.

Patti Ringe who plays Truvy, the beauty salon owner, has tons of funny lines.  Having been raised in a house full of laughter, she’s used to one liners and zingers thrown out during everyday conversations.  Each family member used a different pattern of speech, and timing was also different.  She also watched a lot of comedy shows with women stars, growing up. She says that “developing a character was more like squeezing some of my favorite character's traits together, and throwing in a southern drawl.”

Patti says that she has played different types of roles on stage and in real life, but wife and mother are her favorites, and she uses these in her role.  Her on stage home life is much different from her personal one.  She says “I can feel my character’s pain about these relationships, and how she uses humor to deal with/deflect tough events in her life.  I have strong relationships with my mom, my younger sister, two precious daughters and many women friends, in real life, so the bonds between these women are not foreign to me either. It's funny how normal these on onstage conversations are, and how they could take place anywhere...really!”

Another character in the play is M’Lynn, the mother of an adult daughter who has diabetes and eventually dies.  M’Lynn is being played by BJ Danner.  She says, “I have no idea how it is to lose a child and I don't ever want to. But I do know what it is like to have a child who has a chronic disease that they will never grow out of. Our son has asthma and never grew out of it. When he was 2, he was hospitalized 5 times. We almost lost him a couple of times and it is truly difficult to stay strong and positive when you have a sick child. We did not let him use his asthma as an excuse to not exercise and play sports. He played football for 4 years in high school 3 years on Varsity and was on the track team. Art is 31 now and has 3 beautiful children. He will always have asthma but knows how to handle his disease and live with it. I find I can identify with M'Lynn's concern for her child and I try to channel that experience into my role.”

I’m impressed by the self-reflection these actors put into their characters.  Plays mirror life in so many ways and the connections between the people we play and our real lives are closer than we expect sometimes.  Come see Steel Magnolias Oct 26-28!

Why do we do this?

Who would choose on purpose to skip or rush through dinners for weeks on end, get home after 10 p.m. every night exhausted and ready to flop in bed, collect so many bruises that you don’t know where they start and end or where they came from, ask your spouse to do all the childcare for a month, miss your loved ones, throw family dinners out the window, abandon the laundry and the housekeeping, and feel exhausted most of the time? And then when it is over, subject yourself to the blues where you feel malaise and exhaustion for days to come?  The answer:  your neighbors and friends who love community theater.  Putting on a production takes an inordinate amount of work, but it’s worth it. 

Having just finished Saline Area Players’ production of The Carol Burnett Show, I asked myself, and my fellow castmates and crew…. Why in the world do we do this?  I mean there must be a reason that we put ourselves through this incredible ordeal.   The answers I got were rich and thoughtful.

One says “I have found that I am rarely happier, more comfortable, more truly myself than when I get to sing, act, and (only when necessary) dance on stage. There is something akin to magic when cast and crew come together, bringing a piece of their hearts and souls to the stage. Something comes alive among us - and having the audience there magnifies it. It is as though a whole world is created there, and having a hand in bringing that about feels like nothing else I've ever done. And when it is finished, we each get to take a tiny piece of that world - and of each other - home with us. My life is immeasurably enriched by those I've met. I wouldn't trade such a treasure for any amount of mere earthly wealth.”

Another says “I find theater folk to be incredibly generous people. We give of ourselves emotionally and physically to people we hardly know, or don’t know at all, in order to truly bring our characters and their stories to life. We have to put every bit of ourselves in front of people…We give our audience and fellow cast members whatever we can to tell the story and make ‘em laugh (or cry, whatever the case may be.) So, I’ve always found it a pleasure to work with theater types, present company, especially, included! … Working together on a production, while often exhausting, is a worthwhile way to spend one’s time when the outcome means that [many people] get to be taken away from whatever life is throwing at them into a place of joy!”

In answering the question, “why do I act?”, another says… “Some people pretend to be someone they're not for at most a few hours a day…And they bound it by saying, ‘Rehearsal or performance happen at this time and the stage is in this place.’  Other people live almost all of their waking hours pretending to be someone they're not. Which of these is more healthy?”

And another says… “For me it gives me the opportunity to use skills that I have little opportunity to employ at home.  It allows me to spend time with some people that I know and enjoy, and to meet new ones that I never would have met otherwise.  I enjoy the camaraderie, the gatherings after, the parties - it all adds spice to my normal mom/wife role.  …. I grow as a person through the course of a production - I am able to be more of an individual instead of a person filling a role (mom, etc.), no matter how important the role may be, and I can take pride in what is accomplished.  I enjoy being part of something that gives so many people pleasure.”

Another comment…. “Being a part of these theater shows (on or off stage) feeds a part of me that nothing else can.  It's not the attention or applause (which are great), but the whole process, constant changes, quick thinking, and immense creativity that physically and mentally can be a drain or a stimulant!  Now that the show itself is complete, there is an emptiness that can only be filled by the next opportunity.”

These responses were amazing…  And, finally, I asked myself my own answer to the question I posed?   From the behind-the scenes angle, I like bringing people together…perhaps it is my social worker background or my age in life or my upbringing, I like mentoring people and watching those individuals who have an interest, develop new skills, grow, and find a niche.  It excites me.  And I love the closeness that comes with many people working together for the same goal.  And there is a thrill for me in seeing my publicity efforts go out and create a buzz.  And for the onstage part, I love the challenge of taking on a totally different character, which is more interested than my real self.  And, I’ll willingly admit that I love making people laugh… it gives me a high that nothing else can.

Another reason … “It’s fun!”  There are many reasons that we do theater.  There have to be, to balance the huge time commitment, the bruises, and the suspension of “real life” for awhile.   But it is worth it!

If anyone is interested in seeing what opportunities are available for you in Saline, check out the Saline Area Players website at www.salineareaplayers.org.  And, if you’re so inclined, leave a comment on this blogpost about why you do community theater.

Opening NIght

"Joyce" and "Marion" ... from As the Stomach Turns

Opening night of The Carol Burnett Show: Your Favorite Sketches was a success.  I can't write a review since I was in it... but I can tell you that it was great to hear hearty laughs and an overwhelming wonderful response from audience members afterwards.  


Some of the comments I heard.....


"The dentist put me in stitches."
"I saw those mutton chops and I lost control" from the man who literally fell out of his chair laughing last night
"It was super funny" from a SHS student
"Everything was great"


Enjoy some of the pictures from backstage!  For more information, go to www.salineareaplayers.org

The Insurance Adjustor

The Prison Nudge

Rat and Melody

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Thanks for the Theater

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, because I rarely keep them and don’t like feeling guilty.  But someone last year suggested that I write a blog.  It was in the context of my involvement with Saline Area Players (aka SAP).  At the time, I barely knew what a blog was and had maybe read one or two of them before.  I have been doing publicity for SAP for years and became curious about what a blog is and how to do it.  Since the Saline Reporter has been looking for people to blog for some time now and advertised a free session on blogging, I went and learned the basics.  Didn’t seem too hard.  After thinking about it awhile, it seemed like a pretty cool idea and a way to communicate to the community about the theater happenings with SAP and the surrounding area, as well as whatever else comes to mind.

So, here goes….

I’m not sure what it is about a new year that makes us reflect on life and things good and bad and gives us hope for the next year.  One of my resolutions (that I haven’t officially made but work at on and off) is developing a sense of gratitude, finding an appreciation for the good things in life while also recognizing that there are definite difficulties and challenges.  Developing gratitude can lead to well being and peace of mind.  I try to think about things I’m grateful for and also dabble at my gratitude journal, which is a lot of fun because I can look back at things I was grateful for in the past, which are usually things I am still grateful for.  Little things…. like fresh tomatoes, the burst of fresh cold air that greets me when leaving work, free stuff that I’ll actually use, humor, the color blue…

In the theater vein, I’d like to quote song lyrics of one of America’s more prolific composers and musical theater writer, Irving Berlin.  “Got no checkbooks, got no banks, still I’d like to express my thanks – I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.”   Gratitude is finding good in something.

When I reflect on the Saline Area Players, and on community theater in general, I find a lot to be grateful for.  Making new friends is one thing… it is an amazing way to meet people from all walks of life who come together for a few months at a time, and often longer, to work together on a common goal.  I’ve made some lifelong friends through theater.  It also promotes individual growth.  I love to watch the kids that have been involved with SAP over the years evolve.  One mom wrote to me thanking SAP because her daughter got the “lead” in her first grade play and did a good job, thanks in large part to her experiences/confidence building with SAP.  Wow!  And I’m grateful for the terrific productions that we present. It is a such a welcoming and easy place for people to try out a new talent, whether it be acting, set building, painting, finding props, sewing, and creating! And, even better, we’re linked to the community.  At our recent Rudolph play at Stone Arch, one patron was quoted as saying she came back every year because “this is so Saline!”

I guess I could go on, but this is already too long.  Mostly I wanted to launch this blog and think about how grateful I am for our local theater group.  More to come!