In the heart of Pensacola's cultural scene lies an annual extravaganza eagerly awaited by locals and visitors alike: Pensacola Little Theatre's Cabaret. This celebrated fundraiser has become a cornerstone of the city's arts calendar, drawing patrons with its promise of immersive experiences and dazzling performances. To uncover the intricacies of this beloved event, Sid Williams-Heath, the CEO of The Clark Family Cultural Center, gives us a brief history of Pensacola's artiest party.
In the heart of Pensacola's vibrant artistic scene, Cristina Fenger stands as a key orchestrator of creativity at Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT). Her journey, which commenced in 2017 when her son took his first steps onto the Treehouse stage, has blossomed into a kaleidoscope of roles. Cristina is now a Production Coordinator for numerous Treehouse, Mainstage, and Studio 400 productions. Beyond the footlights, Cristina's life is woven with threads of volunteerism, starting at the age of 16 and extending into various roles such as an active-duty United States Air Force wife, PTA President, and now, an essential part of PLT's artistic family.
Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) is gearing up to present an enthralling production of Alabama Story, a play that delves deep into the themes of censorship, tolerance, and the transformative power of literature.
Playwright Kenneth Jones, drawing inspiration from historical events, weaves a narrative that explores the formidable challenges Emily Wheelock Reed, the former state librarian of Alabama, faced when confronted with a demand to purge a children's book from library shelves in 1959. The play's relevance cannot be overstated, as it prompts reflection on contemporary debates surrounding banned books and intellectual freedoms.
Empowering Voices of the Past: Little Wars Comes to Life at Pensacola Little Theatre.
The world of theatre has long been a platform for exploring untold stories, revisiting history's forgotten moments, and challenging societal norms. Playwright Steven Carl McCasland, known for his focus on extraordinary women throughout history, brings us an intriguing narrative with Little Wars. This critically acclaimed play is a captivating fusion of historical drama, mystery, and the timeless power of companionship. Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) is proud to present this thought-provoking production under the skillful direction of local theatre educator Billy Buff.
Dance is a powerful form of artistic expression - at Pensacola Little Theatre, one individual stands out as a master of this craft, Lexi Mayo. Her choreography has graced the PLT stage in six remarkable productions, and with each new show, she endeavors to push her creative boundaries further.
In the heart of Pensacola's cultural scene lies an annual extravaganza eagerly awaited by locals and visitors alike: Pensacola Little Theatre's Cabaret. This celebrated fundraiser has become a cornerstone of the city's arts calendar, drawing patrons with its promise of immersive experiences and dazzling performances. To uncover the intricacies of this beloved event, Sid Williams-Heath, the CEO of The Clark Family Cultural Center, gives us a brief history of Pensacola's artiest party.
In the heart of Pensacola's vibrant artistic scene, Cristina Fenger stands as a key orchestrator of creativity at Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT). Her journey, which commenced in 2017 when her son took his first steps onto the Treehouse stage, has blossomed into a kaleidoscope of roles. Cristina is now a Production Coordinator for numerous Treehouse, Mainstage, and Studio 400 productions. Beyond the footlights, Cristina's life is woven with threads of volunteerism, starting at the age of 16 and extending into various roles such as an active-duty United States Air Force wife, PTA President, and now, an essential part of PLT's artistic family.
Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) is gearing up to present an enthralling production of Alabama Story, a play that delves deep into the themes of censorship, tolerance, and the transformative power of literature.
Playwright Kenneth Jones, drawing inspiration from historical events, weaves a narrative that explores the formidable challenges Emily Wheelock Reed, the former state librarian of Alabama, faced when confronted with a demand to purge a children's book from library shelves in 1959. The play's relevance cannot be overstated, as it prompts reflection on contemporary debates surrounding banned books and intellectual freedoms.
Empowering Voices of the Past: Little Wars Comes to Life at Pensacola Little Theatre.
The world of theatre has long been a platform for exploring untold stories, revisiting history's forgotten moments, and challenging societal norms. Playwright Steven Carl McCasland, known for his focus on extraordinary women throughout history, brings us an intriguing narrative with Little Wars. This critically acclaimed play is a captivating fusion of historical drama, mystery, and the timeless power of companionship. Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) is proud to present this thought-provoking production under the skillful direction of local theatre educator Billy Buff.
The magic of live theater rests not only upon the actors' talents on stage but also on the dedicated volunteers working tirelessly behind the scenes. At Pensacola Little Theatre, a few exceptional student volunteers have come together for this summer's production of Little Red Robin Hood.
These young individuals, Beatrice Bunnell, Natalie Johnson, Davis Bare, and Marissa Jade Rodriguez, contribute to the production's success while gaining invaluable knowledge.
Pensacola Little Theatre thrives on the dedication and passion of its volunteers, who play a vital role in bringing captivating theatrical experiences to the community. Among these exceptional individuals, Katelin Geri stands out as a powerhouse of talent and commitment.
Geri has become an invaluable asset to PLT with her impressive directing, acting, choreographing, and stage-managing repertoire. Currently, she is taking on the challenging role of stage manager for our production of Puffs, further showcasing her unwavering dedication to the theater.
Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) has always been a vibrant creativity and community engagement hub. At the heart of our theatre lies Choh Man Teng, an exceptional volunteer whose passion for the arts and dedication to the craft has made her an integral part of PLT's productions, and she is bringing her talents to the lighting design of The Nebula of Georgia.
The Feast follows the story of a couple living together who encounter something odd in their apartment. Matt and Anna’s relationship is going swimmingly until the sewers under their home open up and begin to speak. The plumber is angry, Matt’s paintings are getting stranger, and a storm is gathering. The Feast is an eerie comedy about what is real, what is not, and who knows.
Pensacola Little Theatre is proud to present The Lieutenant of Inishmore, a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh. This Mainstage production follows the story of Mad Padraic, the unhinged leader of the Irish National Liberation Army, as he embarks on a quest to avenge his beloved pet cat, Wee Thomas. Directed by Barbara Jacobs, this production contains adult material and graphic violence.
Taking Stock, a drama by Paul Logsdon and Milan Smith, opens October 15th at Pensacola Little Theatre as part of our Studio 400 season. The play follows the O’ Gara siblings Gwen, Michael, Kat, and Bobby as they meet the day after their mother’s funeral to discuss what to do with the family home. As they sift through boxes filled with childhood memories, they unearth more than they bargained for. Can they resolve their issues and come out of this as a family?
In slow moving Cypress Texas, the devil lurks where you would least expect him: a church basement puppet show. His name is Tyrone, and he may look like an innocent sock puppet, but when he infiltrates the angst-ridden church youth group and takes possession of the unsuspecting Jason’s arm, all Hell breaks loose.
Michael Daw as Jason/Tyrone
Spectacularly foul-mouthed and wickedly scandalous, Tyrone the possessed sock puppet shocks the congregation with his outrageous insinuations, exposing their deepest secrets—and teaching us all about what it means to be human. A smashing success on Broadway and in London, this fast-paced irreverent comedy is darkly described by The New Yorker as “Sesame Street meets The Exorcist.”
Local actor Michael Daw takes on the dual roles of Jason, a Christian teen struggling with the current route his life is taking, and Tyrone, the demonic puppet.The challenge of working with puppets and using them to tell this particular story is what drew Daw to the show. “I wanted to audition because I thought it was a good story. It's dark, and it's really blue, but I think that crass humor is being used to critique a part of southern evangelical culture that I'm a little too familiar with.”
Leslee Young as Jason’s mother Margery and Michael Daw as Jason/Tyrone have a colorful argument.
Having grown up around church puppets, Daw finds working with “Tyrone” to be a new challenge he is ready to tackle. “It's fun and challenging working with a puppet. When I was a home-schooled kid in Mississippi, I actually did puppet shows with my church group. Those were super basic, so this is my first time with a rod and arm puppet.”
Rod and arm style puppets are best known as Muppet style puppets where the mouth is controlled by the puppeteer's one hand while the other hand controls rods that move the puppets arms. This style of puppetry also played a key role in grabbing Daw’s attention, “I'm also a big fan of all things Jim Henson, so I saw this as a great opportunity to try puppeteering as an adult and challenge myself.”
Michael Daw as Jason/Tyrone and Martta Maki-Petaja as Jessica rehearse a love scene.
The rest of the talented cast is rounded out by Leslee Young, Kyle Golden, Marta Maki-Petaja, and Jason Lewing. Hand to God is a Studio 400 productions and it meant for mature audiences only and contains adult language and themes
Tickets are available online at PensacolaLittleTheatre.com and through the Box Office at 850-432-2042 on weekdays from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM. Masks are required at this event until seated, and the audience will be socially distant in the auditorium.
Pensacola Little Theatre presents its first Mainstage musical since COVID hit with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. A riotous ride, complete with audience participation and all the malfunctions we adults try to forget from our own spelling bee days, Spelling Bee is a delightful den of comedic genius suitable for M-A-T-U-R-E audiences. PLT’s Education Director, Jay Bixler, directs this laugh-a-minute parody with music directed by Tina Buran.
While Lysander’s famous line is mostly true, the cast of our production of A Midsummer Night’s dream is making sure their show is nothing but smooth. This cast of students ranging in ages from 16-22 have been working hard to bring Shakespeare’s classic comedy to life on our Mainstage.
A Midsummer Night's Dream is the dreamy comedy written by William Shakespeare sometime around 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus the duke of Athens and Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazon.
“Steel Magnolias exemplifies the core of love, positivity and strength of women. Not just Southern women, but all women,” Kelly Shepherd, who plays ‘Ouiser in our production of Steel Magnolias, explains when asked why is this show so special for so many people.
Annette Remitera as Truvy, Sierra Hobbs as Shelby, Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Olivia Kegley as Anelle, Leslee Young as M’lynn
You can sit in the audience and see that love and strength were absolutely at the core of creating this production, and although 2020 has made positivity hard to find, it’s in there too.
Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Leslee Young as M’lynn
The cast and crew went into this process knowing this would be a different production. This is the first mainstage production at Pensacola Little Theatre since COVID19 changed everything for everyone.
There are a lot of emotional moments throughout this beloved show that had to be explored with fresh cautious eyes. Kathy Holsworth, the show’s director and Artistic Director at PLT, thought long and hard about the blocking and how to show the audience these incredibly strong relationships without a lot of touching. She wanted to make sure the actors had very limited contact with each other throughout the entire process.
Annette Remitera who plays the vibrant salon owner, Truvy, says that the experience of socially-distanced blocking has been both challenging and beneficial. “Blocking with strategic distancing challenges your ability as an actress to convey intimacy without touch. It has allowed us to open up our hearts, and better embody the dialogue without relying on tropes- the ‘it’s all right’ pat, the ‘look how much I support you’ hug, etc.”
Having to do without those “tropes” has caused these 6 actors to sharpen some other important acting skills. “It's been a great lesson. I never realized before how much we as actors depend on the power of our hands. You certainly can teach an old dog new tricks,” says Shepherd.
Leslee Young as M’lynn, Connie Cali as Clairee, Kelly Shepherd as ‘Ousier, Olivia Kegley as Anelle
Sierra Hobbs as Shelby, Remitera as Truvy
She goes on to explain that having to work through these challenges together has brought the women closer together, “ I want to hug all these women so badly. I do find myself listening more intently and finding new ways to emote concern other than touching. Conveying through vocal emotions and facial expression has bonded us more deeply than hand to body reaction.”
Our production of Steel Magnolias runs for its last weekend October 22-25. You can also watch it online if you aren't quite ready to return to the theatre.
This cast has faced a global pandemic, socially distanced blocking and programming, plus a hurricane during this rehearsal process with amazing grace. They are all truly Steel Magnolias.
Written by Ashley McGlothren
The Cultural Center is abuzz with the first show of the ‘20-‘21 season about to open! Anytime the new season rolls around, the excitement of the staff and volunteers is borderline palpable, and this year is no different in that respect.
As we all know, COVID 19 has drastically affected our little theatre. Our doors have been shut since March, and we desperately miss making theatre for our faithful patrons and collaboratively creating with friends. New updates were coming in daily concerning our community’s situation (and still are), meaning some shows had to be moved to different season slots, and some events have been canceled altogether. These decisions were difficult and often proceeded by hard, sometimes tear-filled conversations. Our volunteers and staff pour their hearts into what they do here inside our walls, and we are so happy that our new season is taking shape and finally coming to fruition.
The cast of A Sleeping Country in rehearsal.
First up this season is A Sleeping Country. This moving comedy about a woman struggling to find what keeps her in a state of relentless unrest takes the Courtroom stage at the end of August. With everything going on in the world, Director Kyle Golden says the story of the show is something that everyone can likely relate to right now.
“The show is hilarious, though it has some very sweet and sentimental moments throughout. I feel like insomnia is something that everyone encounters at some point in their life, particularly now with all of this COVID-19 business,” says Golden. “With all the other problems we’re facing in the world right now, it can be difficult to get a good night's sleep. The feeling of exhaustion and the anxiety that comes with it is extremely relatable.”
When choosing what shows we should bring to our audience this season, safety was the first priority our staff and artistic committee took into consideration. Golden, who sits on the artistic committee, was set to direct a completely different production before COVID invaded our community. After some creative decision making, A Sleeping Country was chosen to replace the larger production that was on the schedule. He explains, “I chose to direct A Sleeping Country because it's so well written…but also because of the many things changing around COVID safety concerns. The smaller cast was a no-brainer.” The cast consists of four actors from the community playing eight roles.
Laynie Gibson and Renee Jordan rehearse a scene as Julia and Midge.
Laynie Gibson plays Julia, the endearingly frazzled young woman suffering from a ruthless bout of insomnia. Although this is Laynie’s first scripted production on the PLT stage, you have likely seen her performing for the last several years with Pensacola’s premiere improve comedy troupe, Improvable Cause. Playing Julia’s hilariously distracted therapist and best friend Midge is PLT stage veteran Renee Jordan. Audiences last saw her as Vanda in our Studio 400 production of Venus in Fur last season. Jordan is one of two actors in the production playing multiple characters. On top of playing Midge, she makes an appearance as an Italian Gondolier and a very sleepy heiress. David Carbaugh, most recently seen as the titular character in Arrant Knavery’s fall production of Macbeth, easily navigates through his multiple characters as Julia’s fiance Greg, a devoted butler of sorts, and a very stunning (but not so bright) Italian man. Christina Cusak-Curbelo, last seen in PLT’s 2015 production of God of Carnage and longtime member of Improvable Cause, as Isabella Orsini completes this talented cast. Isabella is an Italian heiress with the only case of fatal insomnia in the world. She is delightfully sophisticated with a wicked sense of humor.
Julia (Laynie Gibson) and her fiance Greg (David Carbaugh) discuss her insomnia.
The rehearsal process for A Sleeping Country has been carefully planned, with the safety of all involved being the most important aspect. Golden describes some of the measures that are being taken. “We require all of our cast and crew to wear a facemask during rehearsal, as well as practicing good hygiene. We have also asked that everyone try to limit their exposure to anything outside of work, rehearsals, and individual homes. Everyone who enters the building has to sign in and sanitize their hands prior to rehearsal. Our top concern is the safety of our team, so we only ask actors to perform at a level and distance that is comfortable for them.”
With all the new precautions, Renee Jordan explains that the cast has actually created an even stronger bond through the common goal of keeping each other safe. “You have to do even more to protect yourself and your cast-mates throughout this rehearsal and performance process. It is an extra challenge, especially when working with comedic material, to play off each other and only having access to your scene partner’s eyes. But there is also a deeper connection happening there because of that limitation. The passion, energy, and sheer love affair with telling a story that we all feel as actors/directors/etc. is still there.”
Isabella Orsini (Christina Cusak-Curbelo) and Franco (David Carbaugh) judge the contents of Julia’s (Laynie Gibson) luggage.
We can’t wait to present this hilarious and heartwarming production to you later this month. Live performance dates and streaming options will be available. To keep our patrons safe, we are limiting seating in the theatre as well as requiring all those in attendance to wear a mask.
It goes without saying that these are unprecedented times – but like always – the theatre will prevail, the show will go on, and this show will be proof. As Renee says “Artists have always been able to bend to the times, and it has been amazing watching PLT work so diligently to keep our space safe so we can do what we do best...create and entertain. It’s just one more reason why we all call PLT home.”
Written by Ashley McGlothren
