Box OfficeEvents CalendarAuditionsBecome a MemberSponsor OpportunitiesJoin the Mailing ListNews & Awards | ||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
Laura | ||||||||||
By Vera Caspary and George Sklar | ||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
 | | | | | | | | | | |
Other Programming at the Arts Center...Past GP Seasons....2009-2010 2008-2009 2007-2008
2005-2006 2004-2005 | |||||||||||||||||||
March 17-19, 24-26, 2006When the curtain rises we see police Detective Mark McPherson in Laura Hunt's Manhattan apartment looking for clues as to why its young owner took one to the mug. Her likeness lives on, however, in an over-the-mantel oil painting that soon comes to haunt the hard-boiled, hardhearted gumshoe. Like any good whodunit, there are a number of baggage-bearing chief suspects. They include Laura's fiancé, Shelby Carpenter, a hotheaded, oily "Southern gentleman" and love-struck young Danny Dorgan, who spent many an evening listening to jazz with Laura while hoping to make another kind of music with her. And then there's Waldo Lydecker, Laura's vain, pompous, and ingratiatingly erudite mentor, who claims to have "cultivated" Laura from "naive child" to sophisticated society darling. He insists on calling police officers "constables," dubs Shelby "willfully empty-headed," and struts about brandishing an ornate cane strictly for aesthetics. Those who have encountered some form of Laura in the past know that a major plot turn occurs about midway into the mystery - one that introduces a living, breathing love interest into the mix of mismatched men. And once the damsel gets into distress, the action snowballs onward toward a gun-blasting, prop-smashing climax. | |||||||||||||||||||
The Cast.... | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
Brian Lovejoy (Detective McPherson) is a dad, husband and the director of Music at Chester Academy. He was most recently seen on stage as Orin and many others in Little Shop of Horrors, in I Love You, You're Perfect. Now Change! at the Bell Center and as Thomas Jefferson in GP’s superb production of 1776. Brian has performed as Nicely, Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, Mr. MacAffee in Bye Bye Birdie and Lamar in Godspell at Hackmatack Playhouse. Other roles include Bert Barry in 42nd Street, Action in West Side Story and Stewpot in South Pacific at SRT, The Courier in 1776, Avhram, Isachaar and the Butler in GP’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Harold Hill The Music Man, Bob Cratchet/ Marley in Scrooge, The Musical with Northwood Theater Workshop, Drake in Honk! with the Bell Center Players and Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls at The Rochester Opera House. Thank you Leah, Taylor and Delaney for supporting my theater life. | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
Lucas Cook (Danny Dorgan) is very excited to be back with Garrison Players where he has appeared in Pippin and most recently on the GP stage in the Dramedy Production of A Christmas Carol. As the youngest member of the cast, he is glad to be here and assures everyone that the hard work and exhaustion that goes into each show is worth it. He is still awaiting word on admission from American University where he hopes to attend this fall to study theater. Lucas would like to thank everyone, especially his family and close friends (you know who you are!) for their support and help getting him to where he is today. | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
Don Briand (Waldo Lydecker) is a 30-year member of Garrison Players. Favorite roles include John Adams in 1776, Curly in Oklahoma, Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun and Maude in My Fatal Valentine. Don has also performed at Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Prescott Park, Hackmatack Theatre and numerous other regional theatre groups. Don is an award-winning radio news director, and was named the 2005 New Hampshire Broadcaster of the Year. | |||||||||||||||||||
 | |||||||||||||||||||
John Safina (Shelby Carpenter) most recently directed Little Shop of Horrors for Garrison Players, which was nominated for Best Musical by the NH Theater Association. Last season, John was seen in GP's production of 1776 in the role of Judge James Wilson, Major General Stanley in Pirates of Penzance and as Stanley Gardner in Run For Your Wife. Originally from MA, John acted and directed in many theater productions in his home state. He received a M.A. from Emerson College where he studied performing arts and theater education. John received recognition from the Eastern MA Association of Community Theaters for his direction of Into The Woods. John has called York, ME home for the past 12 years. While in ME, John has been involved with many local theaters in the area including Seacoast Rep, Sanford ME Stage, and Biddeford City Theater. During the day John is an Assistant Principal at Rochester Middle School. | |||||||||||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | ||||
Carol Rodis (Bessie Clary) has been performing with GP since 1998 which includes being a past board member. Her favorite role to date is portraying Truvy in Steel Magnolias. Her most recent role as Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors was her most challenging. A native of Lowell, MA she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music Theater at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. Until recently, Carol was the lead singer for the local classic rock group The EZ Band and is also a member of the NH Country Music Association with several talent awards including 1997 Female Entertainer of the Year New Country. A Somersworth resident, Carol lives with her daughter Victoria and their two Maltese's Lizzie and Indy. She is also excited to be working along side her boyfriend Bryan. | ||||
| | | | |
 | ||||
Missi Hutchins (Mrs. Dorgan) makes her debut with Garrison Players after a 16-year hiatus from the stage. Previously, she has performed in school productions including Oliver Twist, The King and I and Peter Pan. When not performing, she is a Licensed Customer Service Specialist for Liberty Mutual. She enjoys spending time with her two sons and her fiancé, Michael, and his two boys. She is excited to return to performing as part of the Laura cast. Missi would like to thank the audiences for their support of community theater and most especially her family for their love and support. | ||||
| | | | |
 | ||||
Elizabeth Barry (Girl) joins Garrison Players again following the success of Little Shop eager to work with director Steven Dascoulias and giddy to be reunited with Carol Rodis, John Safina and Brian Lovejoy. Previously she has performed with Prescott Park Arts Festival and Seacoast Repertory Theatre - her head still turns when someone yells "Stelllaaaa". I wish to thank the audiences, supporters of Garrison Players and the board of directors who make it possible for us to play and give you live community theatre. When not performing she is a practice manager for Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. She is a new homeowner and when not working or performing she is honing her skills in drywalling. | ||||
| | | | |
 | ||||
Bryan Thurston (Detective Olson) is pleased to be making his Garrison Players debut. This is also Bryan's first stage appearance since playing the role of The Artful Dodger in his high school's production of Oliver Twist. Bryan was bitten by the acting bug after seeing the recent GP production of Little Shop of Horrors, and he's excited to be working with such a talented cast. A native of Keene, NH, Bryan now resides in Nottingham, NH and works as a contract Software Engineer. | ||||
| | | | |
| |
