Wheaton Drama

Director Craig Gustafson proudly announces the cast of the hilarious musical comedy, “The Producers,” running May 26 through June 18.

The cast is as follows:

Max Bialystock — Ken Kaden

Leo Bloom — Benedict L. Slabik II

Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yonsen Tallen-Hallen Svaden-Svanson — Heather
Pauliks

Franz Liebkind — Lars Timpa

Roger DeBris — Mark A. Hutchison

Carmen Ghia — Steven Krage

Usherette 2 (Others) — Lauren Bass

Donald Dinsmore (Others) — Joe Billquist

Lick Me, Bite Me (Others) — Breanna Ghostone

First Nun (Others) — Abigail Hamilton

Springtime for Hitler Tenor (Others) — Scott Kelley

Hold Me, Touch Me, Pretzel Girl (Others) — Aimee Kennedy

O’Houlihan (Others) —  TBA

Beer Girl (Others) — Emma Lanners

Mr. Marks, Jason Green (Others) — Jim Martin

Kiss Me, Feel Me (Others) — Kate McIlvain

Judge (Others) — Anthony Mele

Shirley Markowitz, Sausage Girl (Others) — Heather Miller

Valkyrie Girl (Others) — TBA

Jack Lepidus (Others) — Jeff Pripusich

Trustee (Others) — Alex Rogers

Wheaton Drama is excited to announce next season’s shows and directors.

The season will open with the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” a
story of maintaining traditions and transitions in an ever-changing
sociopolitical climate—a message as important today as when the show was
written. “Fiddler” will be directed by Carrie Dabelow, who has directed
productions for Steel Beam Theater, Riverside Theatre, and Woodstock
Musical Theatre Company, as well as in public schools in Illinois and
Minnesota.

Next on the schedule is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic romance
“Sense and Sensibility,” in which we follow the Dashwood sisters, Elinor
and Marianne, as they seek love and happiness in 1790s England. This
promises to be a show for families and Jane Austen aficionados alike and
will be directed by WDI veteran Randall W. Knott, who last directed “Play
It Again, Sam” and “Amadeus” for Wheaton Drama and “One Flew Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest” at Woodstock Opera House.

Wheaton Drama will continue its tradition of holiday radio plays by
presenting that childhood classic “The Cinnamon Bear.” This old-time radio
show was first produced in 1937 and became popular nationwide, particularly
in Chicago when it was broadcast on WGN radio. It will be directed by Ben
Dooley, who has done numerous radio show reproductions with his own
company, Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, and who directed the Christmas
classic “Miracle on 34^th Street” for Wheaton Drama.

Kicking off the new year, WDI will present a modern farce, “Sex in the
Title” by local playwright George Zahora. It concerns two playwrights whose
shows always have the word “sex” in the title, though their shows have
nothing to do with sex. This farce involves doors and windows—and lots of
people coming and going through them. It will be directed by Jay
Fontanetta, a newcomer to WDI who has directed extensively at North
Riverside Community Theatre, at Circle Theatre and in numerous area high
schools.

Following up in stark contrast, WDI will present a searing drama, “A Piece
of My Heart,” which tells of the role women played during the Vietnam War.
Like many of their male counterparts, their service went largely
unappreciated and unrecognized. This show will be directed by WDI veteran
Mike Boyna, who last directed the hilarious and successful “Shrek: The
Musical.”

The season will conclude with the perennial Stephen Sondheim favorite
“Company.” Though it debuted on Broadway in 1970, its theme of coping with
cultural changes and social upheavals remains relevant today. “Company”
will be directed by Pam Turlow, who has directed “A Christmas Carol” and
“Mad Mid-Mod Musicals” for Wheaton Drama.

It’s now easier than ever to stay atop trends in local theater.

Rich Gannon, from the board of the American Association of Community Theatre, writes:

In the past, SPOTLIGHT, AACT’s bimonthly newsletter, came to you by two methods: by mail to your official address and online. To access online you needed to log in as a member at the AACT website.

SPOTLIGHT can now be viewed by the public without being a member. Each of you will still receive the hard copy in the mail. If you have others in your organization who want to check out the magazine they can now do so.

Go to www.aact.org. Click on NETWORKING, and from the drop down click on SPOTLIGHT.

For the second time in four years, Wheaton Drama has been recognized as a leader in the arts field, winning a “Best of Wheaton” award.

Grabbing top honors as the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce’s Not For Profit Arts Organization of the Year, Wheaton Drama continues its 85-year tradition of excellence in entertaining and enlightening members of its community.

Wheaton Drama rounds out its 2016-17 season with John Patrick Shanley’s newest romantic comedy, “Outside Mullingar” (running March 24 through April 15), and Mel Brooks’ hilarious musical comedy “The Producers” (running May 26 through June 18).

Our 2017-18 season blends classic favorites and new offerings to delight and inspire theatergoers of all ages: “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Sex in the Title,” “A Piece of My Heart” and “Company.”

See why our audiences and the community at large agree that Wheaton Drama leads the pack in providing professional-caliber theater with a familiar touch.

Are you interested in directing one of our 2017-2018 shows?  Please download and complete the director application: 2017-2018 SEASON-DIRECTOR APPLICATION.

Applications are due by Feb. 13, 2016.