Read all about Fauquier Community Theatre’s Our Town in the Fauquier Times!
Fauquier Community Theatre’s production of Our Town. will take place on Fridays and weekends from Mar 10, 2023 – Mar 26, 2023. “Our Town” is a 1938 play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens.
Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners and depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.”
FCT’s production of Our Town is directed by Sonia Bronder whose superb artistic expertise is sure to bring out the character development of each role and a time travel to the era. The play is produced by Stub Estey, and with special permission by Concord Theatricals.
Performance Dates – Our Town will be presented on Fridays and weekends between March 10th and 26th, 2023 in the Vint Hill Theater on the Green at 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA.
Tickets for reserved seating are available at www.FCTstage.org. Reserve your favorite seating choices today.
Opening night on Friday, March 10th includes a reception of light refreshments following the performance and a chance to meet the cast!
The Greatest Generation Speaks continues at Fauquier Community Theatre for final performances on February 17, 18, and 19. Tickets are available at https://fctstage.org/shows-tickets/ or by calling 540-349-8760.
Then Fauquier Community Theatre is delighted to put on an encore performance of “The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections” at the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists Church on February 25th at 6pm. The performance of this play is based on Tom Brokaw’s book of the same name and will be hosted by the Bull Run Unitarian Universalists. The profits of this encore night’s performance will benefit the Freedom Museum and our mission to honor local veterans and their stories.
Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for students and seniors. Please purchase tickets by clicking on the link below:
Read the wonderful review from DC Theater Arts for ‘The Greatest Generation Speaks.’
Tom Brokaw’s ‘The Greatest Generation Speaks’ premieres at Fauquier Community Theatre
Men and women share intensely personal stories of a momentous time in America’s history from the Great Depression of the 1920s through World War II.
By Michael Gary Clendenin
I had the pleasure of seeing the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation Speaks at Fauquier Community Theatre, adapted and directed by Dr. Harry Kantrovich.
The Greatest Generation Speaks collects the vast outpouring of communications Brokaw received from men and women eager to share their intensely personal stories of a momentous time in America’s history, those who grew up during the Great Depression of the 1920s and made great sacrifices in World War II. Some describe the front during the war, others recall loved ones in danger in distant places. They offer first-hand accounts of battles, poignant reflections on loneliness, exuberant expressions of love, and somber feelings of loss.
James Constable, Robert Stockmaster, and Tamara Peters in
‘The Greatest Generation Speaks.’
Photo by Stephen Rummel Photography.
Kantrovich’s idea for the project was presented to Tom Brokaw after communications with Brokaw’s publisher and executive assistants. Kantrovich wanted to adapt this book for the stage in order to keep history alive and to educate. Brokaw immediately approved, and he and his staff have been involved in the stage production from the onset of the writing process through putting it on the stage. The result is a profoundly stirring stage experience.
Upon entering the theater lobby, the audience is greeted by a poster of Victoria Mackey Hulick, a Navy WAVE and pioneer code breaker. There are no actor headshots like you often see in theater lobbies. Instead, the lobby is full of photos and write-ups of World War Two heroes collected by the show’s cast, crew, and friends.
The audience takes their seats to World War II–era music designed by Walter Stewart, while watching photos of those World War II heroes stream across the projection screen. The curtain is drawn and into view comes a very intimate home-like setting designed by Lisa Stewart with set decoration by Drew and Debbie Fleming.
The large cast of 28 actors nailed it, giving performances fully appropriate to a world premiere. I was transported and felt as if I were watching the actual interviews between Tom Brokaw and these individuals. The actors disappeared into their characters, people who participated in, or were related to someone who participated in, a cataclysmic world war, and who then turned around and built the very world we live in today.
James Constable, Doug Barylski, and Edgar Johnson in
‘The Greatest Generation Speaks.’
Photo by Stephen Rummel Photography.
I hesitate to call these actors out because everyone did so well, but a couple of standout performances to me were Jim Constable in a perfectly nuanced presentation of Tom Brokaw (as opposed to what could have been a caricature), and Edgar Johnson, presenting the difficult experience of dignified African Americans serving their country despite the indignity of their country’s and the military’s treatment of them.
Lisa Stewart designed the lighting, which throughout the production maintains a very cool effect, as well as the projections, which appear behind each character coordinated with their dialog. Since the book was written and published in the 1990s, the wardrobe is of that time.
James Constable, Dennis Byrne, and Dell Pendergrast in ‘The Greatest Generation Speaks.’ Photo by Stephen Rummel Photography.
Even the curtain call keeps to the theme of the show. The cast members are dispersed in the aisles, on the apron, and on stage. Some are carrying pictures or mementos of their relatives. When the Armed Forces service songs are played, veterans are encouraged to stand while their branch’s song is played.
As an audience member, the measure of success to me is exactly what I feel today, waking up still affected by the experience, and the stories of courage that I heard.
To the entire cast and crew of FCT’s world premiere production of Tom Brokaw’s The Greatest Generation Speaks, an extended standing O!
The Greatest Generation Speaksplays through February 19, 2023, at Fauquier Community Theatre located at 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA. Tickets ($18 adult, $16 senior and student) are available for purchase online, at the door, or by calling the box office at 540-349-8760.
COVID Safety: Fauquier Community Theatre is following the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Virginia Department of Health. As such, we will not have any seating or distancing restrictions. Face coverings are optional. If you feel sick or are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, or have been exposed to someone sick, please do not attend. The theater’s complete COVID Procedures are here.
The Greatest Generation Speaks Book by Tom Brokaw
Adapted for Stage and Directed by Harry Kantrovich
Assistant Director: Drew Fleming
Produced by Don Richardson
Cast: James Constable, Stub Estey, Richard Fiske, Hugh Hill, Maureen Hamilton, Tony Killian, Robert Stockmaster, Walt Meyer, Tamara Peters, Amy Treat, Tammy Barboza, Jack Seeley, Sheryl Solow, Elizabeth Gordon, Dell Pendergrast, Dennis Byrne, Don Richardson, Stacie Duvall, Ginny McCardle, Joseph Bersack, Kirk Lambert, Carolyn Cosano Wong, Pat Jannell, Geoff Baskir, Edgar Johnson, Doug Barylski, Krista Poole, Ricardo Padilla
Creative Team: Stage Manager & Props: Pat Jannell, Light Design: Lisa Stewart, Sound Design: Walter Stewart, Make-up & Hair Design: Erin Briner, Set Design: Lisa Stewart, Set Decoration: Drew & Debbie Fleming, Set-Build: Doug Barylski, Lisa Stewart, Walter Stewart, Amy Treat, Jim Costable, Steve Wong, Tony Killian, Joe Bersack, Videographer: Leland Shook
Michael Gary Clendenin is a well-known community theater actor throughout the DMV. Michael recently moved to North Carolina where he hopes to involve himself with community theater in his new home.
Tom Brokaw is the author of seven bestsellers: The Greatest Generation, The Greatest Generation Speaks, An Album of Memories, Boom!, The Time of Our Lives, A Long Way from Home, and A Lucky Life Interrupted. A native of South Dakota, he graduated from the University of South Dakota, and began his journalism career in Omaha and Atlanta before joining NBC News in 1966. Brokaw was the White House correspondent for NBC News during Watergate, and from 1976 to 1981 he anchored Today on NBC. He was the sole anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw from 1983 to 2005. He continues to report for NBC News, producing long-form documentaries and providing expertise during breaking news events. Brokaw has won every major award in broadcast journalism, including two DuPonts, three Peabody Awards, and several Emmys, including one for lifetime achievement. In 2014, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He lives in New York and Montana.
To read this article on the DC Theater Arts site, click HERE
Congratulations to the actors cast in the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Also thank you and welcome to the production team.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, takes us to the French Riviera for high jinks and hilarity. Sophisticated, suave with a good dash of mischief, this hysterical comedy features a delightfully jazzy score by David Yazbek (The Full Monty) and was nominated for a staggering eleven Tony Awards. Lawrence Jameson makes his lavish living by talking rich ladies out of their money.
Freddy Benson more humbly swindles women by waking their compassion with fabricated stories about his grandmother’s failing health. After meeting on a train, they attempt to work together, only to find that this small French town isn’t big enough for the two of them. A hilarious battle of cons ensues that will keep audiences laughing, humming and guessing to the end!
Fauquier Community Theatre’s production of the musical comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is directed by Matt Moore and produced by Mary Beth Balint. The production is by special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
On Fridays and Weekends
April 28 – May 14, 2023
Tickets: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Cast List
Lawrence- Ken Wayne
Freddy- Jack Tessier
Christine- Sarah Bright
Andre- George Willis
Muriel- Hilary Pierce
Jolene- Elizabeth Steimel
Lenore- Annette Gibson
Sophia- Cindy Sabato
Usherette- Arianna Parenti
Featured Soloists- Dawn Gaynor, Cindy Sabato, Annette Gibson, Jessica Frydl
Concierge- Rich Pinson
Butler- Andrew Morin
Conductor- David Morgan
Croupier- Amber Weaver
Dance Captain- Cindy Sabato
Ensemble- Andrew Broemmel, Maureen Hamilton, Ben Jacobeen, Isabella Mancini, Ellie Moore, Patrick Murray, Catie Pacheco, Zach Skiles, Samantha Wong
DRS Production Team
Directorial Team
Director- Matt Moore
Assistant Director- Scott Pierce
Production Assistant- Ryan Balint
Production/Stage Management Team
Producer- MaryBeth Balint
The Greatest Generation Speaks opens Friday, February 3
Fauquier Community Theatre is ready to greet you for this stage adaptation of Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation Speaks.” The play is adapted for stage by Harry J. Kantrovich and focuses on real life accounts of the World War II era portrayed by 30 actors.
The play of the “The Greatest Generation Speaks” will take place on Fridays and weekends between February 3 – 19, 2023 in Warrenton, Virginia. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2 pm. More information and reservations for tickets can be found at www.FCTstage.org
The show opens on Friday, February 3 and will include an opening night reception of light refreshments following the performance.
The Sunday matinee performances will feature various post-show talkback sessions directly after the play with expert panelists answering questions about the World War II era.
February 5 post show speaker: Major Bruce H. Norton, USMC (Ret.) has been a combat veteran, a career Marine Infantry Officer, a military museum director, and an adjunct military history professor, and is an award-winning author of numerous books on and about the United States Marines.
February 12 post show speaker: Alex Kershaw, a New York Times best selling author has written numerous books on World War II. He will speaking on the Battle of the Bulge based off of his book called “The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II’s Most Decorated Platoon.” Mr. Kershaw is also the chair of Friends of the World War II Memorial.
February 19 post show speaker: Thomas J. Cutler is a former petty officer second class and retired lieutenant commander who has been serving the U.S. Navy in various capacities for more than fifty years. He has received numerous awards including the William P. Clements Award for Excellence in Education as military teacher of the year at the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Commodore Dudley Knox Lifetime Achievement Award in Naval History.
“The Greatest Generation Speaks” is produced by Don Richardson and the show sponsor is Jones Group International. Photo credit: Jim Constable who plays Tom Brokaw in the play.
Auditions for the musical Once Upon a Mattress Ages 8 to 18
Friday, March 3, 2023: 6:30 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, March 4, 2023: 9:30 am to noon, 1 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: John Barton Payne Building 2 Courthouse Square, Warrenton, VA
Fauquier Community Theatre has chosen the musical Once Upon a Mattress as their annual youth production for a cast of ages 8-18. Auditions for the musical are open to the public and will take place on Friday, March 3, 2023 and Saturday, March 4, 2023. Pre-registration is required. Auditions will take place at the John Barton Payne Building (in Old Town Warrenton) located at 2 Courthouse Square, Warrenton, Virginia. (Please note that callbacks will be by invitation only on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at a location to be determined.).
Casting Call! There are roles for a Princess…and a Prince…and a Queen and King…and ladies, knights, a jester, and for a whole cast of characters in FCT’s youth musical, Once Upon a Mattress. The 1959 comedy musical about the Princess and the Pea, famous for launching Carol Burnett into stardom, is making its Fauquier Community Theatre premiere this summer! With director Jack Tessier, choreographer Gabrielle Tessier, and music director Catie Murray, you are invited to bring this medieval, iconic, hilarious musical to life.
Join a show with such fun songs like, “Normandy,” “Song of Love,” and the highly energetic dance, “Spanish Panic.” We need strong singers, dancers, and actors, ages 8 to 18! Please prepare a 90 second portion of a musical theatre song – I recommend researching the show and its characters to pick a song that will match the genre of the show. Read the form below carefully and fill out every field – see you at auditions!
Pre-registration for auditions is required. Click on the link below for more information and to pre-register.
OPEN AUDITIONS FOR THE MUSICAL COMEDY “DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS”
Fauquier Community Theatre (VA-Non Equity/Community) is proud to announce auditions for the musical comedy DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS! Auditions will take place Friday, January 27 from 7 pm to 10 pm, Saturday January 28 from 9 am to noon and 1 pm to 4 pm at the John Barton Payne Building, 2 Courthouse Square, Warrenton, Virginia. (Call-backs by invitation on Thursday, February 2 at 7 pm.) Rehearsals and performances will be in Warrenton, VA.
DRS is a BIG cast, BIG energy, BIG performance show with many options for you to SHINE on stage as part of a FUN and hard working team. Our production staff is an experienced, award-winning team of 22 consummate professionals – literally a who’s who list of dedicated and amazing talent. You will be working with some of the best performers and production team the region has to offer.
We are looking for motivated performers so bring it all in as you sing and dance in front of and with your fellow actors. Prepare a verse and chorus of an appropriate song (do your research – we love it when actors have thought about the show!) up to two minutes. A bluetooth speaker and pianist will be available for basic accompaniment. In addition, we will have cold readings, directibility exercises, and a basic dance audition on site (choreography to be taught on location). Please wear comfortable clothing, appropriate footwear, bring water and expect to be there for the entire audition block.
Please note, you MUST be 18 by the time of our first performance in April 2023 to be considered for this cast. Questions? Email the director Matt Moore at m@ttmoore.com. Sign up NOW – we have a limited cast size of 24 and auditions will fill up quickly! Click on www.fctstage.org/auditions-2 for more information and to register for an audition.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Join the movement and give – each Tuesday and every day – whether
it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your
local community.
It’s a simple idea: whether it’s making someone smile, helping a
neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care
about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every
act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.
Congratulations to the actors cast in Fauquier Community Theatre’s production of “Our Town.” Performances will take place on Fridays and weekends from Mar 10, 2023 – Mar 26, 2023. “Our Town” is a 1938 play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens.Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” Our Town presents the small town of Grover’s Corners and depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” FCT’s production of “Our Town” is directed by Sonia Bronder and with special permission by Concord Theatricals. Tickets are on sale at www.FCTstage.org. Reserve your favorite seating choices today.
While Veterans Day honors all veterans, Fauquier Community Theatre has the unique opportunity to focus on the World War II era for “The Greatest Generation Speaks” that will take place February 3 – 19, 2023 in Warrenton, Virginia. The play is based on Tom Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation Speaks: Letters and Reflections:.” It is adapted for stage and directed by Dr. Harry J. Kantrovich, and produced by Don Richardson.
Brokaw had first written the book “The Greatest Generation” published in 1998 which inspired many people to write in with their memories of the World War II era. “When I wrote about the men and women who came out of the Depression, who won great victories and made lasting sacrifices in World War II and then returned home to begin building the world we have today—the people I called the Greatest Generation—it was my way of saying thank you. But I was not prepared for the avalanche of letters and responses touched off by that book. I had written a book about America, and now America was writing back.”—Tom Brokaw
Brokaw’s book “The Greatest Generation Speaks” collected the vast outpouring of letters Brokaw received from men and women who shared their intensely personal experiences. Some letters tell of the front during the war, others recall loved ones in harm’s way in distant places. They offer first-hand accounts of battles, poignant reflections on loneliness, exuberant expressions of love, and somber feelings of loss.
As Brokaw notes, “If we are to heed the past to prepare for the future, we should listen to these quiet voices of a generation that speaks to us of duty and honor, sacrifice and accomplishment. I hope more of their stories will be preserved and cherished as reminders of all that we owe them and all that we can learn from them.”
The production of “The Greatest Generation Speaks” at Fauquier Community Theatre brings to stage those firsthand account experiences. The play will take place on Fridays and weekends from February 3 – February 19, 2023 in the Vint Hill Theater on the Green at 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2 pm.
Several performances will feature post-show talkback sessions with expert panelists answering questions about the World War II era. If you know someone who is a World War II veteran, please email greatestgeneration@FCTstage.org to inquire as to how they may be honored at some of the performances.
Fauquier Community Theatre is supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Virginia Commission for the Arts, PATH Foundation, Loeb Foundation, and the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation as well as local corporate sponsors including the production sponsor Jones Group International.
CAST LIST FOR “THE GREATEST GENERATION SPEAKS” From the Director Harry Kantrovich: As the playwright and director, I am thrilled to announce the cast and creative team for Fauquier Community Theatre’s World Premiere of THE GREATEST GENERATION SPEAKS. I would like to thank everyone who auditioned. The talent was immense, and the decisions were tough.
Harry Kantrovich: Director Don Richardson: Producer & Marty Fritz Drew Fleming: Asst. Director Lisa Stewart: Tech Director & Lighting Designer Walter Steward: Sound Designer Pat Jannell: Stage Manager & Props Erin Briner: Make-up & Hair Leland Shook: Videographer Jim Constable: Tom Brokaw Stub Estey: Robert Weil Richard Fiske: Jim Levy Hugh Hill: Raymond Daum Maureen Hamilton: Veronica Hulick & Juanita Yates Tony Killian: Van Parker Bob Stockmaster: Gregory Kirchner & Allen A, Beaumont Tricia Delevante: Jeanette Gagne Norton & Carole Lalli Walt Meyer: W.E. Bilderback Jr Tamara “Tammy” Peters: Lorraine Davis Amy Simms Treat: Anne Black Tammy Barboza: Geneva Shelton Jack Seeley: Charles Leonard Sheryl Solow: Mary Griffiths Elizabeth Gordon : Pam Parry Dell Pendergrast: Rabbi Judah Nadich Dennis Byrne: Jay O’Callahan Staci DuVall: Mary Beth Markaway Rieke Ginny McCardle: Mary Kay Duckworth Joe Bersack: Joe DeMaggio Kirk Lambert: Harold Duket Carolyn Wong: Linda Matthews Geoff Baskir: Ed Jonat Krista Day Poole: Pat Zack Ricardo Padilla: Gordon Morris Edgar “Ed” Johnson: Walter Morris Doug Barylski: Kay Voss
Congratulations everyone!
Performance Dates – “The Greatest Generation Speaks” will be presented on Fridays and weekends by Fauquier Community Theatre February 3 – 19, 2023 in the Vint Hill Theater on the Green at 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA. Tickets for reserved seating are available online now at www.FCTstage.org. Enjoy this stage adaptation of Tom Brokaw’s New York Times Bestseller book!
FCT’s Artistic Committee will meet on Saturday, October 15th at 2 PM, to begin planning future seasons. The meeting will be at the Theater on the Green at Vint Hill. All FCT members are welcome to join the Artistic Committee. If you have questions, or are interested in submitting a Director Proposal for a future FCT production, please email the Artistic Chairman, Don Richardson, at ArtisticChair@FCTstage.org
Our immense appreciation to our Grantors and Business Sponsors. FCT’s programs and projects are supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
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Fauquier Community Theatre |
4225 Aiken Dr Warrenton, VA 20187 | 540-349-8760
