UW-Fond du Lac announces cast for upcoming production of “Our Town”

Fond du Lac, Wis.—Producer/director Richard Gustin has named the cast and production crew for the upcoming UW-Fond du Lac Theater Department production of “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder, Nov. 5-9 in the Prairie Theater, 400 University Drive.

Performances are set for Nov. 5-8 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 8 and 9 at 2 p.m. Tickets in advance are $10 adults and $5 students and can be purchased by phone at (920) 929-1111 or in person at the UW-Fond du Lac Business Office (M-F, 8-4:30 p.m.). UW-Fond du Lac students can attend the opening night performance free. All tickets at the door are $2 more.

This 40-member ensemble includes UW-Fond du Lac students, faculty, and alumni as well as community members.

The production is a kind of homecoming for many members in the ensemble. “What makes this production particularly exciting is that we have gathered actors and technicians, past and present, from the UW-Fond du Lac theater program for our 40th anniversary celebration production,” said Gustin. The play is a fitting tribute to forty years of artistic excellence at the campus. It is a show that the entire family will enjoy…very funny and quite moving. Everyone will recognize someone from their lives in the show.”

“Our Town” is one of Wilder’s most frequently produced plays. It is about the fictional community of Grover’s Corners and the everyday lives of people in a small town in the early 20th century. “Our Town” is the most famous work by Wilder, who is a native of Madison, Wisconsin.

“The play is about a simpler, gentler time,” said Gustin. “You will laugh. You will cry. You will think about your own life and those of your loved ones. It is an important play that puts us in touch with the essentials of our lives. In our post-9/11 world it is easy to be cynical about the world. Wilder gives us hope in dark times. The play is very inspiring.”

Gustin added that for its time, "Our Town” was an avant-garde, experimental piece of theatre. “I think many audience members will still find it quite experimental.”

Major roles in the play include George Caldwell as the Stage Manager, Teresa Emery as Mrs. Webb, John Emery as Mr. Webb, Rion Urven as George Gibbs, Briana Gens as Emily Webb, Robin Speidel as Mrs. Gibbs and Dan Bell as Dr. Gibbs.

Other members of the acting ensemble include Alisha Balsitis, Alana Berthiaume, Adam Engles, Casey Fiebig, Michael Guell, Alexandrea Horning, Liz Kamp, Andrea Kohlman,Victoria Linstrom, Tylor Loest, Jerry Martin, Christopher Navis, Simon Riter, Dan Rager, Natalya Rager, Shirley Ries, Luke Scorcio, Jillian Smet, David Velasco, Cathy Weber and Josiah Zabel.

The stage manager for the production is UW-Fond du Lac alumna Erika Roehrig. Casey Fiebig, assistant stage manager, and Alana Berthiaume, assistant technical director, are both UW-Fond du Lac students. Linda Drendel is costume designer and Bruce Towel is technical director. Other UW-Fond du Lac students involved include Jamie Oaks, Krysta Hirsmann and Lynette Velasco. Community members Tony Peterson, Sara Cujak, Jennie Schaefer and Calib Loderhose are assisting technically.

The late Paul Newman recently played the role of the Stage Manager in a highly acclaimed New York production later filmed by PBS.

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