THE GOOD DOCTOR

Diary Dates for you

to note:

Monthly General Meeting - Wednesday 21 August, 2013, at the Theatre.

Management Committee Meetings and the Casting Committee Meetings are monthly.

The Good Doctor

1

From our President Leo Bradley

2

2013 Productions Monthly Meeting

2

July Entertainment M’Side Festival Prayer wish Twelve Angry Men

3

The Castle of Macbeth’s Head

4

What’s on 4

Office Bearers 2013

4

Inside this issue:

August 2013

Volume 52 Issue 8

PROSCENIUM Villanova Players

NEWSLETTER

The

Take one of the greatest dead storytellers, mix him up with one of the funniest living play-wrights – and you get the great entertainment that is The Good Doctor. The wit and whimsy of Russia’s Anton Chekhov meet the comic genius of America’s Neil Simon in this delightful and often side-splitting comedy of human errors. The writer, the good doctor, Anton Chekhov takes us to locations where events, stories, little dramas… just……happen. On a wharf, who could resist paying a few kopeks to see a drowning? Who would not delight in observing a master seducer at work and perhaps learn from his methods? Who wouldn’t sympathise with the quiet governess, browbeaten by her overbearing mistress into accepting a lowly payment for her services. And not delight in the success of a young talented actress as she auditions her heart out for a famous director? And squirm with embarrassment as a liberal father takes his com-ing of age son to the wrong part of town to in-troduce him to the ways of love? And laugh gleefully as a man of the cloth has a tooth ago-nisingly pulled by an enthusiastic novice? Cer-tainly not our writer, and we hope, not our audi-ence.

These tales with their panoply of characters, take us on a journey into the parks, theatres, busi-ness houses, docks and even bedrooms of Russia of the early 20th Century, and will charm and enter-tain with their infectious comic fancy. The Good Doctor is our Play No.3 for 2013 and promises to be a great success. It has a great cast and is directed by Maria Plumb. The play opens on Friday 30 August. Book early to avoid missing out on this great show. One of the vignettes, The Ar-rangement, was recently presented at the popular Morningside Festival to an appreciative audience.

THE GOOD DOCTOR INTRODUCES THE CAST OF The Arrangement

TO THE AUDIENCE AT THE MORNINGSIDE FESTIVAL IN THE

MORNINGSIDE UNITING CHURCH

CAST Rod Thompson

Trevor Bond Trevor Sammon

Shane Fell Christine Ross

Patricia Pledger Noelle Dreves

CREW

DIRECTOR Maria Plumb

STAGE MANAGER

Donna Thomas

SET DESIGN Rod Thompson

A big thank you to all those who turned up to help out at the Morningside Festival this year. We had a lovely day, despite a few light showers around lunchtime. The presenta-tion of a scene from The Good Doctor in the Morningside Uniting Church was very well received, and is likely to be-come a regular event. Many thanks to Margaret O’Donnell, Liz Morris, Anthony Bradley, Trevor Bond, Gregg Gorris, Fiona Kennedy (and Dan Kennedy for the surgical gowns), Andrew Heron, Shane Fell, Rod Thomson, Maria Thompson, Brian and Margaret Cannon, Pat Wockner, David Cannon, Christine Ross, and Robyn Kearney. A big thank you to Anthony Bradley for organising and putting up the tent courtesy of our local member, Aaron Dillaway. Our small costume sale made a modest profit and we distributed lots of postcards and gathered quite a few new additions to our mailing list. Our entertainment last month was nothing short of bril-liant! The scenes from the drama The Rabbit Hole were pre-

sented with real force and raw emotion. Wonderful work from Jackie Kerr in the pivotal role, but all the cast were fan-tastic. Great to see members getting into demanding roles and right out of the comfort zone. I must make particular mention of Robyn Kearney who was really impressive. It shows what a monthly entertainment can really be. Also many thanks to those members and friends who turned out to support your fellow members. Certainly leaves big shoes to fill for this month, where we change gears entirely and invite you all to join us. We’re doing songs and dances based on a James Joyce’s short story. So please come along and join in. Cheers Leo

2013 FORTHCOMING PRODUCTIONS

Play No. 3

THE GOOD DOCTOR by Neil Simon - directed by Maria Plumb

30 AUGUST to 14 SEPTEMBER Doctor Anton Chekov observed life in the restrictive society of 19th century Russia. You will be carried along from the rough physical humour of The Appointment to the bizarre Drowned Man to the pathos of The Sneeze and the sheer delight of The

Audition - a night of intense comedy.

Play No. 4

ALONE IT STANDS by John Breen - directed by Leo Bradley

22 NOVEMBER to 7 DECEMBER An event known to all Rugby players and fans the world over. On 31 October 1978, the impossible happened. The invincible

New Zealand All Blacks met the minor Munster team on a field in Ireland and there was only one possible outcome - or was there? This play has all the excitement of a rugby grand final and is for all rugby fans and those who don’t know one

end of a rugby ball from the other.

FROM OUR PRESIDENT—LEO BRADLEY

Page 2 PROSCENIUM

MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING

AT THE THEATRE

WEDNESDAY 21 AUGUST 2013 8:00pm

ENTERTAINMENT You are all cordially invited to the Misses Morkan’s Annual Dance,

Based on a short story by James Joyce, the evening will be a great musical affair, filled

with song, dance and poetry. Come and meet the delightful characters and despite the

warnings that snow would be general all over Ireland, Aunt Kate and Aunt Julia insist on the

party going ahead. For thirty years, they’d given a party and for thirty years, everyone

sang and everyone danced.

If anyone is interested in presenting an item at our Monthly Meetings, contact a Member of the Casting Committee - phone

numbers are on the back page of The Proscenium]

Page 3 Volume 52 Issue 8

JULY ENTERTAINMENT

Members and visitors at the July monthly meeting were noticeably moved as they wit-nessed Andrew Heron’s excellent presentation of a selection of scenes from the Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Rabbit Hole, which depicted Becca’s harrowing journey, as she seeks to come to terms with the premature death of her young son (voice over Alex Kennedy) in an un-fortunate car accident. The cast of Jacqueline Kerr, Donna Gomez, Shane Fell, Robyn Kearney and Andrew Heron skilfully trod the fine line between melodrama and reality. The intended humour was well de-livered. The simple setting, in blacks, gave an extra atmospheric dimension. All actors, backstage personnel and director are to be congratulated on delivering a truly heartening, memorable experience. Surely, this is what theatre is about! Michael Byrnes CASTING COMMITTEE

PRAYER WISH Many of our members would fondly remember Tracy Ollington, who graced the Villanova Players Theatre Company stages in such productions as An Ideal Hus-band and The Furtive Fortunes of Fickle Fate. She moved to Tasmania and has performed in Amadeus with the Launceston Players. Most recently, however, she has been fiercely fighting cancer and has just one more chemotherapy treatment to endure. Could you please remember Tracy in your prayers.

Phoenix Beenleigh presents

TWELVE ANGRY MEN Venue:

Pavilion Theatre, Beenleigh Showgrounds, James Street, Beenleigh

7.30pm 26, 27 July and 2,3, 9, 10, 16, 17 August

Tickets $24 adult; $22 concession, $20 child (under 15)

Bookings—3103 1546 Gary Kliger and Steve Pearton are in the cast

VILLANOVA PLAYERS Newsletter

Villanova Players INCORPORATED Established 1948

Balmoral Park, Jean Howie Drive off Bennetts Road MORNINGSIDE PO Box 465 Morningside Qld 4170 Email:villanovaplayers@gmail.com

www.villanovaplayers.com facebook.com/Villanova Players

Theatre Company The Hut: Phone: - 3395 5168 Bookings: Phone: - 3899 9962

2013 MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE President: Leo Bradley 3891 5769 Vice Pres: Andrew Heron 0417 793 133 Treasurer: Rod Thompson 3391 7180 Secretary: Anthony Bradley 0424 064 978 Casting Liaison: Liz Morris 0439 670 283 Members: Trevor Bond 3393 6521 Dan Knudson 0410 841 495 Dan Kennedy 3352 7717 Donna Thomas 0412 621 368

2013 CASTING COMMITTEE Rod Thompson 3391 7180 Michael Byrnes 3849 4521 Maria Thompson 3391 7180 Liz Morris 0439 670 283 Samantha Tierney 0449 861 812

WHAT’S ON IN THEATRE

ST LUKE’S THEATRE SOCIETY presents Agatha Chris-tie’s SPIDER’S WEB directed by Peter Parkinson - 23rd to 31st August - Bookings - 3255 6675 ARTS THEATRE presents A NEW WAY TO PAY OLD DEBTS - directed by Ron Kelly with Cameron Hurrey - 26th July to 24th August - Bookings - 3369 2344 CENTENARY THEATRE GROUP presents THE KITCH-EN WITCHES directed by Kath Kunde - 13th July to 3rd August- Bookings - 3379 3937 SUNNYBANK THEATRE GROUP presents A FEW GOOD MEN directed by Lesley Davis - 26th July to 10th August - Bookings - 3345 3964 BEENLEIGH THEATRE GROUP presents FAME devel-oped by David De Silva - 15th to 30th November - Bookings 3807 392 TOOWOOMBA REPERTORY THEATRE presents ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL - 25th to 28th SEPTEM-BER - Bookings 4632 8058 MOUNT COTTON THEATRE GROUP presents ARMS AND THE MAN - directed by Joy Hinckley - 2nd to 10th August - Bookings online. SAVOYARDS presents THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE directed by Alec Raymond - 28th September to 12th October - Bookings 3893 4321

Through the generosity of Wesley Enoch and the

Queensland Theatre Company

Ozfrank Theatre Film and Polygranate Films

will Preview their Full Length Feature Film

At the GreenHouse 78 Montague Road South Brisbane

7pm for 7.30pm Tuesday August 27

If interested contact Leo Bradley 07 3891 5769