April 2001 Edition

PALT Presents Father of the Bride

Port Arthur Little Theatre will wrap up its current season with Caroline Franke's romantic comedy, Father of the Bride. The lighthearted play is the tale of a household turned upside down, and a father's pockets turned inside out, when the oldest child announces her engagement.

PALT's version could also be called A Family Affair. Frequent PALT actress Gale Walker shares directing duties of this show with Rose Moon, who helped direct Grease and Jake's Women. Together they direct Rose's husband, Gregg Moon (Harvey), in the title role of Stanley Banks, the harried father who wants his daughter to have the wedding of her dreams but who has nightmares himself of landing in the poorhouse.

Paula Good (The Mousetrap) plays Kay, the young bride trying to please herself, her fiancé and her parents all at the same time. Kay's brothers, Ben and Tommy, are played by Paula's brothers, Isaiah and Jacob. Isaiah Good (Dracula) plays Ben, the self-assured young man looking to get married himself soon. Jacob Good (Grease) plays younger brother Tommy, who doesn't see what the fuss is all about. All three Goods are Rose's children and Gregg's stepchildren.

Adding to the family atmosphere backstage are John and Ann Holland. Ann (Jake's Women) plays Stanley's wife, Ellie, who throws herself into the wedding plans with delight. John plays Red, a furniture mover. They have appeared together before in Hello, Dolly! and Mame.

Appearing for the first time on the PALT stage is Jeff Laird of Beaumont. Jeff (The Wizard of Oz) plays Buckley Dunstan, Kay's fiancé, who really wants to keep the wedding very small and private. Jeff played in Inspecting Carol with director Gale Walker. Sara Halliburton (Cinderella) plays Ben's girlfriend, Peggy, who wants a wedding "exactly like Kay's."

Kerry Pedigo (Harvey) does a comic portrayal of Mr. Banks' very efficient secretary, Miss Bellamy, who is drafted to cut down the out-of-control guest list. Phillip Gray (Pride and Prejudice) plays Massoula, the wedding coordinator, with a Southern gentleman twist. Kelly Tibbetts (The Mousetrap) plays his circulation manager, Joe.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are Bridget Farias (Harvey) as Delilah, the Banks' maid, and Adam Ruiz (Cinderella) as a member of Massoula's crew. Also new to PALT are Justin Varing, doubling as Buzz, Tommy's buddy, and Tim's Man, a florist deliveryman, and Vicki Russell, making her first stage appearance ever as Mrs. Pulitzki, Kay's seamstress.

Gale Walker and Rose Moon are also co-producing. Rose Moon and Paula Good are in charge of coordinating costumes and Kay Lené is working her magic as props mistress. Jean Heubach will dress hair in '50's styles, and Dennis Riley is supervising set construction.

Show dates are 7:30 p.m. April 26-28 and May 3-5 and 2:30 p.m. April 29 and May 6 at the PALT Playhouse, 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. Ticket prices are $10 with a $2 discount for seniors over 65 and all students. Admission is by ticket or season membership. For reservations, call 724-1840.

Bride Fundraiser Set

Port Arthur Little Theatre will be conducting a fundraiser during the run of Father of the Bride, with proceeds going to the building fund. A doll depicting Elizabeth Taylor in her role as Kay in the original movie version of Father of the Bride with Spencer Tracy will be given away. The doll wears a replica of the beautiful wedding gown that Miss Taylor wore in the movie.

Tickets for a chance to win the doll will be available at all shows for $1 donation with the winning ticket drawn on the last day of performance. The winning ticket holder need not be present to win. For information, call 724-1840.

General Membership Meeting

You can help direct the future of Port Arthur Little Theatre if you take the opportunity and attend the next general membership meeting to be held at the theater at 2 p.m. May 20. There are several board positions coming up for re-election or replacement. The board will present a slate of candidates for those positions, but people can also be nominated from the floor.

If you hold a membership in PALT, you have the right to cast a vote. Family membership holders may cast a total of two votes for the family, provided that at least two members are at least 18 years old. Please come, meet the candidates and cast your vote. The theater is at 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. This is your theater -- take time to direct its future.

PALT Wins Best of Show

PALT recently participated in the Business Expo at the Port Arthur Civic Center. If you passed by the booth, you couldn't help notice the ladies and gentlemen in costumes and also the coach from Cinderella, PALT's latest musical. Visitors were able to register for door prizes of tickets to Father of the Bride and a membership for our next season.

Ann Holland, the committee chairman, set the booth up with the theme "We Wear Many Hats at Port Arthur Little Theatre -- Come See Which One Fits You." Her group's work garnered the Best in Show Award. Look for the beautiful trophy in the lobby next time you visit the theater.

New PALT Mailing Address

Port Arthur Little Theatre has a new mailing address. Please send all written correspondence to the following address: PALT, 8691 Ninth Ave., PMB 118, Port Arthur, TX 77642-8011 The Playhouse is still at 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. The reservation line is 724-1840, and the phone number at the theater is 722-7732.

Local Actors Recognized

Congratulations go to Nate Hall of Port Arthur, who recently won the Best Actor Award in the UIL One-Act Play competition. Hall, a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, appeared in The Glass Menagerie and has played in many PALT shows, including Cinderella and The Star Spangled Girl, as well as in Hello, Dolly! at Lamar-Port Arthur.

Congrats also to Blake Lena of Nederland who recently landed a role as an extra in an upcoming Mel Gibson movie. Blake appeared in Bye- Bye Birdie for Port Arthur Little Theatre and is in the U.S. Army, stationed in Fort Benning, Ga.

Peter Pan Auditions

You can still try out for the title role in PALT's upcoming production of Sir James Barrie's Peter Pan. Director Gale Walker will hold auditions at the Playhouse at 7 p.m. April 30 and May 1. There are 25 roles available for ages 6 and up to adults as well as chorus roles for fairies, pirates, Indians and animals. The show dates are June 14-17. If you have questions, attend the auditions or call 724-1840.

Thanks to Newsletter Staff

Special thanks to Rose Moon, Jim Crain, Jean Heubach, Virginia Jordan and others for all the hard work they put in with this newsletter. It's amazing how much time and effort is expended in getting this information distributed. Be sure to thank these people the next time you see one of them!