April 2002 Edition

Presenting Lie, Cheat and Genuflect

Port Arthur Little Theatre's final offering of this season is the lively comedy Lie, Cheat and Genuflect by William Van Zandt and Jane Milmore. Show dates are April 19-20, 26-28 and May 3-5. The Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m.; all others are at 7:30 p.m. at the Playhouse, 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. Tickets are $10 with a $2 discount for seniors over age 65 and all students. For reservations, call our new number, 727-PALT (727-7258). (Note: To genuflect is to touch the knee to the floor as Catholics do in church.)

The Buckle Brothers, Billy and Tom, Laurel-and-Hardy types, are in big trouble: Tom's losing streak at the racetrack has drained Billy's savings, and Billy just found out about it. The real trouble is coming from loan shark Pizza Face Petrillo, who gave Tom a loan. Pizza Face is calling in the debt now! Grandfather Buckle's will is about to be read, but the two black sheep doubt they'll be included. What else to do but hatch a crazy scheme to get away with the entire fortune? Add a stuffy lawyer, a lush of a housekeeper and three lovely ladies, and you have the makings of a laugh-filled farce of twists, turns and pratfalls. Not to mention the mistaken identities, the baby, guns, a nun on the run and ... boxer shorts?

Michael Chang (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) is down-on-his-luck Tom, and Paul Bloyd (Walt Disney World Entertainment) is making his PALT debut as Billy of the drained bank account. Thomas Xavier (Harvey) plays the young lawyer and Kay Lene' (I Remember Mama) returns to the PALT stage as the hard-drinking man-hungry housekeeper, Virginia. Patrick Lene' (Li'l Abner) appears as Pizza Face Petrillo, and Dana Erin Deggs (Little Shop of Horrors) is his girlfriend, Macintosh. Janet Lynn Wise (Mousetrap), another member of the Lene' clan, and Andrea Garcia (Nuts) play the other two women.

Gale Walker assists director Jean Heubach. Make plans now to see this funny who's-gonna-get-it!

An Invitation to Wonderland

PALT is holding open auditions for its summer presentation of Alice in Wonderland at 7 p.m. April 22 and 23 at the Playhouse. Director Bridget Farias is looking for actors from age 6 to high school age. The show will play June 14-16 and June 21-22. If you think you're mad as a hatter or just want to take a trip down a rabbit hole, join us at the theater.

Celebrate this July with 1776

The patriotic musical 1776 is this summer's timely joint production by Lamar State College-Port Arthur and Port Arthur Little Theatre. The director, Dr. Keith Cockrell, is holding open auditions at the Lamar Theater at 7 p.m. May 13 and 14. The show will open July 5.

The cast calls for at least 25 adult men and two adult women. Prospective cast members are encouraged to learn songs from the musical for the audition. The community is invited to audition, and volunteers are needed for backstage crew members as well. For information, call Cockrell at 984-6338.

Membership to Elect Board Members

PALT's next general membership meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Playhouse on Jimmy Johnson Boulevard. One of the most important items on the agenda is the election of new board members.

It has been said before, but this is a reminder: if you hold membership in the theater, you are allowed to vote on the items that come up at the general membership meetings held twice a year. The board directs the course of the theater for the next season. If you like the way things are going, come and show your support by re-electing those whose terms are up. Likewise, if you feel things need to be changed, come cast your vote to show that. You truly do have a say in the future of Port Arthur Little Theatre.

There is one vote allowed per membership, except for family membership holders who can cast two votes for family members ages 18 or up. Door prizes will be given away. Come to the meeting and bring other members with you.

First PALT Spotlight Awards

Plans are in the making for a special end-of-the-season banquet to be held at The Garden Terrace Tea Room in Nederland on Saturday, June 15. Festivities are set to begin at 7:30 pm. The night of dinner, entertainment and accolades is to celebrate the past season and honor those who worked so hard to make it a wonderful year. Final details are being made and will be announced at the May general membership meeting. Plan now to attend a night of fun, food and prizes.

New Phone Number and Web Site

PALT has a new address on the web. It's www.palt.org. You'll be able to find show dates and times, copies of the newsletters and other pertinent information. Bookmark it!

We also have a new phone number for reservations: 727-PALT (727-7258). Be sure to update your listings. The old phone number, 724-1840, will continue to work for the rest of the year.

PALT Spots You at Business Expo

If you thought you were seeing spots at the latest Port Arthur Business Expo, you were probably visiting the Port Arthur Little Theatre booth. Volunteers dressed up in polka-dotted clothes to emphasize our campaign, "There's a Spot for You at PALT."

Brightly-colored spots illustrated the many opportunities for people to participate in community theater without having to appear onstage and memorize lines, although we are always looking for new talent onstage as well as off. We have many places for you to exercise your talents, such as painting, sewing, building, accompanying and conducting, stage managing, photographing and videotaping, and greeting our patrons, to name only a few.

Please consider lending your creative talents to us at PALT, your community theater. For information on auditions and opportunities to serve as well as membership information, please call 727-PALT.