Original comedy performances at Little Theatre
Sherrel Rieger, left, Earl Wohlheter and Annie Tipton rehearse a scene from “Penelope Ann,” which was written by Tipton.
The members of the Original Productions Troupe are preparing their show of all original work to be presented on Sept. 7 at the Little Theatre.
The event is a fundraiser and membership drive for the Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County. Tickets are $10 each and are available at the door only. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m.
For an additional $10, those attending can purchase a one-year membership to the Little Theatre that comes with perks including discounts on opening-night tickets, a subscription to the Curtain Call newsletter and more.
Other membership levels also are available at a variety of donation amounts in addition to corporate sponsorships. Those who purchase memberships are then eligible to attend the Little Theatre annual meeting, which will be held on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.
The troupe has been performing together since 2015, first taking their show to nursing homes. “We wanted to take it on the road and go where people would be appreciative,” troupe member Shawn Clay said.
The group currently performs about 10 shows a year, some for donations to the Little Theatre. “I’m proud to say we’ve raised a lot of money for the Little Theatre,” Clay said.
The members of the troupe are area residents: Shawn Clay, Melanie Slabaugh Clay, Earl Wohlheter, Greg Clay, Mike Taylor, Jack Pottmeyer, Kathy Burgstrom, Pat Potter, Michael Antonelli, Samantha White, Sherrel Rieger and Annie Tipton.
The group will perform four full skits. “The show is originally produced and written by us,” Clay said. “There will be a couple of surprises. The skits are a tribute to the comedy that inspired us, the people who inspired us to do what we do.”
In addition to the acting performance, George Tsantis will be the featured musical guest at the show. “George is a community-minded guy and a heck of a blues guitar player. People will really enjoy it,” Clay said.
Some of this year’s skits will be centered around children, but there are no children in the cast. “The audience will get to see us goofing around as kids,” Clay said. “The skits are a nice range of what it means to be a kid.”
The group meets year round, but they aren’t always rehearsing. Beginning in October and during the colder months, they read new scripts, talk about them and write together as a group.
“We’ll write new skits when the ideas are fresh,” Clay said. “Everyone throws out ideas. It’s much more fulfilling when we go to perform it because everyone had a hand in it.”
Four skits will be presented for the Sept. 7 show. “Penelope Ann,” about a young girl, was written by Annie Tipton. A group piece written in a two-meeting span is “Your Moment of Horror,” about a young man who lives in Mom’s basement.
“Once we got the idea, [the writing] went pretty fast. He films horror shows with his friends, and we see his life in three different scenes. It’s visually fun to watch,” Clay said.
The third skit is titled “Yet Another Bad Date,” written by Melanie Slabaugh Clay about an adult male who meets three different women on a speed date. Unfortunately his overbearing mother insists on tagging along, and there’s a surprise ending.
Annie Tipton plays all three women in the skit. “It’s fun to see someone play three characters,” Clay said, adding that if someone wants to improvise, that is just part of the fun.
The fourth skit is “Abe Lincoln Birthplace” by Shawn Clay and is based on an actual experience he had at the Lincoln Birthplace site. “The skit is similar to the summer vacation movie with Chevy Chase,” Clay said.
Clay invites everyone to come to the show. “There are a lot of people out there who want to see original material. We are local people, local actors,” he said.
The Original Productions Troupe will offer something special. “There are not a lot of shows around here with original material,” Clay said.
The Little Theatre is located at 466 Carrie St. in New Philadelphia. For more information visit www.thelittletheatreonline.org.