Season 3
2004 - 2005
Master Class
by Terrance McNally
September 23 - October 17, 2004
The Tony Award winning Best Play from 1996 opens the third season at Good Theater. Set during a master class, this humorous and dramatic work gives audiences a glimpse of the real Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer of her generation. Lisa Stathopolos takes on the demanding role of Maria Callas that won Zoe Caldwell a Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Play. Other actresses to receive acclaim for portraying Callas include Patti LuPone, Dixie Carter and Faye Dunaway. Stathopolos is joined on stage by Aaron Robinson as Manny, the pianist, and Jennifer McLeod, Richard Gammon and Kelly Caufield portray Maria’s three students. Master Class isn’t just for opera fans!
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Maria Callas - Lisa Stathoplos*
Manny - Aaron Robinson
Sophie - Jennifer McLeod
Tony - Richard Gammon
Sharon - Kelly Caufield
Stage Hand - Chris HandyDirected by Brian P. Allen^
Stage Manager - Karen Dunton
Set Design - Janet Montgomery
Lighting Design - Jamie Grant
Costumes - Joan McMahon
Technical Director - Stephen Underwood
Assistant Technical Director - Craig Robinson* Member Actors' Equity Association
^ Member SDC, Society of Directors & Choreographers -
STATHOPLOS BREATHES FIRE INTO CALLAS ROLE
Portland Press Herald,
By Mary Snell"The Good Theater has opened its season at the St. Lawrence Arts Center with Terrence McNally's Tony Award winning play, "Master Class," which is based on the life of Maria Callas.
"Master Class" is directed with the classy touch of artistic director, Brian Allen. His first smart move was to cast the veteran Maine actor, Lisa Stathoplos, in the leading role. Being Greek-American she has the dark elegant features and flair of her character. But it's more than that. She exhibits the fire, the emotion, and the particularity of Callas. And Stathoplos must perform at three levels - as Callas; as Callas performing as Callas when she demonstrates for her students; and as younger Callas and others from her past in several memory scenes. Brava.
Another outstanding aspect of the show is the quality of the other performers, who appear as the hapless students and pianist. Kelly Caufield wows with her singing in the meatiest role of the high-strung soprano, Sharon; Aaron Robinson is comfortable in the role of accompanist as well as performs beautifully; Richard Gammon is terrific as the tenor, Tony; and Jennifer McLeod as the innocent Sophie is the most successful in communicating her frustration through her admiration for the this cruel yet truthful teacher. Chris Handy is fine in the tiny role of the stagehand.
The St. Lawrence Arts Center has an improved look, thanks to work done this summer. Scenic designer Janet Montgomery has worked with the color scheme of the theater to create an elegant setting for the "Master Class" - all maroon and black. The action takes place in front of the gorgeous satin stage curtains. Lighting designer Jamie Grant washes the stage with clear even light during the teaching sessions, and pulls our focus to Callas during the darker memory scenes. Joan McMahon has created a range of looks with her costumes that aptly reflect the characters - whether it's the class of Callas or the frou-frou of Sophie.
If you know anything about Callas or singing, go see this play. If you don't know anything about either, go see this play!"
THE FORECASTER
by Scott Andrews"Portland's Good Theater opened its 2004-2005 season last week with a riveting professional performance of "Master Class," led by Maine actress Lisa Stathoplos delivering a bravura performance as the celebrated soprano who rocked the staid operatic world for two decades. Lisa deserved her standing ovation - the sort of reception that was the norm during Callas' heyday."
THE PORTLAND PHOENIX
by Megan Grumbing"Of Greek heritage and no less than a master herself, veteran actor Stathoplos doesn't seem to act the great soprano so much as actually inhabit her. She conveys a complexity in the diva's vainglory, gifts, and weaknesses that stand up to a two-hour close inspection, during which we rarely look away from her."
Barrymore
by William Luce
November 4 - 28, 2004
Maine Premiere
A recent Broadway hit, Barrymore won the 1997 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for its original star Christopher Plummer. Good Theater co-founder Stephen Underwood takes on the role of legendary actor John Barrymore. This irreverent and funny play takes places as John Barrymore is rehearsing for a come back to the stage. Very little rehearsing takes place, but there are numerous and hilarious stories about the great Barrymore family from his grandmother to his father as well as his famous siblings. Brian P. Allen portrays Frank, Barrymore’s trusted stagehand and prompter. Lee K. Paige who starred in Shirley Valentine and Same Time Next Year for Good Theater directs this Maine premiere.
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John Barrymore - Stephen Underwood
Frank - Brian AllenDirected by Lee K. Paige
Stage Manager - Adam Gutgsell
Set Design - Janet Montgomery
Lighting Design - Jamie Grant
Costumes - Joan McMahon
Technical Director - Stephen Underwood
Assistant Technical Director - Craig Robinson* Member Actors' Equity Association
^ Member SDC, Society of Directors & Choreographers -
BARRYMORE, A LIFE LIVED WELL LUBRICATED
Portland Press Herald, Nov 8, 2004
By April Boyle
Actor John Barrymore died more than 62 years ago but the declining star was vividly alive once again in Stephen Underwood's portrayal Saturday night. "Barrymore" is set in 1942 on the stage of a New York City theater. Having fallen from stardom, Barrymore hopes to restart his career with a revival of his most renowned role, "Richard III."
Although Barrymore's life had the elements of a tragedy, he preferred to live it like a tragicomedy. Underwood's portrayal perfectly brings to life both the comedic and tragic elements that were the essence of Barrymore. Audiences laughed as Underwood cracked suggestive jokes, all the while imbuing sadness in the clownish exterior.
The performance is virtually a one-man show, though the play also features Barrymore's assistant, Frank, played by Underwood's Good Theater co-founder, Brian Allen.
Underwood gives a sense of believability to his character as he drunkenly staggers around the stage, slurring words. His actions and mannerisms are often subtle, never cartoonish. For those times that Barrymore drifts into lucidity, Underwood delivers the lines like a Shakespearean pro.
"Barrymore" is a wonderful way to become acquainted with a legend that is simply a familiar name to most people today.
The play takes a personal look at Barrymore's illustrious bad-boy life that catapulted him to stardom, led to four divorces and in the end, left him washed-up, but not forgotten. Check it out.Good Theater portrays theatrical giant in one-man 'Barrymore'
The Forecaster, Nov 10. 2004
By Scott Andrews
"Good Theater, the resident thespian troupe at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, presents Stephen Underwood in a riveting biographical portrayal of the actor in 'Barrymore," a Tony Award-winning one-man play.""Stephen Underwood plays the title role with both force and finesse, dissecting Barrymore's contradictory qualities and revealing his internal conflicts in this riveting character study."
A Man of No Importance
book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
February 17 - March 13, 2005
Maine Premiere
Good Theater is proud to present the Maine premiere of this recent off-Broadway musical from the creators of Ragtime. Alfie Byrne (played by Timothy Bate) is an unmarried bus conductor who leads a very ordinary life. However, his life becomes beautiful whenever he is directing a show for his community theater using all of the folks who ride his bus as the actors. Over the course of the play, Alfie learns a great lesson about life and love. With an award winning score, A Man of No Importance will warm your heart during Maine’s cold winter. In the Good Theater tradition of Baby and Little Me, this is a must see. The show also stars Good Theater favorites Kelly Caufield, Stephen Underwood, Amy Roche, Lee K. Paige, Glenn Anderson, Lois Sturtevant, Betsy Melarkey Dunphy, and William Sandstead and features newcomers to our stage Graham Allen, Laura Darrell, Jeffrey Roberts, Barney Martin, Alan McLucas, and Laura Harris.
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Alfie Byrne - Timothy Bate
Robbie Fay - Graham Allen
Adele Rice - Kelly Caufield
Lily Byrne - Amy Roche
Carney/Oscar Wilde - Stephen Underwood
Baldy O’shea - Glenn Anderson
Kate - Laura Darrell
Mrs. Curtin - Betsy Melarkey Dunphy
Peter/Breton Beret - Bill Ellis
Sully O’Hara - Alan McLucas
Rasher Flynn/Carson - Barney Martin
Mrs. Patrick - Laura Harris
Miss Crowe - Lee K. Paige
Father Kenny - Jeffrey Roberts
Ernie Lally - William Sandstead
Mrs. Grace/Kitty Farrelly - Lois SturtevantDirected by Brian P. Allen^
Musical Director Aaron Robinson
Stage Manager - Karen Dunton
Set Design - Janet Montgomery
Lighting Design - Jamie Grant
Costumes - Joan McMahon
Technical Director - Stephen Underwood
Assistant Technical Director - Craig Robinson* Member Actors' Equity Association
^ Member SDC, Society of Directors & Choreographers -
Portland Press Herald, February 21,2005
"...it is a sweet little gem. Director Brian Allen has once again assembled a cast and pit band that will knock your socks off." "This role seems written for Timothy Bate who does some of his best work to date as the kind, dreamy, but troubled Alfie." "But the stunning thing about the show is the well-prepared ensemble cast which features some of southern Maine's best vocal talent. It's hard to place one above the other since each performer also brings warmth, depth & personality to their characters."The Portland Phoenix
"The young Good Theater has quickly become a winsome, exuberant, and unpretentious addition to Portland's best professional companies. Their production of this award-winning musical is so fluid, well-paced, and seamlessly charming that it's easy to forget the one proscenium as its players bustle within their own in St. Imelda's." "Director Brian Allen has assembled a singularly excellent group of actors - impressive not only for their individual talents but for their remarkable, hand-in-glove coherence as a cast - and he moves them about the space of the St. Lawrence with an unerring eye." "Timothy Bate's Alfie is simply superlative; his humble enthusiasm is infectious and the trauma of his inner troubles delicately wrought." "Graham Allen has a sinewy candor, and it's a joy to watch him flex his unaffected, working-class masculinity." "Kelly Caulfield's Adele is radiant with her stunning voice and endearing balancing act between ingénue and more worldly girl, and Amy Roche as Alfie's sister Lily brings wit, compassion, and a great range to a meaty comic role"The Forecaster, February 23, 2005
"...a contemporary musical of unusual power..." "Imagination and stagecraft collide head-on with reality in Dublin, Ireland, in a modern American musical of unusual power & persuassion." "Timothy Bate delivers an impressive performance in the title role, and he's ably supported by a cast of 15 under the direction of Good Theater co-founder Brian P. Allen." "Good Theater deserves raves for selecting this remarkably moving Off-Broadway musical drama. Plus, the company delivers an outstanding, memorable and profoundly thought-provoking production that ought to be on the must-see list for any Maine theater enthusiast."
California Suite
by Neil Simon
April 14 - May 8, 2005
Neil Simon is the master of comedy and the most successful playwright of our time. In California Suite four separate stories are played out in suite 203 and 204. In the first scene barbed one liners fly as a divorced couple (he’s a relaxed Californian; she’s an uptight New Yorker) meet to discuss custody of their teenaged daughter. In the second scene, Marvin wakes up to find a hooker in his bed and his wife is on her way up to the room. Hilarity ensues as Marvin tries to remember the night before and win back his wife while trying to get the hooker out of his bed. The third scene focuses on Diana and Sidney a couple from London. She has been nominated for an Academy Award. The beginning of the scene has the two getting ready for the awards and the end of the scene shows what happens after the Academy Awards. In the final vignette, two couples, best friends, have been vacationing for three weeks and now everyone is at each other’s throat. This madcap farcical scene even has its own Good Theater surprise ending.
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The Visitors from New York
Hannah – Denise Poirier*
Billy – Paul Drinan
The Visitors from Philadelphia
Marvin – William Sandstead
Millie – Cathy Counts
Bunny – Hilary G. Benn
The Visitors from London
Diana – Denise Poirier*
Sidney – Brian P. Allen
The Visitors from Chicago
Mort – Paul Drinan
Beth – Hilary G. BennDirected by Brian P. Allen^ and Lee K. Paige
Stage Manager – Karen Dunton
Set Design – Janet Montgomery
Lighting Design – Jamie Grant
Costumes – Joan McMahon
Technical Director – Stephen Underwood
Assistant Technical Director – Craig Robinson
Photography - Ian MacInnes & Stephen Underwood* Member Actors' Equity Association
^ Member SDC, Society of Directors & Choreographers -
Lots of Laughs in 'California Suite'
- by Steve Feeney"…Good Theater's current production of the play, directed by Brian P. Allen and Lee K. Paige, delivers the little insights into human nature and, more importantly, the laughs that make for a highly entertaining night at the theater.
Much of the success of the production, as reviewed on opening night, rests in the performance of Denise Poirier, who appears in three of the four vignettes that make up the play. In her first appearance with the company, the actress, who has a lengthy resume including roles on "Seinfeld," "Frasier" and "Murphy Brown," reveals impressive versatility in three quite different roles.
The best segment, called "Visitors from London," casts Poirier as a British actress who's been nominated for an Oscar. Poirier gives compelling life to the witty dialogue, with its undercurrent of insecurity on the brink of despair.
Alternately caustic and lovey-dovey, she and her bisexual husband, played with a certain aristocratic charm by Allen, reveal the contours of their marital arrangement, and how it uniquely succeeds, despite its limitations. This segment really has all the right Simon ingredients in balance and it's a delight to see unfold.
…"Visitors from Chicago," a farcical piece in which minor injuries mount as two vacationing couples get on each other's nerves...had the audience roaring.
Each element contributes to making this a fun season finale from the Good Theater.
Special Events
Broadway at the St. Lawrence II
annual fundraiser concert
December 18 & 19, 2004
This year two Broadway stars will join local performers for a concert that will feature holiday music of the season as well as Broadway favorites. George Merritt who has starred on Broadway in Big River, Jekyll & Hyde, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and Porgy and Bess will return to the St. Lawrence for his second appearance. Joining George will be another Broadway star, Michelle Blakeley who recently starred opposite Bernadette Peters in the hit revival of Annie Get Your Gun and made her Broadway debut in the revival of Grease.
Local performers slated to join these two Broadway stars include: Brian P. Allen, Kelly Caufield, Jennifer DeDominici, Richard Gammon, Lynne McGhee, Jackie McLean, Jennifer McLeod, Margaret Plouffe, Amy Roche, Christian Schwebler, Karen Stickney, Paul Stickney, Stephen Underwood and Tanya Whitman. Aaron Robinson is the musical director for the event.
Maine Hysterical Society
annual fundraiser
December 26 - 29, 2004
The Hystericals sold out all 3 shows in advance last year, and if you missed them, you missed a lot of fun! They return for 5 shows this time around, so come join Sonny Day, Russell Spurwink and Emmitt Pickett and laugh your way into the new year. Combining new material with perennial favorites, The Maine Hysterical Society will delight you with hilarious sketches, song parodies, and some "wicked good" jugglin’! For all ages.
The Hystericals are Randy Judkins, Stephen Underwood and Barney Martin
DC Anderson Cabaret Show
April 25, 2005
DC Anderson, who is currently touring the country with the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, (playing Andre, one of the owners of the opera house) will bring his talents to the St. Lawrence stage in a benefit for Good Theater. This tuneful, intimate evening will feature a number of original songs as well as your favorite standards. DC has released several albums and is the winner of several MAC awards for his cabaret work. He will be accompanied by David Robison, the associate conductor of the national Phantom tour.