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NEWS LETTER

"THE BACKSTAGE PASS"

AUDIENCES SHOUT "HALLELUJAH"​

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“I laughed through the entire show” was an often-heard comment as Players Workshop’s winter production of The Hallelujah Girls provided plenty of laughs and distractions from the winter blues during its 2-week run.  Many thanks to the entire cast and crew for their hard work.  Said one audience member, “It was awesome. Everyone was so funny and you could tell they were having fun too.” 

The Hallelujah Girls is presented with permission of Dramatist’s Play Service, NY.

WORKSHOP CLOSES REGULAR SEASON WITH CLASSIC MYSTERY

 

 

 

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     All Aboard!  Buy your ticket and get on the train as Players Workshop closes its regular season with Agatha Christie’s classic murder mystery Murder on the Orient Express, adapted for the stage by highly successful playwright Ken Ludwig.

     Set in 1934 on the famed passenger train running from Istanbul to Paris, Murder on the Orient Express introduces a fascinating cast of characters and a host of clues through which  famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot must wade to find the murderer of repulsive businessman Samuel Ratchett.

     PW veteran Jim Beres takes on the role of Poirot.  The rest of the cast is as follows:  Lee Franklin plays Monsieur Constantine Bouc, Poirot’s friend who secures

the detective’s berth on the crowded train; Kaitlynn Broeg plays governess Mary Debenham; Hayden Roberts is Hector MacQueen, Ratchett’s secretary; Tommy Caruso portrays train conductor Michel; Kathy Wolfskill plays Russian princess Natalya Dragomiroff; Kass Cox is missionary Greta Ohlsson; Jenn Mena plays American doctor Countess Elena Andrenyi; Michelle Huppenbauer is busybody American divorcee Helen Hubbard; Jim Brand is Col. James Arbuthnot, an old-fashioned military man; Estel Walker is the murder victim Samuel Ratchett;  and Mateo Perez plays the head waiter.

     Murder on the Orient Express is being directed by Steve Poling, assisted by Marlene Holsteen.  Robbin Poling is the producer, Kent Lewis is the set designer, Anika Mortin is the stage manager, and Gretchen Lewis and Cyndy Fabel are the costumers.

     The show will run at the Workshop, 1431 Grove St., on May 2-4 and 8-11, 2025; evening shows begin at 7:30 p.m., with 2:00 p.m. matinees on May 4 and 11.

     Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

For more information, call the Workshop at 319-753-6623, go to www.playersworkshoptheater.com, or go to the Players Workshop Facebook page.

AUDITIONS SET FOR WORKSHOP’S YOUNG ACTORS PRODUCTION

 

           Director Carol Hinkle announces open auditions for PW’s 2025 summer Young Actor Production!  The show is entitled Bedtime Stories (As Told By Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up) by Ed Monk, a charming re-telling of some classic bedtime fairy tales, by a dad who is just a bit “fuzzy on the details.” 

            Assisted by Christine Claeys and Anika Morton, director Hinkle is looking for 4 boys and 6 girls, plus 12 or more actors of either gender, so it is a good-sized cast.

            Hinkle stated, “We encourage young actors who will finish 3rd grade this spring through those who will finish 8th grade this spring to try out.  No experience necessary and no preparation required.”

            Audition dates are as follows:  Sunday, May 11, at 6:00 p.m.  for third-fourth-fifth grade; Monday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m. for six-seventh-eighth grade; and, if your young actor can’t make it on the date for their grade, they may come on the other day.  Auditions will be held at the Workshop, 1431 Grove St., Burlington, IA

            Bedtime Stories (As Told By Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up) will run at the Workshop on June  26, 27, 28, and 29, 2025.

            For more information, contact Carol Hinkle at 319-850-1394 or email pwyoungactors@gmail.com.  Information will also be on the Workshop’s Facebook page and at www.playersworkshoptheater.com.

If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, contact Mary Weinand (mary.weinand@yahoo.com or 319-750-4651) to have your name removed from the mailing list.

 

(Prefer an email version? Contact pw6623@gmail.com, to have the newsletter converted to electronic format.)

 

 

            Bedtime Stories (As Told By Our Dad) (Who Messed Them Up is produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc (www.playscripts.com).

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ANOTHER PW ICON GONE

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            The curtain came down for longtime PW member Mary Krohlow, who passed away on Jan. 28, 2025, at the age of 80.

            Born in Wisconsin on May 1, 1944, Mary graduated from Wartburg College, remaining a lifelong fan.  She started teaching at Burlington High School in

 1966, where she was advisor for both the yearbook and newspaper.

            Mary was a teacher, a retail buyer, a software developer, a published historian, and a local volunteer. Although Mary was involved with numerous civic organizations in Burlington throughout her life, she was a mainstay of the Workshop.  As stated by longtime friend Merry Wiseman, “She put the “active” into active membership.”

            According to the Workshop archives, Mary got very involved in PW in 1975 and remained so for over 50 years! 

            She was a director of multiple shows (21), the last being Heroes in 2019.  She was known for directing plays like The Crucible and Our Town, because, as,  Merry Wiseman said  ” . . . she always remained a teacher at heart and in application.  The plays she selected to direct were chosen to educate, to make people think.” She was a co-director, assistant director (8) and producer (6) of PW shows; however, the one thing she would not do was act!

She did programs, managed the box office, served on, and/or chaired, almost every committee (she was in charge of season ticket sales for years), was a long-time board member, and was known for hosting cast/crew parties for almost every play in which she was involved.  She was the person most instrumental in establishing the PW library of plays, currently available at the Workshop, after having stored hundreds of those plays in her home for years.

            A prolific and published historian, Mary was chair of the PW Archives Committee from its inception in 2010 until her death, and, at the time of her death, as part of the 90th year anniversary of PW, was working on a complete history of the Workshop from its beginning in the early 1930’s.

            On a very personal note, for many years Mary wrote and edited the Workshop’s newsletter, and, when she indicated she wanted to turn it over to someone else, she asked me if I would be interested.  When I agreed, she gave me a multi-paged, single-spaced guideline that contained virtually everything needed to do the job successfully; I always got a quick email if she found a mistake, but she was always encouraging. Because of her vast knowledge of PW, whenever I needed clarification or needed a photo, I would shoot her an email, and I always had the material in less than 24 hours, making my job a lot easier. Her generosity of spirit was simply part of who she was.

            At her Celebration of Life, held at the Workshop on March 8, some of the words heard to describe Mary were “kind,” “loyal,” “dedicated,” “perseverance,” “demanding and meticulous, but pleasant and warmhearted.”

Mary Krohlow was one of a kind, and Players Workshop is all the better for

having been a part of it; she is going to be missed so much.

SUPPORTING CAST  2024-2025 DONORS WELCOME

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Players Workshop invites you to join the Supporting Cast for 2024-2025 season.

            This is a one-time financial donation to Players Workshop, which will run for the theatrical season, and contributes significantly to the financial stability of PW.

Donations may be made in one of the following categories:

Usher $25-$99            

Stage Crew $100-$249

Supporting Actor $250-$499     

Star $500-$999

Director $1000-$2499           

Producer $2500+

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Director

Barbara Bonnett

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Star

Tim & Tonja Binder

BNSF Railway Foundation

 (matching Kevin Liles’ donation)

Mary Fox

Kevin Liles

Lillian Rubin

Carole Theesfeld

 

Supporting Actor

Sandra Allgood

David Beckman

Carolyn Dorting

Bonnie Downes

Eva Ann Elmer

Jon Hart

Wayne & Colleen Heibner

Nathan & Stephanie Heubner

Marlene Holsteen

Judith Johnson

Russ Leuck

Chip & Dana Readinger

Tim Roberts

Fred & Martha Wetzel

Kimberly Wittkamp

 

Stage Crew

Barb & David Acord

Allan G. Allsup

Cindy & Darrell Bachtell

 Connie Bowen

Joni Brainerd

Dan & Kathleen Cahill

Jim & Sandy Carter

Lois A. Close

Carol Copeland

 Barbara Drodz (in memory of Jim Drodz)

Mary & Bill Fortin

 Becky Foy

Roger & Lori Griswald

Dr. Amy Groeltz – Smile Shoppe

Robert Haines

Carole Halicki

Kaye Hanna & Tim Hutchins

Carol Janosik

Denise Johnson

Gerhardt & Carmen Lachnitt

Cynthia M. Leonard (in memory of Mark T. Leonard)

Tammy Lohmann

Mary Marsh

Ronald Marshall

Linda Messer

John & Lisa Pomberg

Milton & Laurie Paule

Carol J. Reed

Rheinschmidt’s Flooring America

John & Kathy Schneider

Teresa, Mark, & Pat Shaffer

Sara Sink

Pauline Spees & Jim Raudabaugh

Nancy StClair

 Wayne & Nancy Tolander

Keith Turrill

Peggy & Earl Stott

Kathy Wolfskill

Renee Zaiser – Razzle Travel

 

Usher

Judy Bartachek

Russell Benischek

Chad & Sally Bird

Lynne Carter

Lois Close (in memory of Sandra Nolte)

Joyce & Paul Dennison

Jaquelyn Edwards

Sharon Eisenmayer

Mary Fickel

Lori Fry

Russ Fry

Susan Geren

Lyle & Janice Gibson

Barbara Hahn

Linda & Harry Hoenig

Katherine M. Hoth

Dean Hurliman

Char M. L. James

Dee & Wayne Johnson

Dorothy Leazer

Pat Mayle

Mary McManis

Lucinda Milder

Ryan Nagrocki

Kendra Robertson

Kathleen Schier

Keith Schultz, Sr.

Bev & Duane Sherbondy

Brett Shollenbarger

Jyll & Paul Sly

Laura Sly

Anita Stapleton

David Teater

Larry & Linda Turley

Henry Villareal

Christine Williamson

Kay Wilson

Eunice Winters

 

All those who join will have their names listed in each play program and newsletter, as well as on the PW website, for 2024-25.  Thank you in advance for your support.  You may join the Honorary Supporting Cast by  filling out the form at the end of this newsletter or the form in your play program.

Also, Players Workshop thanks these additional patrons for their financial donations to Players Workshop: James Stuart, Ava Arnold.

 

You may join the Honorary Supporting Cast by filling out the form in your play program.

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PLAYERS WORKSHOP thanks these additional patrons for their financial donations to Players Workshop:  Faith Krause, Marie Milfort, Sheena Abbott, Shirley Beck.

 

REMEMBERING MARY:  Players Workshop thanks those who have made donations in memory of the late Mary Krohlow:  Chriss Heyd & Doris Kulp,
Bonnie Downes, John Walker Rutenbeck, Lavon L. Worley, James L. Beres, Mary Fox, Brenda Dahl, Pam Farr, Kent Lewis, Ericka Breuer, Susan Beckman, Mary McManis, Laurie Noll, Colleen Heibner, Kathy Gerling, Marlene Holsteen, Ann Hass, Christine Heyd & Cassee Potenzone.

For past newsletters click here

 

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