{PHOTO: Rehearsing their lines for the upcoming production of “Play On!” are, from left, Tim Davis, Joan Cook, Allison Kuhns and Don Petersen. (Submitted photo)
VIENNA — The Vienna Woods Players are preparing their next presentation “Play On!,” slated for Aug. 19-21 at the Vienna Union Hall. The three-act performance is about a small community theater group preparing and staging a play; Act I, Practice; Act II Dress Rehearsal; and Act III, the Performance. As they enact an amateur playwright’s attempt at an Edwardian England murder (more or less) mystery, all kinds of things go wrong, and the worst nightmares of a play director and cast should prove hilarious for the audience.
Rosemary Baker’s character attempts to direct a play — “Murder Most Foul” — caught between the idiosyncrasies of its amateur playwright (Jan Collins) and its amateur cast. Jason Woofenden is the heroic and romantic lead, who tries to win the hand of ingenue actress Allison Kuhns; Tim Davis and Joan Cook portray members of the wealthy nobility targeted with stealth by the allegedly murderous (but charming) villain, Don Peterson; the house maid, not yet cast, is caught up in the drama of the Edwardian period; while the playwright attempts to highlight the nuances of the play, stage manager and prompter, Laura Church, struggles to just bring out the words and actions in each act; and sound, light and set technician Janet Roderick tries chaotically to keep the set and sound effects together. At the center of the plot is a gem with a curse that spells death, as enacted by the various players.
The V.W. Players are based at the Union Hall, Vienna’s 133 year old cultural center, and have contributed to more than a century’s tradition of theater, music, dance in the hall (also basketball, graduations, Grange meetings, etc.). The cast draws from Rome and Belgrade, as well as Vienna and beyond to Mt Vernon, Fayette, Wilton and Portland. After performing together for years with Cheryl Herr-Rains writing and/or directing, they organized in 2019 in order to provide some year-to-year continuity in planning and to enable her to share tasks with players and shift toward a producer role. She is joined by Karla Arceneaux, assistant director; June Cauldwell, who uses her “Sewly For You'” skills to collaborate in creating costumes; and Greg Cauldwell, updating set construction.
Performances will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m., at the Vienna Union Hall, 5 Vienna Mountain Road. Current community COVID precautions will be respected. As seating is limited, reservations are recommended by emailing viennaplayers@gmail.com.
