Open Book Players

MEET OUR CAST: Meet our first 4 cast members for “Thurber Fables…For Adults”: Come and see them perform at Johnson Hall Opera House on Saturday, April 5th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 6th at 1:00 p.m.

RICHARD BOSTWICK…Richard’s acting career started when he wrote a stupid play in the 7th grade. He did better in high school, and then took a hiatus until he moved into the area in 1984. He has been active in theater, primarily with the Gaslight Theater doing all phases of theater.

LINDA DUARTE…Linda Duarte has been having fun with community theater for many years, directing, stage managing, and a little acting. This is her first time performing with Open Book Players although she has run lights a couple of times. She hopes you enjoy the show!

EVE BLACKWELL…Eve is now in her 3rd Open Book Players show at Johnson Hall, the 1st Twain by the Tale back in Nov. 2021 & Something Wicked This Way Comes in Oct. 2024. She also was in Reading Rumpus in Sept. 2024 and enjoyed that because she got to use her Children’s Librarian reading skills. She has been doing some form of theatre since 1979 in all aspects of the art from selling tickets – being one of the leads especially in musicals. Thank You Lucy for letting me still do what I love!

JOE BLACKWELL…Joe has been involved with theater for 45 years,
working with various groups in Central Maine and Northern
Virginia. His most recent stage appearance was with Open Book
Players as Andy in Love Letters. He’s overjoyed to be working
again with Lucy and with such a talented ensemble.

Our next group of performers will be posted in a couple of days! Help us spread the word!!!

We have an amazing 13 person Cast for our upcoming production of “Thurber Fables…For Adults”. We will introduce them very soon! Look for our next post!
REMEMBER THE DATES: April 5th at 7:30 p.m. & April 6th at 1:00 p.m. at Johnson Hall Opera House.

Join us for “Thurber Fables…for Adults” auditions at Johnson Hall Opera House on March 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Hope to see you there!

COMING UP…Auditions for “Thurber Fables…For Adults” on March 2nd, 6:00 p.m. at Johnson Hall Opera House. Parts available for 5 to 10 actors, ages 16 to senior adult! Performances are on April 5th at 7:30 p.m. and April 6th at 1:00 p.m. Come join us for a fun-filled production of these witty and timeless Thurber short stories scripted for readers theatre!

Kathleen Brainerd has acted in many productions at Gaslight, Monmouth and Freeport Community Theaters (favorite roles are Romanine in Witness for the Prosecution, Dottie/Mrs Claggett in Noises off, and Imogene in Four Old Broads. Her first love is Open Book Players where she has acted, directed, learned, served on the board, and had great fun over the years; she is happy to again be invited to be a Board member.cast. When not acting, she travels the world in her part-time consulting job for the Navy, visits her distant children and grandchildren, and enjoys Maine.

Donna Loveland started in community theater in 1992 in Waterville and Hallowell. She has been on the board at Gaslight Theater since 2017. Looking forward to being a part of Open Book Players.

COMING UP NEXT: You will meet our two “new” Board Members followed by information regarding our next OBP production…”James Thurber Fables…For Adults and Our Time”!

One chance only to see these two fabulous performers in “LOVE LETTERS” by A. R. Gurney…Saturday, February 8th, 7:30 p.m. at the Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner. These two actors need an audience…hope to see you there! Tickets are $12.00 and can be reserved at the Johnson Hall Opera House website or call 207-582-7144. It is a fundraising event for the OBP scholarship fund and is being performed in memory of Andy Tolman and Larry Vinal, two frequent actors with our group and two active Board members.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of the threat of inclement weather on Sunday, February 9th, the 1:00 p.m. performance of LOVE LETTERS by A. R. Gurney will need to be canceled. We are hoping that audience members who planned on attending on Sunday will come to the Saturday evening show instead, February 8th at 7:30 p.m. If you reserved tickets for Sunday, your cost will be reimbursed by Johnson Hall Opera House. As this will be the only performance by this talented cast, we hope to see you on Saturday! Thank you for your support!

This production is coming right up! Love Letters is a play by A. R Gurney that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play centers on two characters, Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. Using the literary letter writing form sometimes found in novels, they sit side by side at tables and read the notes, letters and cards – in which over nearly 50 years, they discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats – that have passed between them throughout their separated lives. Our cast includes Cindy Turcotte and Joe Blackwell, experienced performers with Open Book Players and other area theatres. This is a fundraising event for the OBP Scholarship and is being performed in memory of Andy Tolman and Larry Vinal, two active participants in OBP productions and active Board members. Tickets are $12.00 and can be reserved or purchased by calling Johnson Hall at 207-582-7144 or visiting their website at http://www.johnsonhall.org.