Summer
Circle Theatre Memory Book 1984 - 1999
1985
l to r:
Conrad Feineger (Oscar) and Marty Brown (Felix)
The Odd Couple
by Neil Simon - Summer 1985
(Photo by Julie Levy)
1989
Evan Parry as Van Dorn and
Sandi Joseph as Judith
High Tor
by Maxwell Anderson
Summer
1990
(Lansing
State Journal Photo)
|
Amy
Matteson (Mama), Jean Lyle ((Katrin)
and Mark Hoffland (Uncle Chis)
I Remember Mama
by John Van Druten
Directed by John Baldwin - Summer 1989
(MSU News Bureau Photo)
|
Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
by Edward Albee
Amy Matteson and Eric Jateman
Summer 1989
(Photo by Bill Mitcham) |
The
Girl of the Golden West
by David Belasco
l to r: Jean Lyle, Greg Radcliff, Jay Magee, Eric Jateman
Directed by Frank Rutledge - Summer 1989
(Photo by Bill Mitcham) |
1990
JOHN
BALDWIN REMEMBERS ...
|
While
I have so many wild and wonderful memories of SCT (Demo Hall,
the flood, the parakeet, the Apollo Award) my most lasting seems
to be that of the July 4th 1990 performance of It’s
Me! It’s me! It’s Francis Scott Key written by
myself and MSU alum Bill Penn.
Bob
Murrell
as Jabez Stone
Baldwin's
2002 Production of
Devil and Daniel Webster
Riverwalk Theatre
|
It
was a gorgeous summer evening – warm, calm, quiet. Key
was the second half of a two one-act bill – the first play
was The Devil and Daniel Webster directed by Frank
Rutledge.
John
Baldwin |
Key begins with a request to the audience to rise
and
sing The Star Spangled Banner, but the singing is interrupted
by none other than Francis Scott Key (played by Jim Porter)
who asks some questions about our National Anthem. Finding answers
he believes less than satisfactory, he sets out to tell the
spectators,
both in song and dance, just how he came about writing it.
After
Key’s many trials and tribulations, (most light hearted),
the show concludes as the actors one by one begin to recite
Key’s poem. In the distance we could see and hear faintly
the Lansing City fireworks and then our musical director,
Don Graybiel, began to play The Star Spangled Banner.
Sandi Joseph, playing Dolly Madison, stepped forward and
her beautiful soprano voice filled the night air with
our National Anthem. Without a word or gesture, the audience
(some 800 as I remember) began to stand and with hands over
hearts, joined in the singing. It was one of the most moving
finales it has been my pleasure to experience.
|
Jeffrey
Mallot as Pres. James Madison
in Baldwin's 2002 production of
It's Me! It's me! It's Francis Scott Key
Riverwalk Theatre |
John
with Jennifer McCloy (Mary Stone)
in Baldwin's 2002 production of
The Devil and Daniel Webster
Riverwalk
Theatre |
|
1992
MICHAEL
AND TINA BURRY REMEMBER ....
| My
husband and I met each other in 1992 while we were students attending
Michigan State University. Both of us had attended performances
at SCT and had enjoyed them so much that it only seemed natural
that one of our first dates together would be an SCT performance.
Even though we no longer live near East Lansing, we still have
managed to make it to at least one performance every summer. Over
the years we have shared SCT with many of our friends and relatives.
SCT has become one of our traditions that we enjoy about Michigan
State University. |
1995
ROBIN ARONSON REMEMBERS ....
 I
look back on Summer Circle ’95 once in a while and a smile
always comes to my face. I was performing in three shows that
summer, A View from the Bridge, Sister Mary Ignatious Explains
it All to You, and Indians. The memory that sticks
out the most for me is the last performance of View. It was raining
really hard and there was no way we would go on with the show
the way theweather was acting. Well, we simply moved the entire
production downstairs to the basement of the theatre and the audience
happily moved with us. I guess this is an unusual story to remember
for an outdoor summer season, but it taught me a huge lesson:
The show must go on. And it certainly did. |
Indians
by Arthur Kopit
l to r: Ken Beachler (Sen Logan), Mike Schneider
(John Grass), Bill Helder (Sen. Dawes)
Summer
1995
|
Indians
by Arthur Kopit
l to r: Ken Beachler (Sen. Logan), R.J. Lister (Sitting Bull),
Robin Aronson (Teskanjavila), Bill Helder (Sen. Dawes)
Summer
1995 |
ANDREA
RUTLEDGE'S MEMORIES
|
|
Thirty-one
years after my Summer Circle debut, I returned as the blintz-obsessed
Grand Duchess in You Can’t Take it With You. I had
a blast. It was a great role. I had forgotten a lot about working
outdoors, but there were lots of notes from my dad and helpful
hints from other actors to help me along. I hope I get another
opportunity sometime soon.
|
1998
Brighton
Beach Memories
Summer -1998
|
Theater
senior Katja Luczki, playing the role of Nora, hugs
theater senior Kristine Dickson, playing Laurie, during
the first act of “Brighton Beach Memoirs”
at the Summer Circle Theatre on Wednesday behind the
Auditorium. About 7,000 people are expected to attend
the Summer Circle Theatre productions in the next three
weeks.
From
The State News • MIEKE ZUIDERWEG
|
|
1999
You
Can't Take It With You
Summer 1999
Gini Larson, Claire Christie, Tabitha Guttery,
Adam Weilerand and Michael R. Hayes
are members of the cast.
|
|
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