The Diary of Anne Frank
Guys and Dolls
Romeo and Juliet*
Romeo and Juliet*
South Pacific
The Westminster Players strive to create a collaborative community for exploring theater. Theater, like religion, is a spiritual and noble quest for the truth. Through theatrical experience we examine the purpose of life and the essence of God in our existence. As a ministry, participation in the Westminster Players provides opportunities for personal development, exploration of artistic growth, fellowship, and camaraderie. The Westminster Players encourage the active participation of all members of the congregation on the stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. It is the mission of the Westminster Players to celebrate human dignity through compassionate and joyful participation in the performing arts.
The church's drama group, the Westminster Players, presents one or more productions a year. Repertoire is wide-ranging. Among the plays we've done in recent years are The Glass Menagerie, Steel Magnolias, On Golden Pond, The Miracle Worker, and The Diary of Anne Frank. In March of 2006 was a first for the Westminster Players: a play by Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. In March of 2007, the Westminster Players presented the female version of The Odd Couple. The Westminster Players' winter play was Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson. The play was presented on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, February 29, March 1, and March 2, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.
In May 2001 we presented our first-ever musical, The Music Man. This musical was such a success that we've continued with an annual production, presenting Fiddler on the Roof in 2002, Oklahoma! in 2003, Guys and Dolls in 2004, and The Sound of Music in 2005. The 2006 offering was South Pacific. The music has included an instrumental ensemble as well as piano. (No musical was planned for 2007 because of scheduling conflicts involving essential personnel.) The Westminster Players presented the delightfully zany musical Once Upon a Mattress May 23, 24, and 25, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. The musical was an updated and very funny version of the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea."
Drama at Westminster is a group activity, and if you have an interest, you are encouraged to try various roles, both onstage and behind the scenes. The exciting and challenging mixture of seasoned, first-time, and "everything in-between" actors and production teams has brought amazing results. (There are also additional opportunities for youth to participate in drama.)
The Biggest Gift will be presented on Sunday, December 7, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. Meet the Ingraham family, five Oklahoma kids trying to make their way at Christmastime during the Great Depression. This touching, original play, by Westminster's own Barbara Adamcik, is full of laughter, fun, sharing, and surprises.
The Christmas Donkey’s Song, a play adapted from the book of the same title, will feature the 5 and 6 year olds ofWinter Play. Our Town, February 27 - March 1, 2009
This American classic by Thronton Wilder was the first play presented by the Westminster Players in 1994. In this revival, we'll explore the beauty of appreciating life while we live it. Auditions will be held mid-December and is open to adults of all ages and youth fifith grade and up. Rehearsals will start in early January.
Spring Musical. Brigadoon, May 22-24, 2009
Accalimed by Barbara Schilling herself as "the ultimate Presbyterian musical," Brigadoon tells the story, through song and dance, of an enchanted (and enchanting) Scottish village that comes to life once every 100 years. So break those kilts out of mothballs and get your Scottish brogue on! Suggested donation: $12 for adults, $5 for students. A nursery was provided and encouraged for young children.
Each year there is a Youth Christmas Drama, often an original creation by a talented writer in our midst. In 2002 the result was the charming Joyeux Noel!, depicting Christmas customs in France. The Youth Christmas Drama in 2003 was Kilroy Was Here, another original script, first produced in 1994 and revised for the new production. (Ten years ago, during the fiftieth anniversary of World War II, people in the congregation were invited to share stories and memories of that period to be used as material for a Christmas drama. It was a way for our young people to connect with the actual characters and realize that the older people they see at church have had full and interesting lives, that they were once young and part of one of the most earthshaking times in our history. They were also part of the era of big band music, swing dancing, movies that are now classics, popular music that ranged from beautiful, heartfelt melodies to patriotic songs to silly cheer-us-up ditties).
The Youth Christmas Drama for 2004 was a reprise of Charlie's Christmas, adapted by Barbara Schilling from the short story "Christmas Is a Lonely Time" by John Cheever. A collaborative team of high school students and adults directed and produced the play. In 2005 the offering was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. In 2006 the play was A Charlie Brown Christmas. In 2007, the children and youth of Westminster presented a drama that was comprised of three short acts, each based on a favorite children's story. The first act, Who Is Coming to Our House?, based on the book by Joseph Slate, was a simple play of anticipation by the residents of the stable where Jesus was born. In Jesus' Christmas Party, the second act in the presentation (from a book by Nicholas Allan), the Innkeeper's good night's sleep was interrupted by a seemingly endless number of visitors on the night of Jesus' birth. The Velveteen Rabbit, the last act, was an updated version of the classic by Margery Williams, starting with a gift on Christmas morning.
Occasionally Westminster offers a youth drama day camp. In the summers of 2003 and 2004, Westminster had a one-week Youth Drama Camp for children in rising first through sixth grades. In addition to learning and developing performance skills, participants had fun playing games and enjoying snacks. There was a performance at the conclusion of each camp.
A youth drama camp focusing on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was held Monday through Thursday, December 19-22, 2005. Each day there were activities and light snacks. Here is what the schedule was like. Monday. How many kids does it take to put on a play? Reading and speaking from the stage; games. Tuesday. Staging and action: Speaking from the stage; stage games and movement. Wednesday. Costumes and makeup; improvisation; speaking from the stage. Thursday: Putting it all together! We were in costume and had fun on the stage. (It was not a performance with memorized lines. There was no pressure, just a fun time to put it together for parents to see.)
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The Diary of Anne Frank |
Guys and Dolls |
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Romeo and Juliet* |
Romeo and Juliet* |
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South Pacific |
*Photographs of Romeo and Juliet courtesy of James Cantu, Shattered Glass Photography
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Updated 11/18/2008
Westminster
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