Volume 19 Issue 8 Somerset Valley Players August 2018 PLAYHOUSE NEWS Inside this issue: Calendar of Events 2018 Sponsors Shameless Plugs 2 Meeting Bites 3 Cheaper by the Dozen Feature Story 2018 Perry Award Nominations Dinner/Show Special Be an SVP Sponsor AmazonSmile SVP 2018 Season 7 SVP 2018 Subscription Form SVP 2018 Flex Pass Form SVP 2018 Membership Form 4 5 6 8 9 10 What s Up Now Tickets: $20 Adults $18 Seniors/Students To purchase tickets: Visit www.svptheatre.org Adapted by Christopher Sergel From the book by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. & Ernestine Gilbreth Cary Directed by Chris Russoniello Runs July 20th through August 5th Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM Suppose you're an attractive high school girl and you're not only a member of a large and unique family but your father is, in fact, one of the great pioneers of industrial efficiency. Then suppose he decides, for no apparent reason, to apply his unorthodox methods to you and to the rest of your big family. The results are terribly embarrassing, funny and --it must be admitted-- extremely effective! To Anne, however, the chief effect seems to be that of making them seem ridiculous to everyone else at school -- especially to the boys! 601 Route 206 Suite 26-216 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-369-7469 www.svptheatre.org Somerset Valley Players Executive Board: President: Emily M. Windus Vice President of Production: Todd R. Bennington Vice President of Theatre Mgmt.: Ed Hayden Vice President of House Mgmt.: Randy J. Coddington, Sr. Vice President of Sales & Marketing: Roberta Steve Secretary: Paula C. Windus Treasurer: Michael A. Muller
Playhouse News Calendar of Events P: SOMERSET VALLEY PLAYHOUSE (U ) C B D S D: J 20 A 5, 2018 S T": 8PM F % S, 2PM S S J C S P D: A 7, 2018 T": 6:30 PM P: TD B* B+*, B, NJ A M D: A 13, 2018 T": 7:30PM 9:30 PM B G M"/+ M S J C S D: S+"/ 7 23, 2018 S T": 8PM F % S, 2PM S S+"/ M D: S+"/ 10, 2018 T": 7:30PM 9:30 PM B G M"/+ M O/ M D: O/ 8, 2018 T": 7:30PM 9:30 PM B G M"/+ M W U D S D: O/ 19 N1"/ 4, 2018 S T": 8PM F % S, 2PM S N1"/ M D: N1"/ 12, 2018 T": 7:30PM 9:30 PM B G M"/+ M A S C C S D: N1"/ 30 D"/ 16, 2018 S T": 8PM F % S, 2PM S SVP is very grateful to our 2018 Season Sponsors Airborne Labs International, Inc. Applebee's Bridgewater Funeral Home Harriet G. Osinski In Loving Memory of Clarence & Sonia Martin JML Landscaping Mailbox Business Center of Hillsborough Petrock s Bar & Grille The Piano Studio The Robert W. Pittenger Family State Line Aviation Super Sundaes Shameless Plugs Dominick Michael Mickey Abbatiello makes his stage debut, at 5 1/2 months of age, in Cheaper by the Dozen. Mickey is the 4th generation of actors in his family to appear on the SVP stage, including his parents, Kayla & Robert, grandparents Karen & Dominick, and great-grandmother Harriet Osinski! The cast of Smokey Joe s Café will be performing at the Somerset Patriots baseball game, on August 7th, at TB Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater. The cast will be singing two songs from the show, as well as God Bless America, during the pre-game festivities between 6:30 and 7PM. Tickets for the game are available on the Patriots website, www.somersetpatriots.com. Page 2
Playhouse News Meeting Bites - July 2018 Production A table reading will be held June 29 at 7:30PM at the theater for Roberta Steve s play, Three Rivers. Romance/mystery novelist Doris Parmet, whose work has appeared on the National Best Seller List, contacted Todd Bennington and has submitted a play, The Scam, and requested a table read at SVP. A Google Form link was publicized via social media, and emailed to all past directors, as an invitation to submit shows for the 2019 Season by the deadline of July 15. The first meeting of the Play Selection Committee will be held on July 16 at Todd s house. The Sinatra show, Grandma s Jukebox, is being organized by Holly Kowalenko with a possible date of August 4. Some of Smokey Joe s Café cast are performing at the Somerset Patriots game at the Bridgewater ballpark on August 7. The NJACT Perry Awards nominations will be announced on July 28 at Playhouse 22. The Perry Awards ceremony will be September 16. House The shed clean-out is scheduled for August 18 (Randy Coddington has obtained a dump permit). Marketing & Sales Sponsor ads can now be added to tickets printed out by theater patrons. Super Sundaes will appear on tickets for Cheaper by the Dozen. Roberta Steve is creating a new Facebook page for SVP that will be in SVP s name only and open to the public. The Facebook group page will be kept for special notices to group members. Old Business The SVP awards to high school seniors Ryan Honwad (Hillsborough High School) and F. Liam Devlin (Somerville High School) were made in June. Ed Hayden commented that the Hillsborough July 4th Fireworks event had local organizations publicized. Roberta will look into that for the future. Mike Muller announced that the Board had met and discussed membership issues and the consensus was not to change the membership fee. A multi-level fee schedule for different types of members is being researched, and a final decision will be made before the 2019 membership drive. Linda Giordano moved that the by-laws be reviewed at a minimum of every 5 years, with a committee of at least 5, consisting of at least 1 board member and at least one non-board member, beginning with 2018. The motion was seconded and passed. New Business There will be a picnic on August 25 to honor SVP volunteers. Page 3
Playhouse News True Life Tale of Family with 12 Children at Somerset Valley Players In the era of working moms, stay at home dads, blended families, 2.5 children, and smart phone communications, the concept of family time has changed dramatically from the traditional nuclear family of the last century. The Somerset Valley Players production of the comedy Cheaper by the Dozen proves that family time was just as precious to a large New Jersey family in the early 1920s. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were pioneers in management engineering, helping companies identify more efficient manufacturing methods. They were also parents of 12 children and resided in Montclair, New Jersey. Their time saving experiments often involved their children. Their oldest daughter once asked her father what he was saving time for, explains director Chris Russoniello, and he replied that time is where your heart lies and that is why it must be treasured. In a related sentiment, her mother said that being together as a family is the happiest time in the world. With a cast that includes 9 children, Russoniello and his production team value their rehearsal time. We make time for discovery and character development, as well as silliness, Russoniello states. I ve been in love with this family for over 40 years since I read the book, Cheaper by the Dozen, written by two of the children about their unconventional upbringing. Ironically, there isn t enough time in a play to include all the amazing details and anecdotes about the Gilbreths. Producer Karen Abbatiello thinks today s families will appreciate the play s family focus and charming humor. Family time is a universal theme, she maintains. Children still want to grow up too fast, and parents still struggle to strike a balance between holding their children close and letting them fly on their own. This show is an entertaining reminder of that. Chris can give all the direction in the world to our cast of actors, but, just like in a real family, they have to be there for each other. At rehearsals, Russoniello continues, we discuss the real lives of the Gilbreths all the time. It s remarkable that nearly 100 years after this show takes place, this family and their love for each other is still inspiring others. Frank and Lillian understood that time is precious, and in turn, their story has become timeless. Cheaper by the Dozen opens July 20 and runs through August 5, at the Somerset Valley Play- ers on 689 Amwell Road (Route 514) in Hillsborough. For times and tickets go to www.svptheatre.org. The theatre is air conditioned, wheelchair accessible and barrier free. Rehearsing scenes from Page 4
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Playhouse News Dinner and a Show Special SVP s popular Dinner & Show partnership with Caffé Piazza is BACK! Bring your ticket* to Caffé Piazza before the show on Friday or Saturday and receive a 10% discount towards your dinner. When you finish dinner bring your dinner receipt to SVP and receive a $2 per ticket* refund. Dinner and show must be on same date to receive discounts. A valid SVP ticket* must be presented at Caffé Piazza. Valid dinner receipt must be presented at SVP box office. SVP ticket discount offer valid Friday and Saturday only. Dinner discount valid on Sunday after the show. 609 Route 206 North Hillsborough, NJ 08844 (Located in Stop & Shop complex) (908) 359-9494 www.caffepiazza.com *NOTE: Ticket must be a nondiscounted ticket ($18+). Become an SVP Sponsor! A Show Sponsorship delivers you direct marketing to the SVP family and patrons. Your company will become the headline sponsor of a SVP production. Your company name and logo will appear: On the cover of the Show Program for the sponsored production. In all Audition Notices sent for the production. In all Membership Notices and Newsletters for the next 12 months. In all Press Releases sent to local print and broadcast media for the production. On all Inside and Outside Signage during the run of the production. On the SVP Website for the next 12 months. In the production pre-show announcements speech prior to each performance. Plus you will receive passes for 10 free tickets to the sponsored SVP production. Please contact marketing@ svptheatre.org or call 908-369-7469 fore more information! AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization - SVP! When you shop at AmazonSmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Somerset Valley Players! Please keep us in mind the next time you are shopping on Amazon. Bookmark this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-6290368...and support us every time you shop! Page 6
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