A Look Back...

Thanks for a great season, from all of us at DTF.
We hope you enjoy this brief look back at Summer 2008!


Teddy Coluca charming audiences
as Yogi Berra in Nobody Don't Like Yogi.


Virginia Kull, Sara Surrey, Frank Deal, Timothy McCracken,
Ann McDonough, and Mark J. Sullivan celebrate a birthday in The Dining Room.


Darrin Baker and Jeff Edgerton devour "Cookies"
(and make everyone in the audience do the same!)
in A Year With Frog and Toad.


Mark Alhadeff, Brit Whittle, and Spencer Moses rehearse
their soon-to-be hit song "June Moon" in June Moon.


Thanks to you, our loyal supporters, for a truly remarkable season...


... and we hope to see you next summer!

As Summer draws to a close, we artist types quickly (and inevitably) come around to the questions, "What did it all mean? What was it about?" If you have joined us this summer, you know that we have had an awfully good time. Producing joyful works like YOGI and DINING ROOM and FROG & TOAD and our current hit JUNE MOON doesn't happen without a lot of hard work, but it comes with a lot of laughs. And we have had fun.

But the work we do here is really possible only because of a tremendous amount of commitment from my staff. They routinely work 60-hour weeks. When we are turning around a play everybody works 12 or 14 hour days from Saturday until we start up again the next Thursday. And they get paid - well, like they work at a summer theater! But it's not even just sweat equity. Even our youngest, college-age interns bring a tremendous amount of skill and craft to their work.

For me, their hard work has paid off with four tremendous productions which I hope everyone has enjoyed. I am so proud of them all. I was so honored to get to work by their side this summer. And I hope that you all have enjoyed the fruits of their dedication. It has been a summer we will remember fondly, and I hope you will too.

Soon, we'll be in touch asking you to pre-subscribe for NEXT summer! By doing so, you'll be able to get tickets for next year's offerings at a terrific discount without any service fees - and I promise we'll have another brilliant, talented, hardworking group of people here to do it again!

Thanks for your support of us here at DTF, and I hope you've had as much fun as we have.
Sincerely,
Carl Forsman

JUNE MOON is a hit!

Bob Rose, of the Glens Falls Post-Star, loves DTF's current production, June Moon. Click here to read his rave review!

June Moon plays 'til August 30th only, so don't miss your chance to see this hilarious jazz-age comedy. Call 867-5777 or click here for tickets.


Spencer Moses and Larissa Goldberg


Mark Alhadeff and Brit Whittle


Mark Alhadeff, Spencer Moses, Carol Halstead, and Brit Whittle


Brit Whittle, Mark Alhadeff, Spencer Moses, and Larissa Goldberg


Brit Whittle, Mark Alhadeff, Spencer Moses, Peter Bretz, and Curran Connor


Peter Bretz, Spencer Moses, Mary Bacon, Brit Whittle, and Carol Halstead

Three down. One to go!

It's hard to believe that Frog and Toad is over and that June Moon is ready to begin. August is just flying by!

We had so many kids and so many families come to see Frog and Toad. We even had a sold out matinee performance on the final Wednesday of our run! So, I thought, before we move on to the next one, I'd post a few production photos and give everyone a final look back on the first musical of DTF's new era...

Enjoy!

"Toad looks funny in a bathing suit!"
l to r: James Donegan as "Lizard", Darrin Baker as "Toad", Jeff Edgerton as "Frog",
Jessica Blair as "Turtle", and Sarah Mugavero as "Mouse".


James Donegan as "The Snail with the Mail"
Many, many parents had to deal with their kids walking around like Snail
for days after seeing the show. We here at DTF apologize... maybe!


"He'll Never Know!"
Darrin Baker as "Toad" and Jeff Edgerton as "Frog"


"It's pleasant sledding down the hill...."
Jeff Edgerton (top) and Darrin Baker.... before disaster strikes their sled!

A Year With Frog and Toad is a Hit With Kids of All Ages!

The children in the audience of Dorset Theatre Festival's third show of the season, A Year With Frog and Toad, are just as enthralled by the stage production as by the Arnold Lobel books the musical is based on. Kids have called out words of advice to the actors onstage during performances and rushed the stage during curtain call to meet Frog and Toad. Child audience members have been given backstage tours and gotten autographs from the performers.


Jeff Edgerton (Frog) signs autographs for Laura and Miranda.


Darrin Baker (Toad) signs a program for an adoring fan.

But, as Bob Rose says in his glowing review of A Year With Frog and Toad in the Glens Falls Post Star, "If you don't have available offspring, just go by yourself. Believe me, you will come away totally satisfied. This is a show, masterly performed, for all ages."

Performances continue through August 9.

A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD opens tonight!

As we prepare to open A Year With Frog and Toad in less than two hours, Artistic Director Carl Forsman muses on his history with musical theater:

I have directed or produced about fifty plays professionally, but A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD is my first musical comedy. And it has been a definite adventure, with so many new things to consider.

Well, new in a sense. Like so many theater artists, musicals were my introduction to the theater. My parents met doing Cole Porter's CAN-CAN in college. I saw GODSPELL on Broadway when I was in elementary school. I was in GUYS AND DOLLS in junior high, and was in OKLAHOMA my senior year of high school. I grew up listening to my parents cast albums, and my mom directed the musicals at the high school she worked at. So there is a base of knowledge about the genre that I have - like so many people.

It's really fun to get back to musical theater now after so many years. And this production embraces plenty of things that are traditionally associated with the form: Spotlights. Footlights. A pit for the band. Cookies on bungie cords. Wait, what? Oh, drat, that's supposed to be a secret. You see, there are a few twists we've put on things. But to find out the rest, you'll have to come join us for A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. Like I remember, you walk out humming the tunes and with a smile on your face. Some things never change.

On Wednesday, the FROG AND TOAD cast performed on the Manchester Town Green as part of "Life after Dark." They sang the opening of the show "A Year with Frog and Toad."



Then, Jeff Edgerton, who plays Frog, sang a song about being happy being alone, called “Alone.”



Finally, James Donegan sang his celebration of being a postman, “I’m Coming Out of My Shell.”

~Sarah Gasser, Production Intern
Photos by Denise Blacker

Frog and Toad (and Snail, Turtle, and Mouse) hit the road!

We still have one more week of performances for THE DINING ROOM (If you haven't seen it yet, don't miss out on this gorgeous production of A.R. Gurney's hilarious play. Click here and here to read our rave reviews!), but the cast and crew of FROG AND TOAD is already hard at work.

AND, best of all, they're ready to show off!

Catch a sneak peak of this fun and heartwarming family musical TOMORROW at 6pm on the Town Green in Manchester. Our cast will be performing three songs from the show as part of the Greater Manchester Arts Council's "Life After Dark" program.

Or, if cocktails and dinner at Hildene is more your style, there are still a few tickets available for SUMMER SWING, DTF's biennial fundraiser, featuring cocktails, dinner, dancing, live- and silent-auctions, and more performances by the Frog and Toad cast. For tickets or more information, email summerswing@earthlink.net or call 802-867-9801.

Finally, don't forget to buy your tickets to THE DINING ROOM and FROG AND TOAD, by clicking here or visiting our box office at the Playhouse!

Hope to see you soon, on the Green, at Hildene, or at the Playhouse!

The Glens Falls Post-Star loves THE DINING ROOM

Click here to read Bob Rose's rave review!

THE DINING ROOM is a hit!

From Artistic Director Carl Forsman:

I am so thrilled to have our production of The Dining Room open! It's the kind of theater I like the best - filled with humanity and humor. What makes it work is the great range and versatility of our acting company. The six actors play more than thirty roles, all of them very different. I have a few favorites, I confess. I think Virginia Kull is very effective as Aggie, the Irish maid who has to tell the boy who loves her that she is moving on from domestic service, with a mix of resignation and frustration. Another is Sara Surrey's Mother, a stylish, socially-conscious 50s housewife who is trying to raise her daughter the "right" way; Ann McDonough is hilarious in the same scene as a twelve year old girl suffering her mother's ideas. Everyone loves Frank Deal's Brewster, a six year old party guest who is completely overwhelmed. Among Mark Sullivan's many characters, I am particularly fond of Standish, the father responding to a family crisis in the most serious manner, with all the authority he can muster. And I adore Tim McCracken's second act Dad, a conventional father trying to understand and negotiate his unconventional daughter. But these are just my favorites - you'll have to join us in the next two weeks and tell me yours!

l to r: Virginia Kull, Sara Surrey,
Frank Deal, Timothy McCracken,
Ann McDonough, and Mark J. Sullivan











Frank Deal,
Mark J. Sullivan,
and Virginia Kull












Ann McDonough
and Timothy McCracken





All photos by Harry Lee.

Goodbye Yogi!

Nobody Don't Like Yogi closed last night at the Playhouse, and the DTF staff joined Teddy Coluca and his family after the final performance for a farewell pizza party in the theater.

We'll miss you, Teddy/Yogi!

Today, the entire staff is hard at work preparing for this Thursday's opening of The Dining Room.

Buy your tickets now. You won't want to miss out on this hilarious production of our favorite A.R. Gurney play!







Mark Sullivan and Timothy McCracken in The Dining Room.
Photo by Theresa Squire.

The Verdict is in.... Nobody Don't Like Yogi!

Nobody Don't Like Yogi, our first production of Summer 2008, opened on Friday night at the Playhouse, playing to a crowd of well over 100 satisfied patrons! After taking his bow and enjoying a standing ovation, our star Teddy Coluca, joined the audience and DTF's cast, crew, and staff for a celebration.











Teddy Coluca ("Yogi Berra") and Artistic Director, Carl Forsman














The crowd admires our display of baseball memorabilia, generously provided by AJ Ross Auctions and Applejack Art Partners.











Interns Aimee "Frankie" Pavlich and Jake Ewonus help out with the party preparation.
















More interns! Jess Johnston and party-planner Erin Bump.
















The team behind Nobody Don't Like Yogi!
(clockwise from left)
Teddy Coluca, Carl Forsman, Emily Arnold, Denise Blacker











Our incredible stage management team!

John C. Pitcher Reception

Dorset-area artist John C. Pitcher, who owns Gallery on the Marsh with his wife Sue Westin, hung a gorgeous display of his paintings in the Playhouse earlier this week. The art will be on display through June 28th only, so be sure to stop by before it's gone.

This Saturday, June 21st, the Festival will honor John with a public reception before the 8pm curtain of Nobody Don't Like Yogi. Stop by between 5:30 and 7:30 on Saturday evening, meet John, and partake of free wine and hors d'oeuvre. We hope to see you there!

Gallery hours: Tue & Thu-Sat 10-8, Wed 10-3, Sun 12-3.

Road Trip to Bennington

On Friday, June 13th, Teddy Coluca - star of Nobody Don't Like Yogi - threw out the first pitch at the Bennington Bombers game. Check out this video of his fantastic throw!

Teddy must have brought the Bombers good luck. They won the game, beating the Glens Falls Golden Eagles 9-3.

Following the pitch, Teddy and Artistic Director Carl Forsman stopped by the Bennington Museum for the Opening of the Museum's baseball exhibits. After performing an excerpt from Yogi and enjoying some delicious popcorn and root beer, the Festival's "road team" headed back north to Dorset!

Nobody Don't Like Yogi starts performances June 19 at the Dorset Playhouse. Click here for tickets!

Special thanks to Denise Blacker for coming along to Bennington as official DTF video/photographer!