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Season > "Bleacher Bums"
"Bleacher Bums "
August 16 – October 14, 2007
By Joe Mantegna and the Organic Theatre Company
Directed by Joel Roster
Playing off the Bay Area's baseball fever, Town
Hall Theatre Company brings Bleacher Bums to the stage.
This hysterical comedy tells the story of eight devout Chicago
Cubs fans (and one gambler who knows better) at Wrigley Field,
who spend afternoons in the sun, watching their team, cheering
the action on the field while getting some gambling action
in the seats.
Crowd dynamics play a big part in defining the
personalities of the "bums" and entertain with their quick,
funny and sometimes tragic exchanges. This show also marks
the 99th anniversary of the last time the Cubs won the World
Series. Originally written in 1979, the show has been updated
twice; it is being updated to the 2007 season for the Town
Hall Theatre production. The original script asks the question,
"How long do you stick with a loser?" Nearly 30 years after
the original production and almost a century since the Cubbies
won it all, the question still hangs above the fans and supporters
of losers everywhere.
Beer and Cracker Jacks will be sold at our Concessions
bar. As always, you are very welcome to bring drinks and snacks
to your seats.
"It's a fascinating ensemble play," says Artistic
Director Kevin T. Morales. "If the Cubs win the World Series,
the play becomes obsolete. It was practially written to encourage
Cubs fans to keep rooting for their home team, in spite of
it all. Red Sox fans felt a huge wight lifted off their shoulders
when their team finally won the World Series in 2005, but
Cubs fans haven't. Giants fans are starting to feel the sting,
now, too."
"This is, hands down, my favorite show of all
time," says director Joel Roster. "And this is the most satisfying
show I've ever witnessed. It's the story of faith under the
most dire of circumstances, telling the story of how these
fans live and die with every pitch thrown on the field. We
have a great cast, and each colorful and unique character
adds to the program in their own way."
The cast: Nicco Brenni, Scott Fryer, Sean Robert
Griffin, Sally Hogarty, Marcus Klinger, Maggie Manzano, Dennis
Markham, Henry Perkins, Andrew R. Shaw, Ginny Wehrmeister.
About the Cast and Crew:
Henry Perkins (Cheerleader) performed at Town Hall
Theatre as Max in Lend Me a Tenor, Henry in Design
for Living. and Eddie/Dr. Scott in Rocky Horror Show.
Other favorite roles include Bottom in A Midsummer Night's
Dream, Jim Farrell in Titanic and Kenickie in Grease,
all for CCMT. Henry has worked with the Kaiser Permanente
Educational Theatre Program, is a member of the Fantasy Forum
Actors Ensemble, and teaches for Town Hall Kids' Bravo program.
Sean Robert Griffin, (Greg) returns to Town Hall after
appearing in Town Hall's Macbeth (Macbeth), Wit
(Dr. Jason Posner), 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress,
(Tripp), The Rocky Horror Show (Riff-Raff), Copenhagen
(Werner Heisenberg) and Lend Me A Tenor (The Bellhop).
Sean also appeared as Sterling for Town Hall's Let's Go
to the Movies Redux and reprised the role in the recent
Let's Go to Casablanca.
Scott Fryer (Zig) directed Town Hall's production
of Bullshot Crummond. He has directed for Center Repertory,
The Willows Theatre, Contra Costa Musical Theatre. Scott is
founder of Diablo Actors Ensemble, former artistic director
for the Willows Theatre and has received 9 Shellie Awards
for his work.
Sally Hogarty (Rose), is a 30 year acting veteran.
She has performed at Town Hall in Gigi and in Marvin's
Room. Other credits include Prisoners of Love,
written by Joel Roster (Act Now!); Judgment at Nuremberg,
The John Muir Musical: Mountain Days (Willows Theatre);
My Fair Lady (Contra Costa Musical Theatre) and A
Christmas Carol, Toys in the Attic, and Nuts (Center
Rep). Sally also has over 200 radio/TV commercials and industrial
films to her credit.
Bleacher Bums is directed by Joel Roster,
who is making his feature production directorial debut at
Town Hall Theatre. Joel is directing Scott Fryer ("Zig") who
directed Joel in Bullshot Crummond at Town Hall Theatre
Company a few years ago; and Joel's father, David Roster,
who once directed Joel in Bleacher Bums, is appearing
as "The Announcer". Joel has directed the Encore, Ovation
and Teen Actors Guild programs at Town Hall since last fall,
but audiences are more familiar with seeing him on the stage,
most recently in Kevin Morales' smash hit Let's Go to Casablanca
(Trey). He also appeared in Town Hall Theatre Company's Rough
Crossing (Dvornichek), Bullshot Crummond (Bullshot)
and Groucho: A Life In Revue (Harpo/Chico Marx). Joel
has also done numerous productions with CCMT, Center Repertory
and Roleplayers Ensemble Theatre and is a 2005 Shellie Award
winner.
About Town Hall Theatre Company of Lafayette
Established in 1944 as the Dramateurs and reorganized in
1992 as Town Hall Theatre Company of Lafayette, Lafayette
Town Hall Theatre Company is the oldest continuously active
theater in Contra Costa County. The Company is a professionally
managed non-profit organization supported by a volunteer Board
of Directors drawn from the leaders of local businesses and
the surrounding artistic community. In its more than sixty
years, the Lafayette Town Hall Theatre Company has won nearly
40 Shellie Awards, including the Best Production in Contra
Costa County, Best Actor/Actress in a Play, Best Actor/Actress
in a Musical, Best Director of a Musical. Over its history,
major renovations have been completed to the historical Town
Hall facility, including the addition of air conditioning,
repositioning of the seating area, installation of new seats,
and installation of an elevator. All these factors make Town
Hall an exciting and intimate place to enjoy a fine evening
of live theatre - one reason that in both 2002 and 2003, Diablo
Magazine Readers voted Town Hall Theatre Company the Best
Small Theatre Group in the East Bay.
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