How would you like an hour and 15 minutes of free local entertainment? Lakewood Playhouse has it for you to enjoy.
Theaters always need funding. Local ticket prices are extremely modest for live entertainment. Although theaters have many volunteers, they also have paid staff who do the behind the scene tasks that keep the theater ready to operate again. With the shutdown of group gatherings and non-essential businesses, everyone is struggling. Managing Artistic Director John Munn remarked, “We did not get funded in the first phase of the Payroll Protection Loans.” The vote was passed in the House of Representatives on April 23rd, but still needs to get past the White House. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Depending on lifting the distancing restrictions, Lakewood Playhouse is planning to premier Ragtime – The Musical with its opening night on June 5th, just a little over a month away.
Keep current with Lakewood Playhouse and Ragtime – lakewoodplayhouse.org/
In the mean time while efforts never stop, the people who make Lakewood Playhouse have used their imaginations to come up with a great production that you can watch on YouTube.
Leaping out at us from today’s news headlines and NPR interviews are stories of people being held captive on cruise ships. The COVID-19 inmates are serving time onboard luxury liners in tiny cabins. Their predicaments have been captured by Lakewood Institute of Theatre students.
If you have seen prior productions at Lakewood Playhouse, you’ll probably recognize these young actors. Performed remotely, Lakewood Institute of Theatre students past and present, with the assistance of local artists and professionals, bring you “Stranded.” This video play tells their stories, courtesy of STAGE PARTNERS, of passengers stranded on a quarantined cruise ship. Each person has their own story.
The monologues are an incredible array of stories, filled with humor and insight, all directed, and performed in March from their own homes during the “Stay at Home / Stay Safe” order.
Peg and I have seen most of these young actors either at Lakewood Playhouse or Tacoma Little Theatre. They have been learning their craft for some time and it shows.
Last March Peg and I saw A Little Night Music at Tacoma Little Theatre. The granddaughter Fredricka was played by Julianna Ferreira – Guzman. John Munn, the artistic and managing director of Lakewood Playhouse directed. Peg was lucky enough to see it twice. The orchestra was led by Deborah Lynn Armstrong of the Lakewood Institute of Theatre. Deborah also produced Stranded.
In Stranded, we see Julianna again. This time she is playing a cruise ship magician. We’ve also enjoyed Julianna in Pippi Longstocking and Les Miserables (both at Lakewood Playhouse).
Also In Stranded, Tuppence Cooney plays a character who has a haunted stateroom. She tries to communicate with the other side. She does a nice job talking to herself and the spirit. She also appeared in Les Miserables at Lakewood Playhouse. Here was our review: “Jackson Cook and Tuppence Cooney as Monsieur and Madam Thenardier were hilarious. Tuppence stole the show stuffing silver plates into her bosom.”
There are other stories and other actors you will love. Enjoy Stranded if you are able to connect.
Watch the video presentation of Stranded on YouTube.
