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Jellofish
Gaslight Theater is bringing together theater, art, and food in a special fundraising
production.Peter Shaffer’s “Jellofish,” directed by Birdie Katz will be for two performances only, Saturday, September 30 at 7:00p.m. and Sunday October 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Four World War II veterans have been playing a monthly game of poker for over 50 years, putting aside five percent of every pot until they have accumulated a sizable fortune. As they compete in this month’s game, they struggle over what to do with their nest egg. As the debate escalates, their conflicting views on love, friendship, politics, and death are revealed. As each player comes upon a “random” history chip, the events of their lives are represented. The history chips were created whenever a significant event occurred in one of their lives. As some of the history chips turn up, the deeper implications of a lifetime of friendship and competition are explored.
The cast includes Walter Guild, Bill Haley, and Frank Omar.
Wine and cheese and crackers will be provided after each performance as part of the admission price for those holding an adult ticket.
Where: Hallowell City Hall, 1 Winthrop Street, Hallowell.
The Auditorium, located on the 2nd floor, is handicapped accessible by elevator.
When: Saturday, September 30 at 7:00 p.m. & Sunday, October 1 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $30 for Adults, $25 for Students under 21, are available at the door; cash, check, and credit card accepted. For reservations (recommended but not required) call 207-626-3698.- $30 ticket includes 1 glass of wine, $25 ticket does not include libations.
- Because this is a special fundraiser, season ticket passes cannot be used for this production.
The painting below is by the local artist, Bruce Mayo and will be auctioned off at the end of the production.
- Auction tickets can be purchased for $10 each or 3 for $25.
- Auction tickets can be purchased online or at either performance of the show.
To purchase tickets for the show (or the auction) visit our Online Ordering Page here
Original Artwork by Bruce Mayo Gaslight would like to thank the Gardiner Elks Lodge 1293 for their assistance in helping to bring this to our patrons.
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Auditions for Fiddler’s Three by Agatha Christie
Synopsis
Trying to get their hands on more than a little inheritance group of people hide the body of a dead
tycoon. But what starts as a lark quickly becomes all too serious when they discover that the body is in
fact a murder victim.
A comedy about business and finance with a strong undercurrent of criminal activity, the play combines
humor, intricate plotting, and a confounding murder.September Audition Dates
Sunday, September 10th at 2:00pm
Tuesday, September 12th at 6:30pm
Character Descriptions
There are roles for 8 men and 3 women.
Gina Jones Pretty, rather timid young girl, not smart, but with possibilities.
Sally Blunt Attractive woman of thirty-eight, full of vitality and brimming over with good humor.
Sam Fletcher Middle aged, a rough, forthright type. Possibly North Country. A bit flashy but likeable.
Felix Bogusian A very large, Croatian man with a beaming smile.
Henry Panhacker A nervous, young man with an occasional stammer, he wears big horn-rimmed glasses
making him look rather owlish.
Jonathan Panhacker Henry’s father
An Air Hostess
Dr. Nolan An elderly man in a tearing hurry.
A waiter in a luxury hotel
Mr. Truscott Elderly and shrewd London solicitor.
Mr. Moss A mournful looking man with black hair and moustache. He is dressed in somber black and
has a deep mourning voice.Rehearsal Schedule
Sunday 2:00-5:00/ Tuesday & Thursday 6:00-9:00
September
Thursday, 14th 6:00 Read Thru
Sunday, 17th 2:00 Rehearsal
Tuesday, 19th 6:00 Rehearsal
Thursday, 21st 6:00 Rehearsal
Sunday, 24th NO REHEARSAL
Tuesday, 26th NO REHEARSAL
Thursday, 28th TBD
October
Sunday, 1st 2:00 NO REHEARSAL Jellofish Performance
Tuesday, 3rd 6:00 Rehearsal
Thursday, 5th 6:00 Rehearsal
Sunday, 8th 2:00 Rehearsal
Tuesday, 10th 6:00 Rehearsal
Thursday, 12th 6:00 Rehearsal
Sunday, 15th 2:00 NO REHEARSAL
Tuesday, 17th 6:00 NO REHEARSAL
Thursday, 19th 6:00 Rehearsal
Sunday, 22nd 2:00 Rehearsal
Tuesday, 24th 6:00 Rehearsal
Thursday, 26th 6:00 Rehearsal
PRODUCTION WEEK
Saturday, Tech call Info to come
Sunday, 29th 2:00 Rehearsal
Monday, 30th 6:00 Rehearsal
Tuesday, 31st 6:00 Rehearsal
November
Wednesday, Nov 1 6:00 Rehearsal
Thursday, Nov 2 6:00 Rehearsal
Friday, Nov 3 PERFORMANCE
Saturday, Nov 4 PERFORMANCE
Sunday, Nov 5 PERFORMANCE
Wednesday, Nov 8 Brush Up
Friday, Nov 10 PERFORMANCE
Saturday, Nov 11 PERFORMANCE
Sunday, Nov 12 PERFORMANCE
Strike and Cast Party immediately following -
Brothers Grimm Recovered!
The Brothers Grimm got a little less grim today.
We will be running The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis, Friday and Saturday July 21, 22 at 7:00 PM, Sunday July 23 at 2:00 PM.
One weekend only!
Don’t miss this chance! Come laugh and cheer at your favorite Fairy Tales told in an exciting new way.
Due to scheduling issues, we will not be adding any additional shows at this time.
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The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon by Don Zolidis
Cast preparing to rehearse at the Vaughan Homestead The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil’s Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. A wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun.
Outdoor performances are scheduled for Old Hallowell Day Weekend July 14, 15, 16 and the weekend after, July 21, 22, 23 at the Vaughan Homestead. Friday and Saturday shows start at 6:30pm, Sunday matinees are at 2:00pm. Parking at Vaughan Homestead is strictly limited to showtimes only.
Choose your date and bring a chair, blanket, or maybe even a snack to make it an event! For more information call 207-626-3698. Donations will be accepted at the show or anytime online to support the nonprofit Gaslight Theater.
If you go:
What: Gaslight Theater presents “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon”
Cost: Free with donations accepted.
When and where:
Friday and Saturday July 14, 15* at 7:00 PM, Sunday July 16 at 2:00 PM
Friday and Saturday July 21, 22 at 7:00 PM, Sunday July 23 at 2:00 PM
Vaughan Historic Homestead Outdoor Pavilion
2 Litchfield Rd, Hallowell* The Saturday show is on Old Hallowell Day.
Parking at Vaughan Homestead is strictly limited to the duration of the show only.
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The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon Auditions
Auditions for Don Zolidis’ “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” will be at 6:30pm on Sunday, May 21 and Monday, May 22 at Hallowell City Hall Auditorium, located at 1 Winthrop Street in Hallowell.
The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil’s Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. A wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun.
Audition will be cold reading. There are no set ages for the cast which features two narrators and at least three other actors playing the characters in the fairy tales. Outdoor performances are scheduled for the weekends of July 14, 15, 16 (note that July 15 is Old Hallowell Day) and 21, 22, 23.
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Black Comedy
Gaslight Theater’s “2023 Season of Laughter” continues in April and May with Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy”, directed by Lucille Rioux. The show will be produced at Hallowell City Hall Auditorium at 1 Winthrop Street in Hallowell over two weekends, including Sunday matinees, April 28, 29 and 30 and May 5, 6 & 7. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM and Sunday matinees start at 2:00 PM.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and Seniors. $15 for adults or $12 for students and Seniors. Tickets are available at the door; cash, check and credit card* accepted. For reservations (not required) call 207-626-3698 or to purchase tickets online go to https://gaslight-theater.square.site/
* Please note, there is a $1.00 surcharge on Credit card and online sales to cover the processing chargesBlack Comedy” is a one-act farce by Peter Shaffer first performed in 1965. The premise of the piece is that light and dark are transposed, so that when the stage is lit the cast are supposed to be in darkness and only when the stage is dark are they supposed to be able to see each other and their surroundings. A young sculptor and his fiancée have borrowed some expensive antique furniture from a neighbor’s flat without his permission to impress an elderly millionaire art collector. When the power fails, the neighbor returns early, other people also arrive….
Matthew Ferrin of Augusta will perform as Brindsley Miller, a young sculptor. His fiancee Carol Melkett will be played by Kathryn Ross of Gardiner. Michael Stiles of Kents Hill will play Carol’s father, Colonel Melkett. The part of Clea, Brindsley’s ex, will be performed by Robyn DesLauriers of South Gardiner. Kathleen Leopold of Richmond will play Miss Furnival. Jeff Cabral of Biddeford will play antique shop owner Harold Gorringe. Joe Blackwell of Waterville will play Schuppanzigh, a German refugee, and Gaslight Theater’s own Richard Bostwick of Hallowell will play millionaire art collector Georg Samberger.
Table-Read-for-Black-Comedy-March-2023 Gaslight Theater’s production of “Black Comedy” is sponsored by Free ME from Lung Cancer. Gaslight Theater’s 2023 “Season of Laughter” has been made possible by Season Sponsor E.J. Perry Construction Company and by Turner Publishing, Media Sponsor.
Other upcoming productions in Gaslight’s 2023 “Season of Laughter” include The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon in July, a play still to be determined in November and Jellofish, dates to be announced.
If you go:
- Gaslight Theater presents Peter Shaffer’s “Black Comedy”
- Hallowell City Hall, 1 Winthrop Street, Hallowell.
The Auditorium, located on the 2nd floor, is handicapped accessible by elevator. - When:
Friday & Saturday, April 28 and 29 at 7:30pm
Sunday Matinee, April 30 at 2:00pm
Friday & Saturday, May 5 and 6 at 7:30pm
Sunday Matinee, May 7 at 2:00pm - Tickets:
$15 for adults or $12 for students and Seniors
Available at the door; cash, check and credit card* accepted.
For reservations (not required) call 207-626-3698. To
purchase tickets online https://gaslight-theater.square.site/
* There is a $1.00 surcharge on credit card and online sales to cover the processing charges
we pay to offer this service.
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The Stranger by Agatha Christie
This November Gaslight Theater proudly presents “The Stranger” by Agatha Christie at Hallowell City Hall Auditorium located at 1 Winthrop Street in Hallowell. Theater patrons can choose from six performance dates over two weekends, including Sunday matinees, November 11, 12 & 13 and 18, 19 & 20. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM and Sunday matinee performances start at 2:00 PM. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and Seniors, cash, check and credit card accepted at the door.
Directed by Linda Duarte, “The Stranger”is an adaptation by Agatha Christie, of her short story Philomel Cottage. The play centers around Enid Bradshaw, who breaks her seven-year engagement to Dick Lane in favor of marrying the charming Gerald Strange, whom she had known for a mere afternoon. The two move to a cottage in the country in Act Two, and it is then that we get a sense of Gerald’s true character. Things are not always what they seem, of course, and a well-placed red herring plus Enid’s fascination with Scheherazade and “One Thousand and One Nights’ add key elements to the plot.
Gerald is played by Matthew McLaughlin of Portland, a new actor at Gaslight Theater, and Enid is portrayed by Gwenyth Fraser of Brunswick, who has been seen on our stage several times previously. Andrew Lamb of Augusta, also new to Gaslight Theater, provides some surprises as Dick, and Wendi Richards of Fairfield adds her charm as Enid’s friend Doris. The two housekeepers, offering up very different personalities, are played by Marcia Gallagher of Hallowell, a previous music director at Gaslight, and Jeanne Curtin of West Gardiner, also a first timer with Gaslight Theater. “The Stranger” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
The Cast What: Gaslight Theater presents Agatha Christie’s “The Stranger”
Where: Hallowell City Hall, 1 Winthrop Street, Hallowell.
The Auditorium is located on the 2nd floor and is handicapped accessible by elevator.When: Friday & Saturday, November 11 and 12 at 7:30pm
Sunday Matinee, November 13 at 2:00pm
Friday & Saturday, November 18 and 19 at 7:30pm
Sunday Matinee, November 20 at 2:00pm
Cost: Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and Seniors,
cash, check and credit card accepted at the door. -
Auditions for THE STRANGER by Agatha Christie
Auditions for Gaslight Theater’s late fall show, THE STRANGER by Agatha Christie, will be held Sunday, September 11th and Tuesday, September 13th at 6:30 p.m. at the Hallowell City Hall.
Please bring proof of Covid-19 vaccination to auditions. Auditions are cold readings.
4 Women, 2 Men—Minimum 5—Doris or Mrs. Huggins can double with Mrs. Birch
Doris West—A nondescript girl of 28. Friend of Enid. Similar age.
Mrs. Huggins—A middle-aged woman, housekeep, singing, cheerfully pessimistic. Husband controlling.
Enid Bradshaw—A pretty girl of 28. Engaged for several years to a man who returns to marry her. Looking for some adventure.
Gerald Strange—An attractive man of about 38. Looks like a man who has lived an outdoor life. He has rather a diffident, boyish manner, which endears him to women. There is nothing bold or flashing about him. Becomes somewhat self-centeredly mad.
Dick Lane—A gentle man of 35, looking older than his years. He stoops a little and has a diffident manner. Rather meek at first but belatedly learns to speak his mind.
Mrs. Birch—A thin, anemic looking woman with a flat depressed voice. She has none of Mrs. Huggins’ cheerful pessimism.
Show dates are November 11, 12, and 13 and November 18, 19, and 20 at the Hallowell City Hall.
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The Whales of August
A dinner party at a rehearsal of Gaslight Theater’s “The Whales of August”
Pictured left to right are cast members Margaret Matheson (as Sarah), William Haley (as Mr.
Maranov) and Linda Duarte (as Libby).
Photo credit: Joseph Maranda“The Whales of August” is wistful and autumnal in mood… and filled with the bittersweet recognition that life, despite the alterations of time, must continue as best it can. This show is perfect for the end of summer and a recollection that no matter how old you are it is never too late to live.
“The Whales of August” by Dave Berry is set at a beach house on an island off the coast of Maine where two widowed sisters have been summering for many years. The sisters, played by Margaret Matheson and Linda Duarte, are joined by an old friend, the island handyman, and an old rogue who may or may not be deposed royalty, played by Lisa Copenhaver, Gregor Smith, and William Haley.
This summer Gaslight Theater proudly presents six performances of “The Whales of August” directed by Rebecca Singer and Joseph Maranda.
The show will be presented over two weekends Friday and Saturday, August 26, 27 and September 2 and 3 at 7:30pm with Sunday matinee performances on August 28 and September 3 at 2:00pm.
If you go:
What: Gaslight Theater presents “The Whales of August”
Cost: $15.00 for adults and $13.00 for seniors and students
Call 207-626-3698 for reservations, or just walk in
Where and When:
Friday and Saturday August 26 and 27 at 7:30 PM, Sunday August 28 at 2:00pm
Friday and Saturday September 2 and 3 at 7:30 PM, Sunday September 4 at 2:00pmHallowell City Hall
1 Winthrop St, HallowellFounded in 1937 as the Augusta Players, and since doing business as Gaslight Theater, we are the oldest continuously operating community theater in Maine. Productions have taken place in Hallowell City Hall since the late 1970s (until COVID intervened). We hope to return to our regular schedule in 2023 which is normally four shows a year, usually in late winter, early summer, late summer, and the fall, featuring a balance among musicals, mysteries, comedies, classics and new or experimental plays. For each show, we have at least six performances over two weekends, including Sunday matinees.
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Auditions! Auditions for Fall Show!
Auditions for Gaslight Theater’s fall show, The Whales of August, will be held Sunday, July 17th and Monday, July 18th at 7:00 p.m. at the Hallowell City Hall.
The Whales of August is set at a beach house on an island off the coast of Maine where two widowed sisters have been summering for many years. The play is wistful and autumnal in mood… and filled with the bittersweet recognition that life, despite the alterations of time, must continue as best it can.
Please bring proof of Covid-19 vaccination to auditions. Show consists of two acts with parts for three women and two men. All roles are intended for actors 50 and older. Auditions are cold readings.
Show dates are August 26, 27, and 28 and September 2, 3 and 4 (this is Labor day weekend. Please do not audition if you already have other plans) at the Hallowell City Hall.