What is your favorite number?
The popularity of the mindless but addictive television program Deal or No Deal has placed new emphasis on birth dates, anniversary dates, number of children, house numbers and years married. In the game of Trivial Pursuit, 9 was recognized as the universal lucky number. Most people agree that things, good and bad, come in threes: The Three Musketeers (people and candy bars), the Three Stooges, Three Blind Mice, three wishes, three strikes, three of a kind, third time is a charm.
Recently letters went out to three score and ten anxious actors. Scripts and rehearsal schedules will be given out soon and plans can be made for another summer season. Curtain Up Enterprises has managed Lakewood Theater for 21 (divisible by 3) successful years. We are very excited about our 22nd season. We will be offering nine shows over eighteen weeks (can be divided by 3). Some of your Lakewood favorites will be appearing in three shows: Mark Nadeau, Bobby Keniston, MJ Clifford, Cory King and Jeffrey Quinn.
We will open the season with Clothes Encounters—an unzipped nonstop-nonsense farce about selling real estate. The lovable Clampett family rides onto the Lakewood stage in our second production, The Beverly Hillbillies. Pure greed is pure fun as wonderful characters perform on a revolving stage in Sly Fox. The first of two musicals features the song of Elvis Presley. It is 1955—get out your poodle skirt, dust off your blue suede shoes, and color everything Mamie Eisenhower pink. We’re All Shook Up. Give yourself a present—attend The Christmas Spirit. Julia Downing invites the Angel of Death to Christmas dinner with her dysfunctional family. The season is not perfect until we garb a man in woman’s clothing and Nobody’s Perfect is the perfect answer. The second musical offers Gershwin songs in Crazy for You. Who could ask for anything more? Don’t be frightened. Jack the Ripper will tickle your funny bone as well as scare (just a little). And this show offers, get this, three different endings! We will end the season with a trio of brothers Tom, Dick and Harry by a favorite Lakewood playwright, Ray Cooney.
It has taken us six (yup, that works!) years. In addition to our three season underwriters—Granite Hill Estates, Skowhegan Savings Bank and Quinn Hardware—for the first time we are pleased to announce sponsors for each of the nine main stage plays, the children’s shows, and the Lakewood Jesters.
Last May we installed additional area lighting. In June we moved our concession stand to the interior of the theater. In July we resurface our parking lot with new gravel.
To be truthful, there is a sinking feeling in the Lakewood Grove as we begin another season. The floor of the Henderson House is sinking. Named for Clarence and Eleanor Henderson, Lakewood’s master electrician and mechanic during the 30’s – 50’s, the Henderson House is essential to the success of the Lakewood Young Performers Camp. The building has served as the summer home for the Henderson’s in the 30’s & 40”s living quarters of “Shanty staff” in the 50’s and 60’s and now serves the Performers Camp as a work area for costumers, a storage area for costumes and props, a rehearsal area, and even a dressing room. Jacking and stabilizing will begin when the frost is out.
Our favorite number at Lakewood—perhaps a zero written on a check after your favorite number. All donations to Lakewood Theater are tax deductible and will be used exclusively for the maintenance, renovation, and restoration of America’s oldest summer theater.
While your generous donations often appear as physical improvements to the Theater facility and surrounding grounds, did you ever wonder if your donation makes a difference in a person’s life? This recent letter I received from Wallace Bruce should answer your question.
I was twelve when I saw my first show at Lakewood Theater: Oliver! I remember it so well. Mum took me to every show after that summer. I got to recognize all the faces of the company and knew them all by name. I used to fantasize about being right up there with them, sharing that moment in the spotlight.
I used to dream that Linda would give me a big hug and say “good job sweetie!”; that Bobby and his dad would shake my hand and whisper “break a leg” to me before curtain; or Mark would give me a wink and a nudge “go get um tiger.”
To my surprise, Mum and Dad enrolled me in Young Performers Camp the next summer. Could it be real? It just went up from there. My life is in the walls of Lakewood Theater, in the seats and in the carpet; my tears, my sweat, and my happiest memories. Lakewood is my life. My first childhood crush on my camp counselor, my first main stage production when I was Nels in I Remember Mama, my first big job as stage carpenter, my wonderful friendship with “my big brother” Matthew, and my deep love for the Quinn family. I didn’t just learn about community theater, I learned about life.
Now I’m nineteen. I work back stage building sets and helping to make every production happen so maybe one day we can inspire a starry eyed young kid sitting in the audience with that dream to be. I have acted at Lakewood every summer, small roles here and there, even a couple lead roles. And guess what? Linda gave me that hug, Bobby and Bob shook my hand, and Mark gave me that nudge, and I lived that dream. When I’m a million miles away all I have to do is think of when the summer will come again and Lakewood’s box office will be ringing and buzzing with excitement. I can hear MJ’s voice. “Thank you for coming to Lakewood Theater, enjoy the show.”
