Our 2020-2021 Season
The Season of COVID-19
The Walpole Footlighters suspended the 2019-2020 season in March 2020. In June, we decided to cancel all performances in the Playhouse to conform with the Commonwealth restrictions on in-person gatherings. In spite of the closures, we had a busy season online! We started by holding Virtual Table Readings once a week. In August, we sponsored a 24-hour Play Festival and tried to schedule frequent virtual performances until we can go back to in-person productions.
In January, we produced The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry. We performed in the Playhouse for the first time since February 2020 with the performance recorded by Walpole Media and streamed by Broadway On Demand in February 2021.
You can watch our Virtual Table Reads on our YouTube channel.
In January, we produced The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry. We performed in the Playhouse for the first time since February 2020 with the performance recorded by Walpole Media and streamed by Broadway On Demand in February 2021.
You can watch our Virtual Table Reads on our YouTube channel.
Our First 24-Hour Play Festival!
On August 29, at 7 PM, our patrons saw the results of our first 24-Hour Play Festival! Starting on Friday, August 28, the Footlighters wrote, cast, rehearsed, and launched several ten-minute plays in a 24 hour period for the enjoyment of our loyal (virtual) audience! Writers, directors, and actors worked together to create short plays together.
On August 29, at 7 PM, our patrons saw the results of our first 24-Hour Play Festival! Starting on Friday, August 28, the Footlighters wrote, cast, rehearsed, and launched several ten-minute plays in a 24 hour period for the enjoyment of our loyal (virtual) audience! Writers, directors, and actors worked together to create short plays together.
Bangin' the Bell by Ted Karber, Jr.
Adapted for Virtual Performance by Marianne Phinney
September 25 & 26, 2020 at 8:00 pm
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Marianne Phinney
Stage Managed by Martin Lombardi
Starring (in order of appearance): Kerry Moe, Diana Kennedy, Cynthia Small, Sally McAllister, Kaiti Maddox, Lex Blair, and Woody Farrick
Bangin’ the Bell takes place in Opal’s living room in Mt. Parnassus on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Opal Marie, Marlene, Ina Jo, Ruby Lee, and Candymine have big dreams for the evening. Tonight is the annual Mt. Parnassus Christmas Cotillion and they plan to be the belles at the proverbial ball. Sadly, infidelity, a corpulent corpse and a deputy with the IQ of a popsicle stick might put a crimp in their plans.
September 25 & 26, 2020 at 8:00 pm
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Marianne Phinney
Stage Managed by Martin Lombardi
Starring (in order of appearance): Kerry Moe, Diana Kennedy, Cynthia Small, Sally McAllister, Kaiti Maddox, Lex Blair, and Woody Farrick
Bangin’ the Bell takes place in Opal’s living room in Mt. Parnassus on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Opal Marie, Marlene, Ina Jo, Ruby Lee, and Candymine have big dreams for the evening. Tonight is the annual Mt. Parnassus Christmas Cotillion and they plan to be the belles at the proverbial ball. Sadly, infidelity, a corpulent corpse and a deputy with the IQ of a popsicle stick might put a crimp in their plans.
A Virtual Whodunnit by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus
October 23 & 24, 2020 at 8:00 pm
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Steve Small
Stage Managed by Meaghan Culkeen
Starring Peter Bradley, Lauren Bushway, Kevin Lowney, Shelby Speer, Mark Logan, Juli Small, Karen Bell, Chris Erath, and Beth Morrill
A Virtual Whodunnit starts during a virtual family meeting when the patriarch announces he is changing his will, but dies suddenly and comically before signing the updated document. Murder is suspected, everyone is a suspect, and the detective discovers that they all had both motive and opportunity. The audience gets to vote for the killer, and the play has multiple endings.
Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., of Woodstock, Illinois.
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Steve Small
Stage Managed by Meaghan Culkeen
Starring Peter Bradley, Lauren Bushway, Kevin Lowney, Shelby Speer, Mark Logan, Juli Small, Karen Bell, Chris Erath, and Beth Morrill
A Virtual Whodunnit starts during a virtual family meeting when the patriarch announces he is changing his will, but dies suddenly and comically before signing the updated document. Murder is suspected, everyone is a suspect, and the detective discovers that they all had both motive and opportunity. The audience gets to vote for the killer, and the play has multiple endings.
Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., of Woodstock, Illinois.
Love in the Snow: Stories for Christmas by Matthew Garlin
December 4-5, 2020
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Kathy Bedard
Love in the Snow -Stories for Christmas is three short tales about people who look to show how much their loved ones mean to them by the quality and quantity of gifts. However, they learn that it's about the quantity of love they have for each other and not the price of a gift that matters.
The Christmas Gift: A man wants to propose to his girlfriend and has an elaborate plan that includes his best friend and an annoyed waitress, but he is sidelined by his co-dependent mother and his old neighbors who are out to embarrass him.
Gifts for Christmas: A poor newly married couple tries to get Christmas gifts for each other but their finances are very low. They have to make sacrifices but it turns out that their sacrifices are rewarded.
Christmas of Gifts: Two parents want to get their child the toy they really want but they find themselves arguing about who will give him the toy while other shoppers try to get their shopping done.
All tickets $10 plus $2 service fee
Directed by Kathy Bedard
Love in the Snow -Stories for Christmas is three short tales about people who look to show how much their loved ones mean to them by the quality and quantity of gifts. However, they learn that it's about the quantity of love they have for each other and not the price of a gift that matters.
The Christmas Gift: A man wants to propose to his girlfriend and has an elaborate plan that includes his best friend and an annoyed waitress, but he is sidelined by his co-dependent mother and his old neighbors who are out to embarrass him.
Gifts for Christmas: A poor newly married couple tries to get Christmas gifts for each other but their finances are very low. They have to make sacrifices but it turns out that their sacrifices are rewarded.
Christmas of Gifts: Two parents want to get their child the toy they really want but they find themselves arguing about who will give him the toy while other shoppers try to get their shopping done.
The 39 Steps: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry
February 12-27, 2021
All tickets $15
Directed by Sheila Kelleher
Starring Ken Carberry, Jon Workman, James Koonce, Diana Doyle, and Amy Keegan with Ed Krasnow and Patrick Murphy as Foley artists
Check out our virtual program book!
Inspired by Hitchcock's classic tale and performed as a live period radio play, this romantic thriller is a fast-paced ride through the signature world of the Master of Suspense. Richard Hannay is visiting 1930s London when he meets Annabella Smith, who is on the run from foreign agents, after a disturbance at a music hall. Later that night, Annabella is murdered and Hannay must then try to break the spy ring and prove his innocence. From an epic train chase to a feisty love interest, Hannay has his work cut out for him as he searches for the truth about The 39 Steps.
The 39 Steps was produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com) and streamed through Broadway On Demand.
Thank you to the team at Walpole Media for assistance with recording and editing.
All tickets $15
Directed by Sheila Kelleher
Starring Ken Carberry, Jon Workman, James Koonce, Diana Doyle, and Amy Keegan with Ed Krasnow and Patrick Murphy as Foley artists
Check out our virtual program book!
Inspired by Hitchcock's classic tale and performed as a live period radio play, this romantic thriller is a fast-paced ride through the signature world of the Master of Suspense. Richard Hannay is visiting 1930s London when he meets Annabella Smith, who is on the run from foreign agents, after a disturbance at a music hall. Later that night, Annabella is murdered and Hannay must then try to break the spy ring and prove his innocence. From an epic train chase to a feisty love interest, Hannay has his work cut out for him as he searches for the truth about The 39 Steps.
The 39 Steps was produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com) and streamed through Broadway On Demand.
Thank you to the team at Walpole Media for assistance with recording and editing.