By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Even with an empty theater and a couple of nights away from their first performance, the pride the Bucyrus Little Theatre cast members took in their production of Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” was tangible.
Whether it was Emily Buck joyously singing “I Got You Babe” as newlywed Corie Bratter, Michael Schoeppner huffing and puffing his way up one stoop and five flights of stairs as the telephone repairman, or theater rookie Andrew Burk stumbling into the Bratters’ new apartment as up-and-coming lawyer Paul Bratter, the six-member cast is ready to show off their acting chops to the community.
“People are probably familiar with the movie with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, but it’s this newly wedded couple in their late 20s or so – they’ve just come back from their honeymoon and they’re going into this apartment,” explained director Beth Hartzler, who also plays Ethel Banks, Corie’s mother.
The story follows Corie and Paul Bratter as they adjust to their new life, complete with a small brownstone apartment accessed by five flights of stairs, their own vastly different personalities, their new eccentric neighbor Victor Velasco – played by Jason Chandler, and the arrival of Corie’s sassy mother. Corie is a free spirit and feels that her new husband, who she sees as too boring and staid, just doesn’t understand her.
“If you’ve ever been in any kind of relationship – married or otherwise – you don’t always see eye to eye,” Hartzler said, who will celebrate her second year of marriage on Oct. 11. “The end of the show you just hope everything turns out for the best. Act Three is actually a really nice resolve for all of the characters. We get to see some new sides to them.”
And that’s exactly what Hartzler and her fellow thespians hope to achieve every time they take on a new role.
“That’s what theatre is really all about,” Hartzler said. “We’re all out here telling stories, but you got to be interested in the characters and you got to be able to relate to them.
“These are very real people,” she added. “There’s nothing too terribly outlandish other than it’s a play, but these could be people you could run into if you were in a city or just in a place like Bucyrus or Marion or wherever.”
This won’t be the first time Hartzler has directed a Bucyrus Little Theatre production or took on a role in “Barefoot in the Park”. She helmed productions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Steel Magnolias” and played Corie Bratter when she was in college.
In fact, most of the cast have lengthy backgrounds in Bucyrus Little Theatre productions, with the exception of Burk, who will perform on stage for the first time though he was part of the pit for “Grease”.
“Bucyrus Little Theatre is one of those places that, no matter what else is going on in my life – and there’s been some stuff – it’s just one of those places where I walk in the door and I just get to slip in to somebody else, whether it’s the director, assistant director, or whatever,” Hartzler said. “I can just put everything else on pause for the three or four or five hours that we’re here and just pick it back up later.”
Hartzler, though usually on stage or directing the scenes, understands the importance of community theatre.
“It’s just really amazing when you see the different groups of people walking through the door not really sure what they’re going to encounter,” Hartzler said. “You just see people really slip into that with us. You see people coming together in such a positive way and celebrating not only the work that we’ve all done as a cast, crew, and otherwise, but also just celebrating – this is something different.”
Hartzler added that though the various productions could be going on in any city at any time, the community chose to see the Bucyrus Little Theatre’s production of it.
“This right here is our show and the people that come to it are a part of it,” she said. “We’re constantly thinking from day one . . . how is this person’s voice going to read, how are these people going to appreciate it? We’re always thinking about the audience.”
Performances of “Barefoot in the Park” will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, 7, and 8 and at 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 2 and 9 at Bucyrus Little Theatre, 130 Songer Ave. Adult tickets for the show are $15 and student tickets are $10. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 419-562-0731 or can be bought at the door. The production is being sponsored by Kennedy Purdy Hoeffel & Gernert LLC.
The Bucyrus Little Theatre will also be putting on a production of “Narnia” by Jules Tasca, which will be based on C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” in December.