Theatre on the Hill Guild Showcases Six One Act Plays

September 9-11, 2016

The Theatre on the Hill at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo was host to local playwrights, showcasing six one-act plays as a fund raiser for the Theatre on the Hill Guild. This is the brainchild of Drama Professor Connie Breding and is her third year of directing this particular event. Due to the comedic content in this years offerings, Connie came up with the title "Funny Zone" encompassing all plays involved.

Playwrights and plays presented are Carla C. Crittenden The Colors of Living Life; Carolyn Dittmer My Civic Duty; Andrea Garcia Choir Practice Catastrophe; Julia Newton Silver Lining; Roque Rosales Adding Oranges; and Bob Trowbridge Full Moon at the Rest Stop.

A Silent Auction was also conducted to raise more funds for the Theatre on the Hill Guild and it was very successful as well. Thanks to Carolyn Dittmer for all of her efforts in running this Silent Auction.
AND a huge thanks to businesses in the community who contributed items for the auction.

I apologize now for not having pictures of each play, but my husband, Doug, was able to take pictures at dress rehearsal of The Colors of Living Life which you will see below. I missed dress rehearsal due to illness so I am missing in the pictures, but am in the last photo of the cast along with members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society.

The Colors of Living Life is a play about an imaginary Red Hat chapter in New Mexico called Red or Green Chili Peppers.

L to R: Monica Helm, Kathy Barnes, Jan Wafful, Victoria Kennedy, Keddy Richardson, Ulrike Burgheim and Angela Basurto engaging in conversation while doing adult coloring

Discussion of Leigh Ann Parker's (Kathy) recent marriage

L to R: Monica, Angela, Kathy and Jan as Angela shows off her "substantial" diamond engagement ring

Everyone doing their exercise of the day led by Keddy (standing)

Playing "Happy Birthday" with Kazoos, the official musical instrument of the Red Hat Society

Reaction to an announcement of an upcoming event where they can exercise the official sport of Red Hatting "Shopping"

Front Row L to R: Keddy, Ulrike, Carla Kerr, Gail Swineford, Donna Williams, Victoria. Back Row L to R: Kathy, Angela, Jan W., Monica, Jan Jennings and Trudy Reese. This was taken after the Sunday Matinee outside the Theatre on the Hill.

All of the plays were well received and playwrights and actors were paid high compliments by attendees. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to next year when we do it again. Incidentally, the next offering at the Rohovec Theatre on the Hill is Steel Magnolias which is already in rehearsal. You won't want to miss this one! The production dates are November 11-12 and 18-20, 2016 so mark your calendar to remind you.

Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photographer for taking these pictures for us.

This is all I have to say for now.

Theatre on the Hill at NMSU-A Rehearsal of Spring Play

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Actors who were still in Alamogordo and not gone on Spring Break reported to the Rohovec Theatre on the Hill to rehearse "The Mystery of Pirate's Cove", the Children's Spring Play. The set is coming along very well and it is amazing what these people can create with a little wood and paint.

L to R: Juls Pate, Assistant Director, Connie J. Breding, Director, Playwright and Producer, and Bob Trowbridge, Administrative Assistant to Connie, Set Designer, Actor and Playwright

Rod Barnes, Graybeard in his quarters aboard ship

Four of the children in the play known as Matty, Sofie, Colleen and David

Barbeesh (Bob Trowbridge) sneaking away from his wife

Rose (Carla Kerr) berating Barbeesh, her husband

Miranda (Victoria Kennedy) and Benjamin (Alan Gonzales)

Benjamin and Miranda getting serious about this sword fight

It was a good evening and a lot of blocking was accomplished as well as getting the young people used to their positions on stage.

Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photography for the great photos.

This is all I have to say for now.

13th Annual Turquoise and Silver Tea in Alamogordo, New Mexico

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Over 400 mostly women attended the Flickinger Theater Guild Turquoise and Silver Tea "Puttin' On The Ritz", held in the Willie Estrada Civic Center in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Among the attendees were twelve members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society dressed to the nines with their beautiful hats atop their heads.

As always, the tea was a lovely affair starting with a prelude by SKY Yates and Ed Dittmer, a lovely duo well known around town for their "acoustic this and that". James White and Sarina Turnbull more than ably served as emcees of the event.

Entertainment started with Monique Foster, owner/instructor of the Alamogordo Academy of Ballet presenting three of her students in a beautiful ballet movement.

Carolyn Dittmer playing the Reporter, presented a group of AMT players in a musical skit "Puttin' on the Ritz" (adapted from "Young Frankenstein") which included Tony Calderon (Dr. Frankenstein), Joel Burg (The Monster), Zack Miller (Igor) and Victoria Kennedy (Inga), also the choreographer.

Vocal with Instrumentalists were Joanne Blumenthal, Scott Hancock on flute and Don Thorp on guitar.

Refreshments were prepared by Mountain View Catering @ GCRMC and served by AHS ROTC Cadets, along with instructor USAF CMSgt (ret) Patrick Tedford.

Susie Hall moderated the Fashion Show featuring fashions and accessories from Bealls, Dollar Boots & Jeans, Elite Memories, GCRMC Auxillary Gift Shop, Instant Karma, JC Penney, Maurice's Rue 21, Seasons at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, NM and Zales.

Going on the whole time were drawings for door prizes. Five members of the New Mexico Roadrunner Chapter of the Red Hat Society won prizes as did many other people. In the meantime, a Silent Auction was also running and I bid on and got a gorgeous beaded jacket and a Venezuelan dress.

Twelve Red Hat members were in attendance looking lovely as ever in their purple attire and red hats. We made a lot of noise every time one of us won a door prize so everyone knew we were there.

Shot of the Red Hat group taken by Jan Jennings

L to R: VQ Donna, Darla, Lu and Gail

L to R: Alice, Margie, Queen Ladybird, VQ Donna, Darla, Lu, Gail and Trudy with Jan Jennings at the end of our table

Alice and Margie, our Mountain Girls from High Rolls

Lu and Gail looking lovely as ever

Trudy looking pleased as punch about something

Margie with Carmen just arriving looking quite elegant

Queen Ladybird placing a pink ribbon on Terry's hat with prospective member, Kathy, looking on. October is Breast Cancer Month and we always tuck a pink ribbon in our hats to show our support.

Dorothy E. and Terry contemplating something??

The door prize drawings started and VQ Donna won the very first one, this lovely glass swan shown in the photo

Victoria Kennedy modeling one of the fashions on the runway

The Ballet dance has begun

They were quite professional and entertaining

Joy Kosinski modeling clothes and accessories from Dollar Boots & Jeans

Alice unwrapping her door prize with Kathy looking on

Carmen with her door prize win

L to R: Joel Burg, Tony Calderon, Victoria Kennedy and Carolyn Dittmer "Puttin' on the Ritz"

L to R: Tony, Zach Miller (Igor), Victoria and Carolyn

Zach Miller and Victoria Kennedy

Tony, Joel, Zach and Victoria strutting their stuff

Tony, Zach and Victoria

Zach, Victoria and Tony

Zach and Victoria "Puttin' on the Ritz"

Tony, Victoria and Zach in the finale

Another winner - Terry with her door prize and Kathy wondering why her number hasn't been called

Gail with her door prize, two gift cards, looks very pleased

Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photographer for this official shot before I left for the tea.

The tea was a huge success as always and everyone had a grand time. Can't wait to see what they come up with for next year, but we will be there, for sure.

This is all I have to say for now.

"Chaos at the Concert"

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

The Drama 105 Class at New Mexico State University-Alamogordo, directed by Drama Professor Connie J. Breding, presented an Interactive Murder Mystery Event  written by Ms. Breding as well. Act I begins in the university Campus Deli and Cafe (Route 55 Cafe) where Melvis Priestly (early cousin of Elvis Presley) is presiding over a dinner with a 50's style menu for his entourage as well as the president of the local Melvis Fan Club and a fan who won a drawing to have dinner with Melvis. The time is a nice spring evening in Alamogordo, New Mexico in 1955.

When the dinner is finished, the group travels across the campus to the Rohovec Theatre where the concert is held and quite an audience is in attendance.  In Act II Melvis entertains as only he can, singing some great songs and giving out with that "Melvis Move" that he perfected long before Elvis.  As he is finishing one song, he suddenly becomes desperately ill and falls to the stage.

In Act III, students of the EMS Class arrive in their ambulance to tend Melvis and eventually put him on a gurney and take him to IHOSP, the international hospital in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Students from Criminal Justice arrive to place the crime scene tape and to interrogate everyone who is involved with Melvis trying to ascertain who might want to harm him. Word comes back from the hospital that our beloved Melvis is deceased declaring him to have been murdered and everyone is screaming and crying. Incidentally, the officer does solve the crime through his questioning which was amazing to everyone because he had no idea who the culprit was until he started his investigation.  He was so thorough in his questioning that he just might do very well in a drama class along with his Criminal Justice studies.

This was primarily an improvisational group doing whatever came to mind that would keep the show moving and interesting and the group did an outstanding job of this. "Chaos at the Concert" was well received by the audience.

The cast is as follows:

Melvis Priestly (Spencer Bond); Sergeant Kernal Carparker (Doug Kerr); Missi Carparker (Carla Kerr); Nancy N. Icegurl (Victoria Kennedy); Kathy Allgood (Miranda Denetdale); Ima Bea Badd (Caymen Rogers); Patty Server (Wanda Wakkinen); Jock Strappe (Jeremiah Crosby); Samuel "Snoopy" RePortier (Gavin Kainulainen); Brawny Bonecrusher (Alan Gonzales); and Norman "Nerdy" McNerdal (Cliff Courvoisier).
 

L to R: Kernal Carparker (Doug Kerr), Nancy N. Icegurl (Victorial Kennedy), Melvis Priestly (Spencer Bond), Kathy Allgood (Miranda Denetdale), and Missi Carparker (Carla Kerr) at the dinner

A group of people waiting for their food to be picked up

Ima Bea Badd (Caymen Rogers) the towns wild child

Norman "Nerdy" McNerdal (Cliff Courvoisier) with his back to us, L to R: Brawny Bonecrusher (Alan Gonzales), Jock Strappe (Jeremiah Crosby), and Patty Server (Wanda Wakkinen). Patty is chastising Jock because he keeps picking on Nerdy.

Nancy N. Icegurl (Victoria Kennedy) welcoming everyone to the Melvis dinner

Missi looking concerned because Melvis doesn't have his coke and hamburger yet

L to R: Nancy, Melvis and Kathy in discussion about the fact that Kathy just can't believe she is sitting at the table with Melvis, her idol. She said she only entered the contest on a whim and when she was called by the radio station and told that she had won,  she just about died. Melvis and Nancy are assuring Kathy that they are here to make sure she has a great time.

The "Route 55 Cafe" even provided a delicious cake in honor of Melvis

Melvis and Nancy on stage

Melvis has fallen to the floor and Kernal Carparker is distraught

Missi Carparker stands by while the EMS people work on Melvis

Kernal being very pensive as he waits to hear about Melvis

The Campus Officer questions Kernal and Brawny after Melvis' death

Missi explaining through tears that everybody loved Melvis and she has no idea who could be so evil

After the show, Missi, Kernal and Brawny

Missi and Kernal

Front L to R: Patty, Missi, Nancy and Jock. Back L to R: Detective, Kernal, Brawny, Ima Bea, and Nerdy. Of course, Melvis is in the morgue by this time. Also missing is Kathy who had to leave right away.

Thanks so much to Tito Torres for taking the pictures starting with Melvis and Nancy on stage all the way through to the after shots and the last one of the group. Tito and his wife Rosie were in the audience.  Thanks to Douglas A. Kerr, Photography for shots in Cafe 55 except the group shot with Elvis was shot by Samuel "Snoopy" LaPortier (Gavin Kainulainen) whose picture did not get taken, but isn't this always the way with photographers and reporters?

This production was one of those "You had to be there" to appreciate the work that went into writing and producing it as well as the costumes created by the actors themselves. This class will be presenting three more short plays this semester as their final so be sure to watch for the announcement. This is truly a talented group promising a great evening of entertainment in May.

This is all I have to say for now.