[NEohioPAL] Dana Hart, Jamie Koeth, Keith Stevens, MaryAnn Elder, Constance Thackaberry, Kathleen Culler, Daniel Taylor star in SANDERS FAMILY CHRISTMAS at Actors' Summit

[Neil Thackaberry]

For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:

MaryJo Alexander or Neil Thackaberry 

330-342-0800

 

Actors' Summit Presents 

A Country Gospel Music Holiday--

The Sanders Family Christmas

                                    

 

Actors' Summit, Hudson's Equity Professional Theater, announces the
opening of the Sanders' Family Christmas, a heartwarming old-time
country musical for the holiday season. A preview performance will take
place on Thursday, December 4, 2008 with the official opening night on
December 5, 2008. The play will have twelve performances through
December 21, 2008. The play is performed Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays
at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM at the Actors' Summit Theater in downtown
Hudson. 

 

About the Play 

Sanders Family Christmas is set on Christmas Eve, 1941 at the Mount
Pleasant Baptist Church, in North Carolina. The shadow of the attack on
Pearl Harbor has fallen over the community. The Sanders Family has
returned to their community and church for one final performance before
son Dennis joins the Marines, and is shipped out. Uncle Stanley, a Gene
Autry style, singer / musician has returned to join the family for this
concert. Dennis' twin sister Denise wants to join the USO. Vera and
Burl, the parents, alternate stories and songs and keeps the family in
line. The part-time Pastor, who works as a bookkeeper for the local
pickle factory has an engagement ring for June, the older sister, and is
ready to ask the big question. 

 

Reminiscent of "A Prairie Home Companion," the show features 28 musical
numbers ranging from traditional carols to old-time Gospel and folk
holiday songs. Built around the dynamics of a performing family complete
with sibling rivalries and practical jokes, it's a terrific show for the
whole family. Caroling, with the combined voices of the cast and
audience, rounds out the evening. 

 

The Cast

Several favorite Actors' Summit company members return for this great
country music holiday treat. 

 

Heading the Sanders Family of musician / singers is Equity actor Dana
Hart, (mandolin and guitar). Dana last appeared at Actors' Summit as Jim
Devery in the critically acclaimed production of Born Yesterday. Most
recently he appeared in Goldstar Ohio at Cleveland Public Theatre and
History Boys at Beck Center.  

 

Playing his wife, and making her Actors' Summit debut, is MaryAnn Elder
(piano). MaryAnn has performed at the Beck Center, Ensemble Theatre,
Cain Park, and Cleveland Play House. 

 

Playing the male half of the Sanders' twins is Equity actor, Jamie Koeth
(guitar). An accomplished singer / musician, Jamie has appeared in Pump
Boys and Dinettes and Jesus Christ Superstar at Porthouse, as well as
The Thing About Men and Personals at Actors' Summit. Jamie has toured
nationally with Jekyll and Hyde.  

 

Twin sister Denise will be played by Kathleen Culler (flute) who most
recently appeared at Actors' Summit in the Ohio premiere of
Main-Travelled Roads. She has also appeared in Musical of Musicals --
the Musical, Quilters, Polish Joke and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Other
credits include The Cleveland Play House, Magical Theatre Company, and
Beck Center. 

 

Pastor Mervin Oglethorpe will be played by Equity actor Keith Stevens.
Keith Stevens returns following the highly successful Ohio premier of
Main-Travelled Roads at Actors' Summit.  His Actors' Summit credits
include Macbeth, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Rounding Third, Proof, I
Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, Picnic, Musical of Musicals -- the
Musical, and Romeo and Juliet. 

 

Master of the banjo and dobro, and playing Stanley Sanders, is Daniel
Taylor. Most recently Daniel appeared in Rounding Third, Medea, and
Macbeth.   Daniel has worked both on and off stage with Cleveland Public
Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare, and Bang and Clatter. Daniel also tours with
his bluegrass band FishCreek.

 

Rounding out the cast is Equity actor, Constance Thackaberry. Constance
just completed directing the critically praised production of Nixon's
Nixon. As an actress, Connie has appeared at Actors' Summit in Proof,
Picnic; She Stoops to Conquer, and Gingerbread Lady. 

 

The Production team

Sanders Family Christmas is being directed by Actors' Summit Co-artistic
Director MaryJo Alexander.     

 

Performance Schedule
Sanders Family Christmas will have its preview performance on December
3.  The opening night performance is Friday, December 4, 2008, and it
will be followed by a dessert reception with the cast.  Regular
performances continue through Sunday December 21.

 

Performance times:

Performances are given Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 PM and
Sundays at 2:00 PM at the theater, located at 86 Owen Brown Street,
Hudson, Ohio. 

 

Tickets
Preview tickets are $15. Regular performance tickets are $28 on Fridays
& Saturdays, $25 on Thursdays & Sundays, with seniors receiving a $3
discount at regular Thursday and Sunday performances. 

 

New this year: ALL full time student tickets (with ID) are $7 at all
performances. 

 

Tickets can be purchased by phone at (330) 342-0800 or from the website
at www.actorssummit.org.  

 

Web site
Actors' Summit Theater can be found on the web at www.actorssummit.org
<http://www.actorssummit.org/> . Actors' Summit is a professional, not
for profit, 501-c-3 professional arts organization.  We are seeking
volunteers and board members.  For more details please call MaryJo or
Neil at (330) 342-0800. 


Actors' Summit is working under a developmental agreement with Actors'
Equity Association (the Union of Professional Actors and Stage
Managers.)

 

Actors' Summit:  Professional Theater -- Ohio Artists.

 

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