By Staff
Deplorable Folly Players News Release
Deplorable Folly Players News Release
A fundraising variety show is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday at Washington’s Turnage Theater.
“A New Vaudeville Revue” features a host of local singers, dancers and comedians, plus more than a few surprises, the show’s organizers said.
The Turnage doors open to the public at 7 p.m. Saturday.
There will be a 15-minute intermission during the show.
Admission is free, but the performers ask that attendees consider making donations to the Turnage Theaters Foundation.
For more information, call 252-943-8473 or see the Deplorable Folly Players’ page on Facebook.
Staged by the players, the revue will pay tribute to a fallen community-theater colleague.
The production is dedicated to the late Ashley Stephenson, a past president of the former Washington Community Theatre Association and a longtime Turnage volunteer.
Stephenson was devoted to promoting the arts in Washington and surrounding areas for at least 15 years, said Theresa Holman, stage manager.
“He did everything he could,” Holman said.
Stephenson performed duties ranging from directing plays to holding stage-makeup workshops to handling sound and lighting for the Beaufort County Arts Council, she said.
“It’s for his love of the art,” Holman said of the players’ tribute.
The players, a Washington-based theater group, said they had assembled a veritable “cast of thousands” — actually around 38 people, not including backstage crew — to present onstage.
At last report, the variety lineup consisted of (in order of appearance):
• Lee Drake, master of ceremonies;
• Riley Potts Simpson and Raven Simpson, classic comedy team;
• vocalist Stuart Aronson, who will sing an original song, “The Carolina Blue Crab Blues,” and some standard tunes;
• the Cypress Landing Rockettes — Virginia Jenks, Beate Collins, Lisa Clark, Pam Nuckols, Shelley Gentner and Gayle Watson-Roper — kicking and stepping to “It Had to be You”;
• real-life husband and wife Russ Woolard and Robin Woolard as husband-and-wife comedy team Burt and Molly;
• the Sweetwater Sextet, a chamber-music ensemble, with players Darci Binford, Rebecca Clayton, Lois Omonde, Dawn Pooser, Robin Potts and Patricia Ward;
• vocalists/comedians Crystal Holman and Jonathan Clayborne singing “All for the Best,” from the musical “Godspell”;
• dancer/choreographer Shannon Reising with an emotional ballet she crafted in memory of her late mother;
• musicians Sandrea Davis, Michael Worsley and Allen Engelhart;
• a contingent of choreographer Janet Cox’s dance students — Robyn Carraway, Marieca Timour, Elizabeth Tanner, Shelby Nall, Ashleigh Singleton, Dina Nobles plus Cox — reprising their “Rhythm Nation” number from the local fundraiser Dancing with OUR Stars;
• Mike Voss, contributing editor of the Washington Daily News, with some observations and reflections on his career in journalism, assisted by Drake;
• a vocal trio, made up of Sharon McLawhorn, Michelle Wilkins and Kim Thompson;
• gospel singer Dianne Rucienski singing “10,000 Angels”;
• vocalist/pianist Leah Clark singing “Hallelujah”;
• actor Roman Leary and possibly others.
The show is scheduled to end around 9:30 p.m. Saturday.