Western Playhouse Presents ‘Barefoot in the Park’; Gala Dinner Marks Opening Night

Western Playhouse, the new summer professional theatre hosted by the Western Institute at Missouri Western State University, presents Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park” July 5-8 in the Potter Hall Theater on Missouri Western’s campus. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. July 5, 6 and 7, and at 3 p.m. July 8. Tickets are $18.50 for adults and $9.50 for children and are available online at www.westernplayhouse.com, by phone at 816-271-4452, or in person at the remote box office in Spratt Hall room 105 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, or the central box office in the Potter Hall lobby between noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and two hours prior to any performance.

“What would our first summer season be without a Neil Simon play,” said Tee Quillin, director of the show and artistic director of Western Playhouse. “‘Barefoot in the Park’ has inspired countless romantic comedies and is the perfect summer fling for any and all romantics.”

“Barefoot in the Park” features free-spirited Corie and buttoned-down Paul, a newlywed couple setting up house in their tiny fifth floor walkup apartment in New York’s Greenwich Village. They have to find room for leaking skylights, nosy neighbors, interfering in-laws and, oh yes, love.

Prior to the opening night performance on Thursday, July 5, audience members are invited to a Gala Dinner in Missouri Western’s Fulkerson Center, with a social time beginning at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6. The cost of the dinner is $15 per person. Reservations are required by Friday, June 29. Call 816-271-4100.

“We’re hoping couples will make opening night a date night, with cocktails, a delicious dinner and a great show,” Quillin said.

Intermission at all shows will again include frozen yogurt sundaes and root beer floats for just $1, a concession that proved very popular during the Western Playhouse’s first production, “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

The cast includes:

• Dallas Henry as Paul Bratter. Henry is an assistant professor of theatre and cinema at Missouri Western, managing director of Western Playhouse and a member of the Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. In addition to his undergraduate and master’s degrees, he received theatrical training from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Festival of Canada and Second City of Chicago. While performing professionally on-stage, Dallas won numerous awards including a Backstage Regional Theatre Award and an Oakland Free Press Award. He was also part of the Fountain Theatre’s long running production of “Master Class” that won a Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Production. Some of his most memorable professional on-stage credits include Orlando in “As You Like It,” Torvald in “A Doll’s House,” and Harold Hill in “The Music Man.”
• Jessica Elder-Agnew as Corie Bratter. As a 2009 graduate of Southwest Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Elder-Agnew has hands-on experience in acting, directing, playwriting, front of house and stage management. After graduation, Jessica returned to St. Joseph and began working with Robidoux Resident Theatre as a board member. She designed the set for The Jungle Book, directed Bingo: The Musical, and acted in several productions. Some of her favorite roles over the years include: Ado Annie in “Oklahoma,” Jesse in “‘Night Mother,” Meg in “Little Women,” and Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest,” among others. She was also a 2009 Irene Ryan Region 5-Regional Finalist.
•  Elisa James as Mrs. Ethel Banks. James has been in the entertainment industry for 35 years, beginning her journey as a pianist, ice skater and champion baton twirler in Sydney, Australia. Her youth was spent performing on stage in revues, musicals and plays as part of the famous Australian John Young Talent Team, where she shared the stage and studio with Nicole Kidman and, at the age of 14, starred opposite Mel Gibson on stage in her first leading role. She appeared in dozens of TV shows, soaps, TV commercials and films as a child. She has been a professional acrobatic dancer and trapeze artist, a solo singer, recording artist, lounge act and one-woman cabaret performer. James recently moved to Kansas City, Mo., and she is currently completing a master’s degree in transpersonal-psychology.
•  Allan Hazlett as Victor Velasco. Hazlett studied theatre at the University of Kansas, was an apprentice at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pa., for two summers, and continues to study acting at the Actor Training Studio with Andy Garrison in Kansas City. For more than half a century, he has appeared in concert halls and beer halls, from Pennsylvania to the Moose Lodge in Centralia, Kan., in roles ranging from the classics to vaudeville. He has played Norman in “On Golden Pond” at Auburn and Topeka. In Kansas City, he has appeared in “The Gin Game,” the Equity Showcase, “The Time of Your Life,” “The Crucible” and several other plays. Most recently, he was Grandpa in “You Can’t Take it With You” at the Midwestern Ensemble Theatre.
•  Jeffrey Jones as Telephone Repairman. Jeff Jones is an up-and-coming comedian in the region. He is studying theatre at Missouri Western to better his knowledge and control of the stage. He has played Servant in “Romeo and Juliet,” Bert, the fruit and cider vendor/Ghost of Christmas Present in “A Christmas Carol,” and was the voice of Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors,” all at Missouri Western.
• Larry Clifton as Delivery Man. Clifton started his stage career at Robidoux Resident Theatre in St. Joseph, playing in “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Sound of Music.” He wanted to improve his acting skills and enrolled in acting classes at Missouri Western. Since starting classes, he has performed in “Romeo and Juliet,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Arsenic and Old Lace.” He has used his spare time helping build the sets for both RRT and Missouri Western productions.

All members of the crew already have one Western Playhouse production under their belt. They all had the same jobs on “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” except for Quillin, who acted in the production directed by Henry. Crew members include:

• Quillin, director. Quillin is an assistant professor of theatre and cinema at Missouri Western and a member of the Actors’ Equity Association. He is a classically trained professional actor, with stage credits including performances with the Dallas Theater Center, Kitchen Dog Theatre, WaterTower Theatre            and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Favorite productions he has directed include “Macbeth,” “Romeo & Juliet,” “Twelfth Night,” “Oliver!” and “Phantom.”
• Eric Voecks, scene designer/technical director. Voecks has designed and built sets or props for The Brownville Village Theatre, The Rose Theatre, The Blue Barn Theatre and The Grande Olde Players, Steve Thompson and Associates, The Delaware Theatre Company, TheatreVirginia and The Black Hills Playhouse. In Kansas City, Eric has designed lights for The UMKC Theatre Department and the Conservatory of Music and Dance, as well as lighting designs for the Coterie and Unicorn theatres.
• Kelly Vogel, costume design. Vogel is a costume and scenic designer living in Lawrence, Kan. She designed costumes for all four Missouri Western productions last year, and has designed for the University of Kansas, the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival and elsewhere. She also worked as a costumer for the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “Skylark” and as wardrobe supervisor for the Aerosmith music video “Blind Man.”
• Shaun Allison, lighting design. Allison is a senior cinema and theatre major from St. Joseph, Mo. He participated as lighting crew for numerous Missouri Western productions and was light designer for “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
• Grant Adkins, sound design. Adkins is a Missouri Western senior majoring in computer information systems with a minor in video production. Grant was the sound designer for three of Missouri Western’s four theatrical productions last year.