BRANCH RIVER THEATRE
CONTACT:
P.O. Box 336
Keene, NH 03431
PHONE:
(603) 876-6131
EMAIL:
info@branchrivertheatre.org
Buy Tickets On-Line
TICKET RESERVATIONS:
(603) 876-6131
tickets@branchrivertheatre.org
PERFORMANCE ADDRESS:
Marlborough Community House
160 Main Street
Route 101
Marlborough NH 03455
"Well, this pickled Herring had some very good laughs last night! Cheers to a great cast, great directing, and hilarious writing!" - Heather M.
"Yes, I did! I grew up not far from Kips Bay, and your performance brought me right back there. It is a really cute story, and the entire cast nailed it! This is great local theater and I recommend it to all." - James M.
""Very enjoyable production this afternoon of that Olive and the Bitter Herbs show. Kudos to the whole company! Lovely to see so many of my former students doing such good work. And always a pleasure to see Susie act again. Wendy absolutely nailed it and the gay neighbors were a stitch! Oh yeah and that Eisenstater guy has promise as well." - Daniel P.
"Had a blast!" - David E.
"Great show, was lots of fun." - Liane W.
Dear Branch River Theater Company;
Thank you all for a colossally entertaining afternoon. Not only was the play a labyrinth, designed to catch the inattentive in a snare, but your company did it proud, turning in stellar performances of clearly drawn and quite lovable characters. To single out an individual would be to leave out all the brilliance of whomever one didn't mention. Diabolically executed and very, very enjoyable.
Thank you for your consistent quality and your dedication to great theater.
A constant fan, " - Carol J.
"Amazing job to the cast and crew of Olive and Bitter Herbs! You guys were fantastic!" - Kimberley M.
"I want to be Jewish now....great show." - John S.
"FABULOUS show! Outstanding Cast and Director and Lighting and Set and Production Team!" - Ronna R.
"Great opening night! The audience loved the show. Tour de force by Wendy Almeida!" - Michael R.
Seder show. Seder funny show. Seder VERY funny show. Buy ticket and seder show. It good. Go seder. You vill seder what I mean... : )" ... "We came expecting to be royally entertained, bowled over, and reduced to helpless tears. We were not disappointed! Congrats on a wonderful show, Madam Director!! : ) ... " The show was a perfect martini because "Olive" was the perfect olive-- fantastic performance, Ms. Almeida!! : ) - Mark A.
"It was a pleasure! Great show, great cast and **best of all LOTS of laughs.** Congrats to all!" - Alana K.
"Scott you are absolutely hilarious in Olive! I just love to see you perform! Thank you for lifting my spirits! ... What a delightful show. Hilarious! ... Just what I needed... Olive! I love you. What a wonderful show!" - Veda C.
"Was it the SMASHING SHOW you knew it would be ----- A CAST of Creative Geniuses --- A SET to compete with NY --- MUSIC by Magicians --- GO KIDS ---- GO --- " - Carol M.
"THIS IS A GREAT SHOW --- PEOPLE: make a reservation now as this one will sell out --- funny and sassy and wise and wonderful --- do not miss this one --- many talented people and a great script! You will love it!!!!!!!" -Molly M.
"Fabulous, fun show! What a wonderful job everyone did!" - Michelle G.
Here's what folks said about this show!
THE CAST: (l-r) Bert Torsey (Robert), Scott Gardner (Trey), Susan Ericson-West (Wendy), Wendy Almeida (Olive Fisher) and Peter Eisenstadter (Sylvan)
Not show: Henry Parkhurst (Howard, the Apparition)
PRODUCTION CREW
Director: Mia Moravis
Co-Producers: Jonathan Flower and Sharon McHugh
Stage Manager: Emily Dixon
Scenic Designer/Construction: Chris McCartie
Set Construction: Wendy Almeida, Peter Eisenstadter, Jonathan Flower, Scott Gardner, Sharon McHugh, Mia Moravis, Bert Torsey
Lighting Designer/Technician: Sharon McHugh
Costumes: Lisa Hull, Cast
Sound Design: Chris McCartie
Poster Design: Mark Armstrong and Ronna Rajaniemi
Program Design: Sharon McHugh
Concessions : BRT Board Members
Ticket Sales/Box Office: BRT Board Members
Publicity Coordinator: CJ Cummings
Newsletter/Webmaster: Sharon McHugh
Facebook: Lori Goldring
Web Photos: Maureen McHugh
SPECIAL THANKS
Alan Buttar, Charles Busch, Community House of Marlborough,
JH Sanderson, Julie Halston - Actress, Keene Recreation Center,
Mark Armstrong - Illustrator, Marlborough Community House,
Maureen McHugh, Meghan Spaulding, PJ Cooke, Petaltail Studios, Ronna Rajaniemi, Vermont Academy
BRT's 2014 summer offering,
Olive and the Bitter Herbs centers around curmudgeonly Olive Fisher, a retired New York actress who suddenly sees a ghost in her mirror. That, though, is the least of her problems. Her radiator's broken, the couple next door stink up her apartment with exotic cheeses, and the highlight of her long career was a sausage commercial in the '80s. Despite that she's not the most popular tenant in the building, her neighbors invite themselves into her life and she finds herself hosting a Passover Seder. But are Olive's guests there to see her, or the mysterious man in her mirror? Olive and the Bitter Herbs is a comedy about connecting to the people in our lives-those with us, and those who have passed on…
THE CAST: (l-r) Jonathan Ray (Rob the Camera Guy), Nancy Mosteller (Dolly Biddle), Bryan Hebert II (Stephen BIddle), Alana Korda (Isobel Lomax) and Henry Parkhurst (Hugh Patterson).
PRODUCTION CREW
Director: Jonathan Flower
Producer: Sharon McHugh
Stage Manager: CJ Cummings
Scenic Design/Construction: Jonathan Flower
Set Construction: Rich Booth, Tommy Cummings, Sharon McHugh
Sound Design/Technician: Gary Gagnon
Lighting Design/Technician: Sharon McHugh
Costumes: The Cast
Properties: Jonathan Flower, Sharon McHugh
Publicity/Poster Design: CJ Cummings, Sharon McHugh
Ticket Sales/Box Office: BRT Board Members
Production Photographer: Maureen McHugh
Program Layout/Design: Sharon McHugh
Website/Newsletter: Sharon McHugh
Facebook Administrator: Lori Goldring
SPECIAL THANKS
Blue Light Music Group, Community House of Marlborough, Creative Styles, Gregory Flower, Jeff Larrimore, Jon DelVento, Kate Flower, Maureen McHugh, Nancy Hitchcock, Rich and Traci Booth, The Costume Ladies, Tommy Cummings
Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle are two "mature" cable-access cooking show hostesses who have hated each other for 30 years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one and married the other. When circumstances put them together on a TV show called The Kitchen Witches, the insults are flung harder than the food! Dolly's long-suffering TV-producer son Stephen tries to keep them on track, but as long as Dolly's dressing room is one inch closer to the set than Isobel's, it's a losing battle, and the show becomes a rating smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer.
Mary Armstrong and Carin Torp, with Barbara Hudgik
Me and My Shadow
Ben Gagnon, Peter Granucci and Eric Walther
Blue Shirt Group
Christy Wendlandt with Laurie Meyerrose
Performing Original Song
Gail Connelly, Beth Signoretti and Lori Goldring
Helping Hands
JoJo Mead, with Debbie Pickering, Laurie Meyerrose,
Peter Heed and Karl Karter
School House Skit
Frank Behrens and Debbie Pickering
Elderly Man River
Everyone
TV Songs and Guys and Dolls Medley
Chorus: Most of those listed above, and;
CJ Cummings, Dick Ernsr, Michelle Goodell, Doug Green, Peter Heed, Karl Karter, Meg Kupiec, Willow Morrison
Thanks to all involved over $6000 was raised!
SPECIAL THANKS
Amanda Guthorn, Canon Solutions America, Inc., Charles Donahue, Cobblestone Ale House, Community House of Marlborough, Denise and George Scholl, Frank Behrens,
Jeff Larrimore, Jen and Matt Bond, Kohl's Department Store, Peter Heed, Ranger Curran - RE/MAX Town and Country, Stingray Optics, Todd Spenceman, Your Kitchen Store
PRODUCTION CREW
Coordinators: Debbie Pickering and Jeff Repko
Music Coordinator: Gary Gagnon
Producer: CJ Cummings
Set Painting & Properties: Lori Goldring
Lighting Designer/Technician: Sharon McHugh
Costumes: Margaret Lynott and the Cast
Sound Design: Gary Gagnon
Poster: Todd Spenceman
Programs: Sharon McHugh
Concessions : BRT Board Members
Ticket Sales/Box Office: Sharon McHugh
Publicity Coordinator: C.J. Cummings
Newsletter/Webmaster: Sharon McHugh
Facebook: Lori Goldring
Web Photos: Maureen McHugh
Scheduled to perform were ...
Jeanne Donohoe, Kay Lucius and Sue Silver
You Don't Own Me from "The First Wives Club"
Mary Russell with Amanda Guthorn
Turn Back Old Men from "Godspell"
Debbie Pickering
Baton Twirler extraordinaire!
Gary Gagnon, with some help
Boxer Skit
Margaret Lynott and Jeff Repko
Anything You Can Do from "Annie Get Your Gun"
Amanda Guthorn with Jeff Repko and Doug Green
Vitametavegamin
Laurie Meyerrose
Someone Like You by Adele
John McMahon
September Song and Emcee
Heather Morrison with Christy Wendlandt
I Want You Back by Michael Jackson
Very Special Fund Raising Event
Branch River Theatre will be presenting "Way Off Broadway" November 8,9,10 in Marlborough. It will be produced and directed by Debbie Pickering, Jeffrey Repko, CJ Cummings and Gary Gagnon and will be like the Revivals and Just Desserts of old. We couldn't get Godspell rights this year so this is our alternative, and we are excited to bring the variety show format back. We welcomed singers and performers to help us with skits, our opening number (Spamalot's "You Won't Succeed on Broadway"), our TV Theme medley, and our closing chorus of Guys and Dolls Selections.
Most importantly profits from the show will go to benefit David Hudgik, of Keene, NH. To learn more about Come and support our cause and BRT and join the fun. This will be Waaaaaaay off Broadway, or A Way off Broadway, or Way Off Broadway (as in, way off center), but as much fun as golfing in a foursome of Jeffrey Repko's!