Advertisement
'Morning's At Seven' opens Friday at Corson Playhouse
By By Jill Meier
Challenger editor
Challenger editor
Comment
Print
EmailOctober 15. 2009 6:00AM
After a 30-year absence from the stage, Sandy Hanson is back in the spotlight.
The Sioux Falls empty nester is one of nine cast members of “Mornings At Seven,” which opens Friday at the Corson Playhouse. The play, written by Paul Osborn, is being presented by the Mighty Corson Art Players.
Hanson was a college student at the University of South Dakota/Springfield the last time she performed on stage.
“I don’t remember it being this hard when I was 22 years old,” the law firm receptionist says. “At this age of my life, I’m pounding my head against the wall sometimes.”
Hanson, portraying Cora Swanson, one of four aging sisters who live in a small mid-western town, are inextricably intertwined. The plot deals with the ramifications within the family when two of the sisters question their lives and decide to make some changes before it’s too late.
“It’s a very poignant, funny story, a type we think our audiences will enjoy,” said MCAP treasurer Martha Smith.
Hanson joined the MCAP cast in a round about way. She tagged along to the auditions with long-time friend, Carol Nelson, who’s playing Aaronetta Gibbs, another of the four sisters.
“On audition night I followed Carol here and then I got the call,” Hanson said.
In the midst of learning her lines, Hanson married off two of her children, and watched her third move to Oklahoma.
“For me, the hardest part is staying focused enough to memorize all the lines,” she said.
Hanson is relating to her character, however.
“Cora has an inner strength that my kids say I have instinctively built in. She can flip from happy to sad – that may be the Gemini twin in me,” she jokes. “But it has been a growth process.”
“Mornings at Seven” is the first show Brent Fode is directing for MCAP. But he’s no stranger to the organization, having scored recent roles in MCAP’s productions of “The Fantasticks” and “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
“Brent is so capable and such a wonderful actor, we were lucky that we found him,” Smith said.
Fode said it’s been an adjustment making the move from actor to director.
“I’m obviously more used to taking care of myself and learning my own things,” he said. “So this is a little bit of an adjustment to be responsible for what everyone else is doing.”
But Fode is up to the challenge.
“I enjoy being able to take what I visualize and implement it and use it to help the actors with their interpretation of their character. I definitely enjoy the aesthetic aspect of being a director,” he said.
A director at night, Fode makes his living as a student loan processor, a job he’s had at Wells Fargo Educational Financial Services for 10 years.
“I enjoy the creative aspect of theatre,” he said, “because what I do during the day isn’t a creative outlet.”
Four of the nine “Mornings At Seven” cast members – Nancy Henrichsen, Helen Schettler, Hanson and Les Perdue – are appearing on the MCAP stage for the first time.
“Most everybody is fairly experienced, and several of our people have worked out in Worthing,” Fode said.
Familiar with the MCAP stage are Nelson, Bob Wright, Roger Blom, Jeff Kribell and Rose Rhead.
Smith said “Mornings at Seven” is a poignant, funny story that said MCAP audiences should enjoy.
“We’ve been getting such good feedback from everybody … that our plays are good, clean fun, and that’s why we keep on looking for good shows,” she said.
Ticket sales have been brisk, Smith said. The Oct. 25 matinee is already sold out.
“Our Sundays are actually better than our Fridays and Saturdays,” Smith said. “When we first did a matinee years ago, we practically had to beg them to come.”
MCAP’S ‘MORNINGS AT SEVEN’
Dates & curtain times: Oct. 16-17 & 23-24, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 18 & 25, 2:30 p.m.
Location: Corson Playhouse
Tickets: $8. For reservations, call 582-2771 or e-mail mcap@alliancecom.net
The Sioux Falls empty nester is one of nine cast members of “Mornings At Seven,” which opens Friday at the Corson Playhouse. The play, written by Paul Osborn, is being presented by the Mighty Corson Art Players.
Hanson was a college student at the University of South Dakota/Springfield the last time she performed on stage.
“I don’t remember it being this hard when I was 22 years old,” the law firm receptionist says. “At this age of my life, I’m pounding my head against the wall sometimes.”
Hanson, portraying Cora Swanson, one of four aging sisters who live in a small mid-western town, are inextricably intertwined. The plot deals with the ramifications within the family when two of the sisters question their lives and decide to make some changes before it’s too late.
“It’s a very poignant, funny story, a type we think our audiences will enjoy,” said MCAP treasurer Martha Smith.
Hanson joined the MCAP cast in a round about way. She tagged along to the auditions with long-time friend, Carol Nelson, who’s playing Aaronetta Gibbs, another of the four sisters.
“On audition night I followed Carol here and then I got the call,” Hanson said.
In the midst of learning her lines, Hanson married off two of her children, and watched her third move to Oklahoma.
“For me, the hardest part is staying focused enough to memorize all the lines,” she said.
Hanson is relating to her character, however.
“Cora has an inner strength that my kids say I have instinctively built in. She can flip from happy to sad – that may be the Gemini twin in me,” she jokes. “But it has been a growth process.”
“Mornings at Seven” is the first show Brent Fode is directing for MCAP. But he’s no stranger to the organization, having scored recent roles in MCAP’s productions of “The Fantasticks” and “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”
“Brent is so capable and such a wonderful actor, we were lucky that we found him,” Smith said.
Fode said it’s been an adjustment making the move from actor to director.
“I’m obviously more used to taking care of myself and learning my own things,” he said. “So this is a little bit of an adjustment to be responsible for what everyone else is doing.”
But Fode is up to the challenge.
“I enjoy being able to take what I visualize and implement it and use it to help the actors with their interpretation of their character. I definitely enjoy the aesthetic aspect of being a director,” he said.
A director at night, Fode makes his living as a student loan processor, a job he’s had at Wells Fargo Educational Financial Services for 10 years.
“I enjoy the creative aspect of theatre,” he said, “because what I do during the day isn’t a creative outlet.”
Four of the nine “Mornings At Seven” cast members – Nancy Henrichsen, Helen Schettler, Hanson and Les Perdue – are appearing on the MCAP stage for the first time.
“Most everybody is fairly experienced, and several of our people have worked out in Worthing,” Fode said.
Familiar with the MCAP stage are Nelson, Bob Wright, Roger Blom, Jeff Kribell and Rose Rhead.
Smith said “Mornings at Seven” is a poignant, funny story that said MCAP audiences should enjoy.
“We’ve been getting such good feedback from everybody … that our plays are good, clean fun, and that’s why we keep on looking for good shows,” she said.
Ticket sales have been brisk, Smith said. The Oct. 25 matinee is already sold out.
“Our Sundays are actually better than our Fridays and Saturdays,” Smith said. “When we first did a matinee years ago, we practically had to beg them to come.”
MCAP’S ‘MORNINGS AT SEVEN’
Dates & curtain times: Oct. 16-17 & 23-24, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 18 & 25, 2:30 p.m.
Location: Corson Playhouse
Tickets: $8. For reservations, call 582-2771 or e-mail mcap@alliancecom.net
|
Rehearsing a scene from "Mornings At Seven" are Mighty Corson Art Players cast members, from left, Roger Blom, Nancy Henrichsen, Helen Schettler, Rose Rhead, Jeff Kribell, Bob Wright, Les Perdue, Sandy Hanson and Carol Nelson. The MCAP will present their 56th production Oct. 16-18 and 23-25. For tickets, call 582-2771. Photo by Jill Meier |  |
Recent Stories
