Theater group brings TV family to the stage in Voorheesville
By Michele ORiley
VOORHEESVILLE A very Brady time will be had in the village this month as the Theatre Guild of Voorheesville brings the seventies sit-com about a blended family to the elementary-school stage.
The community theater group is continuing a summer tradition of bringing television episodes to the stage.
"The president, Edward Bablin, has a lot of great ideas," said Director Deborah Conti. "Last winter he suggested doing it because we had done a production of The Twilight Zone."
The Brady Bunch was also chosen because of its appeal across generations, from the initial show, to later reruns, up until today on TV Land, said Conti.
The show was performed off-Broadway in the early 1990s and The Classic Theatre Guild will follow this model.
"We wanted to pick episodes that were the best known and would transfer well to the stage," explained Conti.
The group chose three popular episodes to reenact:
"The Only Child" where the Brady kids pretend they are invisible and that Jan, played by Brittany Finnigan, is the only child;
"Oh My Nose" where Marcia, played by Shanna Maclasco, gets hit in the nose with a football; and
"Our Son the Man" where Greg, played by Jacob Dick, turns his father’s den into a groovy, swinging pad.
Carol Brady will be played by Michelle Smith-Carrigan, Mike Brady will be played by Chas Treadwell, and Alice will be played by Jeannette Folger.
"It’s a light-hearted way to spend an afternoon or evening at the end of the summer," said Conti.
The guilds publicity for the show urges Voorheesvillians to find out the answers to questions, such as:
What did Carol Brady do all day long, anyway"
Where did Greg shop for the items for his funky pad"
Did Jan really say, ‘Marcia, Marcia, Marcia"’
How long did it really take for Marcia’s nose to heal""
The original Sherwood Schwartz show dealt with small-life dilemmas that were magnified to more than they really were, said Conti. The group will stay true to the show by using a humorous slant and really playing up the humor of each situation.
Conti and Joanne Agopovich, who are both directing the show, also plan on adding their own twists to the production.
"It will be different; we want people to feel like a real live audience," she said.
To give the Voorheesville theater-goers the feeling of being a TV studio audience, there will cue cards for applause and reenactments of period commercials.
Feeling at home in Voorheesville
The Classic Theatre Guild had been located at the Hilton Performing Arts Center in Albany. A recent relationship with the Voorheesville Community and School Foundation was instrumental in finding places to perform in the area.
The guild recently performed William Shakespeares As You Like It in Voorheesvilles Evergreen Park.
"There are not any theater groups in Voorheesville," said Conti. "We thought it would be the perfect place to start a theater group."
The guild hopes to have a new home in Voorheesville soon.
"We would love to eventually do a show at the performing arts center in Voorheesville’s high school, said Conti.
"Most of the actors in The Brady Bunch are from Voorheesville and the group is getting loads of support from family members of the actors," said Conti. She explained that auditions for the production were well advertised in Voorheesville schools.
"The community has been very cooperative and supportive and seems to be very excited about it," said Conti. "There is a general buzz about the project. Arts and education tend to bring people together."
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The show will run Aug. 18, 19, and 20 and Aug. 25, 26, and 27 at the Voorheesville Elementary School. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at the door and are $7 for adults with a two-dollar discount for senior citizens; children under 13 are free. For more information on The Classic Theatre Guild of Voorheesville or for group reservations, call 459-9826 or e-mail [email protected].
