I
would like to personally thank all those folks who didn’t or couldn’t make our
Garage Door Players’ Show- Sadie Flynn Comes to Big Oak. It means those are
ticket sales yet to come once we hit the boards at the Gravenhurst Opera House.
The
show that played May 30 to June 2 was a big deal for me/us.
It
was the 10th Anniversary of The Garage Door Players.
It
was a celebration.
It
couldn’t have been the ticket prices that kept some folks away- could it? There
were several 2 for 1 specials offered where tickets could have been grabbed up
at 2 for $20. Anyone who was in or involved in a Garage Door Players Show had
the chance of complimentary tickets. I was offering tickets to those who said
they couldn’t afford them or those that helped us produce the show in any way.
Still many good people said “no thanks”- we’ll buy our tickets. Presenting a show
always costs money. I am the “Queen” of producing shows on a shoestring budget!
Believe
me.
Paying
for a ticket is appreciated!
Still,
we filled up 4 out of 5 “Sadie” shows.
I
must say that we do get great assistance from other theatre companies. Susan
Canfield is always ready to help us with a prop or two. As for the costume department,
Phyllis Johnson and Bev Totten lend us a hand- or costume, when we need it. It
just so happened that both Phyllis and Bev were in the “Orillia Sadie”
production.
Many
theatre companies borrow or lend stuff. Theatre
by the Bay lent us the diner counter- which was constructed by Tim Webb. Tim
even painted us the “Millie’s” sign which will appear in the Gravenhurst show
as well.
Contra
ads were exchanged between South Simcoe Theatre and Double R Productions. Comps
were given. We make the trek to Cookstown on a regular basis to support their
actors and their shows, so it’s great to pat their theatrical backs and they
pat ours in return.
Can’t
say enough about June and staff at Flowers by June. June was our “Box Office”
location and she was a tremendous help. She also did all the flowers and plants
for us at the show.
What
a gal. Flower Power to the “nth” degree!
Many
people just get busy I guess and have no time for “live” theatre.
Even
so, we still did okay.
Over
at Culture and Heritage (oops, there is no Heritage any more just Parks, Rec
and Culture) Darcy Hoover came through for us. They gave us a cheque to be a “Major
Show Sponsor”. Of that, I am totally grateful.
“They
like us! They really do like us!”
…That’s
my Sally Field impersonation!
I
am sure they spend oodles more on gas for the lawn mowers that keep our parks
looking so pristine week after week- but it’s the thought that counts and we
thank Darcy for leading the pack on that one.
Even
the good old Orillia Opera House hung up one of our show posters.
Mayor
Orsi sent a note of congratulation. Garfield too, who continuously gets
mistaken for Hank. Just has one of those faces as Orson Hubble would say.
If
you missed our Orillia shows, not to worry, you folks can all redeem yourselves
by coming to the Gravenhurst Opera House in August to see Sadie Flynn Comes to
Big Oak on the Opera House Stage. We are actually part of the summer theatre
season there- a feat which would be impossible to accomplish staying here at
home. The gals all change. Janet-Lynne Durnford, Pru Donaldson and Andrea Lee-Burnet
take over the roles of Sadie, Bev and Rachel. The boys in the cast- Jim and I,
remain the same. Some of the staging will change, so if you saw the show at the
Stubley see it again in August.
There
is one negative however.
The
seats cost more in Gravenhurst being a “real” theatre. It’s not the floor of
the Stubley Auditorium folks where Jesus curiously watches and listens over us-
since he’s omnipresent. Just ask Hank about that!
Premier
Kathleen Wynne was gracious- she sent a congratulatory note which we printed in
the programme and she doesn’t even know us! She would have been at one of our
shows if it hadn’t been for that pesky NDP brat Andrea Horwath threatening
Ontarians with “the sky is falling, the sky is falling” schtick.
Cripes
lady. Give it a rest.
Even
if we couldn’t get an in-person story from Orillia Today this time around, we
did just fine. With one reporter covering Orillia, we know that Frank’s time is
limited. A picture and small blurb we sent was placed on a page towards the
back of the Thursday edition right before the show opened. If you had of blinked
you would have missed it or if the pages were stuck together you would have
been oblivious to the information. Still, it was appreciated.
Information
Orillia sent out our posters and special offers whenever we sent them a poster
image. Thanks.
The
Packet came through for us. I even sent an e-mail letter to the publisher-
which he never answered, bemoaning the fact that the packet has ½ page, full
colour pictures of U.S. Television shows and newsworthy famous American folks
and yet locals have to beg for space.
~ahem~
We
did get three stories printed.
Yeah!
One
from Sara Ross.
Another
from John Swartz in his column and in the Packet’s Weekend edition-a full page
no less, from John Swartz.
What
a guy!
What
a paper.
John
came and laughed the night away. He even wrote a blurb for our programme.
Nice,
eh?
I
just wish we had a big budget to repay them in kind.
I
mean money “kind”.
So,
after the show closed- as usual, people stopped us in the street with all
manner of excuses as to why they couldn’t or didn’t attend the show. It doesn’t
matter folks!
I
don’t need to know why.
None
of the actors and crew giving a flying fig but excuses ranged from weddings to
wedding planning, to going camping to being out-of-town to having to wash one’s
hair or car to “I didn’t even know you were doing a show!”
All
that being said and done- we still did well.
We
can pay our bills, pay our cast and look forward with “Gay Abandon” to the shows
in good old Gravenhurst at the Gravenhurst Opera House.
Tickets
on sale for Dinner and a Show or show only online at
or
a toll free number also on that site or on the poster you see below this very blog.
Have
a good one.
