From the Director's Chair P>"I'm having a bad day." What woman (or man) hasn't said or felt that emotion? Beth Henley's play gives us insight into the art of handling "bad days" by snaring our problems with those around us who care for us. In fact, to Henley and to other modern women playwrights, sisterhood is the key, the "laying on of hands" as a healing source as her Ntozake Shange shows us in her choreopoem, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow's Enuff. Thus, it is fitting that the Women in Theatre group pick as its premiere production Crimes of the Heart and the three sisters who learn how to share and care, and how to heal.

TRISH ANDERSON-BOERGER (Babe Botrelle) Trish, a writer and full time English Journalism honors student at IPFW, has appeared in numerous productions on stages in the Chicago area as well as in Fort Wayne. She was seen in A Far Country for Open Stage Players in Skokie and Nightwatch at Winnetka Community Theatre. Locally, her roles include Joanne in Vanities at Civic Theatre, The Woman in Death of a Salesman at First Presbyterian Theatre, and, most recently, Blanche Dubois in PIT's production of A Streetcar Named Desire. As a founder of Women In Theatre, Trish commented, "We chose Crimes of the Heart for our debut production because of its strong, though very humorously presented statement about the enduring nature of sisterhood...camaraderie that surmounts sibling rivalry, secret fears, and the heartache of loneliness to affirm a bond of blood (or friendship) that buoys and unites women, enabling them to withstand the storms of life. All the women who have given so much of themselves to this production are testament to that spirit."

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
ACT I - Kitchen, late afternoon
INTERMISSION
ACT II - Later that evening
INTERMISSION
ACT III - The next morning

Links
Buy the book
Fort Wayne Civic Theatre's production

JOHN BOERGER (Doc Porter) John has been acting in Fort Wayne theatres since 1975 when he appeared in The Elder Statesman at First Presbyterian Theatre. He has also been seen in their productions of The Diviners, Of Mice and Men, Winds, 84 Charina Cross Road, The Shadow Box, and Whose Life is it Anyway? John also appeared in The Lark, and Twelfth Night (along with Dr. Louise Conley Jones) at Civic Theatre. John was an artist on Artlink's Artist Panel and had his original play High Living, High Priest, High Treason, produced at Artlink. He is Director of Marketing for Power Plant Services.

 JANE HILTON (Meg Magrath) When she began to think about the relationships between sisters, it was at first difficult for she is an only child. But, she began to model her character from remembrance of the wonderful times she shared with her two cousins, Lynne and Leslie. They were from the South and they spent long vacations together every spring and summer. Time was spent giggling and sharing stories long into the night, playing cards, reading, performing makeshift plays. Now, as adults themselves, they share their grown-up concerns of raising children and making their way in the world and still laugh over their remembered youth. She thinks that's what sisterhood is about--the link between the past and the present. The character of Meg has been a challenge for her. Meg has been abandoned by a father and a mother, rejected the man who loved her, and felt obligated to protect her two frailer sisters, searching for her own place. Meg is a very different character from Jane's last role, that of Titania in Midsummer's Night's Dream at Grey Lite. She likes Crimes of the Heart very much; as a writer herself, Jane values the language of this script. And she values Henley's understanding of the love-hate relationships that lie at the heart of all families. "The family is the unit from which we spring forward into the world and is, likewise, the place we need to go back to from time to time for support and love.

JEFFERY JONES (Barnette Lloyd) A few months ago, Jeffery stated that he was going to take the summer off from performing so he could relax before beginning graduate work in Irish Literature at Boston College this autumn. However... he is currently working on four theatre projects, including Buddy Graf's vaudeville review, Monkey Business '94, and Grey Lite's Guys and Dolls Jeffery is grateful to be part of the first production staged by Women in Theatre, especially since he's made to feel so welcome. Working with such a talented, dedicated, creative, and caring group has reminded him how essential non-competitive camaraderie is in creating successful theatre.

KENDRA CLAUSER-MEIER (Chick Boyle) Kendra has continually maintained her involvement in theatre throughout the past 12 years including spending time onstage and off-stage with Fort Wayne Youtheatre, Civic, Arena, University of Evansville Theatre and PIT. She graduated from IPFW with her BA in theatre and is currently working toward teaching certification in theatre, communications and English. A busy school schedule has restricted Kendra's performance onstage during the past few years, but she has remained active with costume design at Stoner's Funstores. Recently, she appeared as Adela in House of Bernarda Alba at First Presbyterian Theatre and will be working on Grey Lite's production of Guys and Dolls this summer. "As I come close to finishing this branch of my college education, I am glad I have found my way back to performance. In returning to the stage, I am having a delightful time experiencing the Magrath sisters through Chick's eyes. (Though thank goodness she's only a character!) My own sister is one of the strongest forces in my life. I recognized the highs and lows of our own relationship in this play. And just as Beth Henley softened these sisters' struggles with humor, so do we. No matter how hard we fight, sooner or later we would be smiling and laughing together."

 JEANNETTE PRICE-SCHMIDT (Lenny Magrath) Jeannette graduated from Denison University with a BFA in Theatre Arts and obtained her MA in Education from Indiana University; in the interim studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York City. She has spent the past seventeen years teaching Language Arts at Paul Harding High School where she directed and choreographed such shows as West Side Story and Jesus Christ Superstar. Jeanette's community acting experience includes a summer stint as a singing waitress and playing such roles as Sugar in the musical comedy Sugar for Apple Tree Dinner Theatre. She appeared as Rachel Cates in Inherit the Wind at Civic, and as Fiona in Briguysoon and Grace in Annie at Center Stage Theatre where she also directed and choreographed The Fantastiks. "And what of sisters? My own--Maire and Baphie-we three introverts of an often unspoken but deep bond...My own chosen sisters--Laura and Jane--an often spoken cosmic bond, and now 'sisters of the heart' encompassing many second chances, renewing old acquaintances and working with a talented ensemble of family-type people. Just this one moment and we were all laughing is a precious moment, indeed." Thank you, Louise, for the call; thank you to Mom, Jessamyn, Kate, and Jim for feeding costumes, lines, love, and support.

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