Archive for category: News

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WESTPORT, NY —The Depot Theatre and the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance are pleased to present a staged play reading of TRUE WEST by Sam Shepard on Sunday, April 13 at 3pm at the Westport Heritage House. The reading is produced by Saranac Lake-based Adirondack Stage Rats.

A darkly comedic exploration of the American dream, sibling rivalry, and the nature of identity, TRUE WEST was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983.  Estranged brothers, Austin and Lee, are reunited in their mother’s suburban California home. The brothers’ relationship becomes increasingly volatile as they confront their own failures and resentments. 

Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any writer or director. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play BURIED CHILD and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in the 1983 film THE RIGHT STUFF. He received the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award as a master American dramatist in 2009. New York magazine described Shepard as “the greatest American playwright of his generation.”

The staged reading is directed by Karen Lewis and features Peter Corley, Beth Glover, Bill McColgan and Tyler Nye.

The event is free and open to the public. The Westport Heritage House is located at 6459 Main St, Westport, NY.

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About the Adirondack Stage Rats

ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS is a collective of theatre artists and devotees dedicated to creating theatre that inspires, enriches, and educates residents of, and visitors to, our region. Utilizing minimal lighting & set pieces ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS creates “small-batch” personal, intimate, thought-provoking productions for adventurous, discriminating audiences. adirondackstagerats.com

About the Depot Theatre

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” DepotTheatre.org

About the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance

The mission of The Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance is to nurture collaborations among public and private entities and support economic growth, cultural vitality, and environmental sustainability in the Westport-Wadhams community. gowestportny.com

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Westport, NY — The Depot Theatre in Westport, New York, is pleased to announce its dynamic, energetic, and expanded 2025 professional main stage season lineup, including two plays and two musicals.

Lights go up on the main stage with FIRST DATE, a musical rom-com in which a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. 

Blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, and in a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron’s inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes, and protective parents, who sing and dance them through icebreakers, appetizers, and potential conversational land mines. Performances of FIRST DATE will be June 26-July 13.

Next up on the stage is RADIANT VERMIN, a fast-paced, provocative, pitch-black satire that skewers fantasies of having it all. A young couple is offered an ideal house by a mysterious stranger, prompting the question: How far would any of us go to get our dream home? This thought-provoking comedy teeters on the brink of mayhem while shining a light on the human condition, the haves and have-nots, and the inequities of life. Performances will run from July 17 to August 3.

Beginning August 7, the Depot will produce the Tony® Award-nominated musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET. The musical is set on December 4, 1956, when an extraordinary twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever.  

Featuring an incredible score of rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, R&B, and country hits, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET hit songs include “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Walk the Line,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Who Do You Love?” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” and more! MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET will run from August 7-24.

The expanded season continues with a special limited run of THE ROOMMATE, a dark comedy about what it takes to re-route your life – and what happens when the wheels come off.

The play features two women in their mid-fifties: Sharon, who is recently divorced and needs a roommate to share her Iowa home, and Robyn, who needs a place to hide and a chance to start over. But as Sharon begins to uncover Robyn’s secrets, they encourage her own deep-seated desire to transform her life completely. THE ROOMMATE will run for four performances from August 28-31.

The 2025 season was curated by the Depot’s team of Artistic Directors, Beth Glover and Karen Lewis.

“Our lineup for 2025 is inspired by the tremendous response to last summer’s exciting, audience-pleasing season,” said Beth Glover. “We’re thrilled to once again offer an emotional, laugh-filled, and tune-packed shared experience for our patrons this summer!’

The professional productions are preceded on the main stage by a special Depot Theatre Academy production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, with four performances by the region’s experienced student artists on June 12-14.

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, NY, and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association. 

2025 Season Passes will go on sale on April 15, and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 518.962.4449. Individual tickets will be available beginning May 15

Auditions will be held in Westport, NY on March 29, and in New York City on April 4. More details, information about the Depot Theatre Academy youth program, additional events, and news updates can be found online at DepotTheatre.org.

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[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]About the Depot Theatre The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2025 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, with additional support from the Essex County Arts Council.   The Depot Theatre Academy is a robust educational experience for area youth and a pathway for those interested in pursuing a profession in theatre—whether that’s backstage or on stage. [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

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2025 Season Begins with Performance Opportunity for Experienced Student Artists

Westport, NY —The Depot Theatre is pleased to announce its 2025 Academy outreach and education programs, beginning with a main stage performance opportunity for experienced student artists.

The Depot Theatre Academy is a robust educational experience for area youth and a pathway for those interested in pursuing a profession in theatre—whether that’s backstage or on stage.

Following a successful inaugural program in 2024, the Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education program will once again open the theatre’s main stage season, this time with a production of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, with four performances on the Depot Theatre stage during the weekend of June 12-14, 2025. 

This special opportunity is for young artists ages 13 and older enrolled in school, inclusive of home school and college. The program will feature the same process that professional artists experience on the main stage, with competitive auditions and demanding rehearsals, culminating in performances on the Depot Theatre main stage.

The program will be led by a team of experienced professional teaching artists. It will be directed by Gigi Mason, Depot Theatre’s Director of Outreach and Education, live musical direction and accompaniment will be provided by music and drama educator Kim Weems, choreography by Jackie Robertin, and assistance from theatre educator and actor Amy Fitts, and workshops by a number of visiting professional artists throughout the rehearsal period. 

Auditions for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will be held at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall on Sunday, March 30, from 10am – 1pm. There is no cost for participation. Interested participants should contact Gigi Mason at gmason@depottheatre.org to access audition preparation information. 

2025 ACADEMY SUMMER PROGRAM

The Depot Academy will once again offer a three week Junior program for artists ages 8-18. The summer program will be held July 21-August 7, culminating in three performances of THE WIZARD OF OZ: YOUTH EDITION on August 8-10 at the Whallonsburg Grange.

For the second time, The Depot Academy will again offer a program for new younger performers this summer. Lovingly dubbed “Munchkin Camp,” this opportunity for 5-8 year olds new to theatre will be a two week experience from July 28-August 7th at the Whallonsburg Grange, culminating with students performing with the Junior program as Munchkins in THE WIZARD OF OZ: YOUTH EDITION on August 8-10.

Details and registration forms for both age groups for the summer program will be available online at the depottheatre.org beginning April 15th.

“We’re thrilled to offer these three programs again this year,” said Gigi Mason. “From ages 5 through college, our young artists will have access to professional expertise on stage, and there will also be workshop opportunities for those interested in learning about various off-stage careers in the arts, such as technical disciplines.”

Tickets for the Academy performances of DROWSY CHAPERONE will go on sale on May 15 and will be available online or by calling the box office at 518.962.4449. For more Depot Theatre programming information and news, visit depottheatre.org.

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The Depot Theatre Academy program for experienced student artists, with performances of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, is sponsored by THE MILL.

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ABOUT THE DROWSY CHAPERONE

When a die-hard theatre fan plays his favorite cast album, the characters come to life in this hilarious Tony Award-winning musical farce.

Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Book and Best Original Score, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is a loving send-up of the Golden Age musical, featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. Hailed by New York Magazine as “The Perfect Broadway Musical,” THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is a masterful meta-musical, poking fun at all the tropes that characterize the musical theatre genre.

ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.”

The Depot Theatre Academy is a robust educational experience for area youth and a pathway for those interested in pursuing a profession in theatre—whether that’s backstage or on stage. DepotTheatre.org

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WESTPORT, NY —The Depot Theatre and the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance are pleased to present a staged play reading of THE THANKSGIVING PLAY on March 9 at 3pm at the Westport Heritage House. The reading is produced by Saranac Lake-based Adirondack Stage Rats.

Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s wickedly funny satire, as a troupe of terminally woke teaching artists scramble to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Turkey Day and Native American Heritage Month.

Larissa FastHorse (a member of the Sicangu Lakota tribe) is a playwright and choreographer based in Santa Monica, California. In 2023, she became the first known female Native American playwright produced on Broadway with THE THANKSGIVING PLAY at Second Stage’s Hayes Theater.

The staged reading is directed by Beth Glover and features Peter Corley, Laura Farrell,
Tyler Nye, and Tara Palen.

The event is free and open to the public. The Westport Heritage House is located at 6459 Main St, Westport, NY.

 

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About the Adirondack Stage Rats

ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS is a collective of theatre artists and devotees dedicated to creating theatre that inspires, enriches, and educates residents of, and visitors to, our region. Utilizing minimal lighting & set pieces ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS creates “small-batch” personal, intimate, thought-provoking productions for adventurous, discriminating audiences. adirondackstagerats.com

About the Depot Theatre

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” DepotTheatre.org

About the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance

The mission of The Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance is to nurture collaborations among public and private entities and support economic growth, cultural vitality, and environmental sustainability in the Westport-Wadhams community. gowestportny.com

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Whallonsburg, NY — The Whallonsburg Grange Hall and the Depot Theatre Academy are pleased to present a return to a holiday tradition with a performance of A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A  RADIO PLAY, on December 22, 2024, with live music and refreshments beginning at 2pm and the reading performance at 3pm. 

Based upon the novel by Charles Dickens, this performance will be a radio play reading complete with live sound effects, featuring local artists and professional actors.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public, and donations will be gratefully accepted to benefit the BackPack Program.

“The region’s residents look forward to the annual production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at the Grange,” said Mary-Nell Bockman, Grange manager. “It’s a holiday tradition for all ages, and we’re delighted to again help raise funds for the BackPack Program in our local schools, the best kind of holiday spirit.”

“The Depot is pleased to return to the Whallonsburg Grange to add some theatrical magic to the season and to support a great cause,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre executive director. “As the longtime home of our summer Academy outreach and education program, we’re thrilled to be part of this annual community gathering!” 

The BackPack Program currently serves nearly 4,700 students in 220 schools across 22 counties in New York. Administered locally by Essex County Adirondack Community Action Programs (ACAP), the BackPack Program helps alleviate child hunger by discreetly providing hungry children with backpacks full of nutritious and easy-to-prepare food on Friday afternoons so they have food to eat throughout the weekend.

For more information, visit the Whallonsburg Grange Hall website at www.thegrangehall.info or the Depot Theatre website at www.DepotTheatre.org. 

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Depot Theatre Academy students performing in SHREK JR, 2024.

A portion of NYSCA 2025 funding will support teaching artists for the Depot Theatre Academy outreach and education programs. (2024 performance of SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. Photo courtesy Betsy Bacot.)

Westport, N.Y. — The Depot Theatre in Westport, NY was awarded a $25,000 Support for Organizations grant from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA).

The funding will support infrastructure and staffing for both the Depot’s main stage and Academy outreach and education programs for the 2025 fiscal year.

“We’re grateful for NYSCA’s continued support of the Depot Theatre and our mission,” said Kim Rielly, the Depot Theatre’s Executive Director. “As the Adirondacks’ only professional Equity theatre, this vital funding will support the artists and infrastructure that are necessary for us to continue to drive significant cultural and economic impact in our community and the greater region.”

Through New York State’s continued investment in arts and culture, NYSCA has awarded $82 million this year to 509 artists and 1,497 organizations across the state.

“As the unparalleled leader of arts and culture, New York’s creativity and innovation inspires the world,” Governor Hochul said. “Our continued investment in our dynamic creative sector will further boost tourism, strengthen our local economies, and continue New York’s success as a rich and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.”

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. The theatre’s upcoming main stage summer season and Academy opportunities will be announced in early 2025.

For more information about the Depot Theatre and its programs, visit DepotTheatre.org.

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ABOUT THE NYS COUNCIL ON THE ARTS

The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 of the state’s regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York’s creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources.

Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA’s Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts, and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

ABOUT THE DEPOT THEATRE

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2025 programming is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

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WESTPORT, NY —The Depot Theatre and the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance are pleased to present a staged play reading of ADMISSIONS by Joshua Harmon on November 16 at 3pm at the Westport Heritage House. The reading is produced by Saranac Lake-based Adirondack Stage Rats.

ADMISSIONS is a new play in which main character Sherri Rosen-Mason is head of the admissions department at a New England prep school, fighting to diversify the student body. Alongside her husband, the school’s Headmaster, they’ve largely succeeded in bringing a stodgy institution into the twenty-first century. But when their only son sets his sights on an Ivy League university, personal ambition collides with progressive values, with convulsive results. A no-holds-barred look at privilege, power, and the perils of hypocrisy.

The staged reading is directed by Beth Glover and features Fran Yardley, Laura-Jean Swanson, Tyler Nye, Laura Menzie, and Peter Corley.

The event is free and open to the public. The Westport Heritage House is located at 6459 Main St, Westport, NY.

Meet the Cast


Peter Corley (Charlie Luther Mason) recently played Harrison in Analog & Vinyl at The Depot Theatre. In the last year he appeared in two Martin McDonagh plays, as Katurian in The Pillowman and Ray in Beauty Queen of Lenane, as well as George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life, Billy in Stoppard’ s The Real Thing and Fred/Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, all in Northwest NJ. He’s a graduate of the musical theater program at New York’s Circle in the Square, where he played Konstantin in The Seagull, Cooper in Island Song, and as guest artist alum returned for productions of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and LaChiusa’s See What I Wanna See

Laura Menzie (Ginnie Peters) is thrilled to join the ADK Stage Rat’s for another reading. Previous acting credits with the Rats include Blackbird and Radiant Vermin. Laura has also worked with Pendragon Theatre, Saratoga Shakespeare, Titan Theatre Company, Stages Rep, Houston Shakespeare Festival, Franklin Stage, and others. She has also worked in Mexico with Icaro Teatro and in the UK with TCSquared Theatre Company. Laura currently teaches Acting and Voice and Speech at Skidmore College. For more information visit lauramenzie.com

Tyler Nye (Bill Mason) spent his summer in Westport performing Every Brilliant Thing at the Depot Theatre. Previously with the ADK Stage Rats: readings of None of the Above and Radiant Vermin. His credits at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake include Our Town, Doubt, Deathtrap, Baskerville, and Shipwrecked!. Other regional favorites include The 39 Steps and See How They Run. Tyler grew up in the Adirondacks and appears as Uncle Drosselmeyer in the North Country’s Nutcracker. Off-Broadway: The Mystery of Irma Vep, Twelfth Night, The Glass Menagerie. Off stage: Associate General Manager at Lake Placid Center for the Arts. tylernye.com

Laura-Jean Swanson (Sherri Rosen-Mason) has several acting, directing, and choreography credits from NYC and Mpls, MN. She has been associated with over 30 Pendragon theatre productions and is a SUNY Plattsburgh Theatre Department professor. An improv specialist, she leads improv therapy sessions with Veterans and teen groups. LJ also does production work through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Fran Yardley (Roberta) is delighted to be involved with yet another marvelous Stage Rats Production with some of her fave fellow actors. Some past roles include Fanny in Painting Churches, Kimberly in Kimberly Akimbo, Sister Aloysius in Doubt, and Abby in Arsenic and Old Lace. Fran’s memoir/history, Finding True North, explores her fifty years in the Adirondacks woven with the history going back to the mid 1800s. Thanks to Karen and Beth for creating a generous space for us all to aspire to really terrific theatre.

Beth Glover, Director (she/her) Her passion for theatre began with a Southern upbringing that valued storytelling. Directing credits: Analog & Vinyl at Depot Theatre, Honky Tonk Angels at Pendragon Theatre, 9 to 5at SUNY Plattsburgh, Southern Comforts & Bakersfield Mist for Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts & Adirondack Stage Rats, Wicked City & Heroes for Depot Theatre, and more for Adirondack Stage Rats, co-founded with Karen Lewis. Selected acting credits: 6 Broadway National Tours, Off-Broadway, Goodspeed Opera House, Papermill Playhouse, Shakespeare Theatre Co. of DC, etc. Favorite roles: Blanche, A Streetcar Named Desire, Big&Lil Edie, Grey Gardens (BACC Award Best Actress). Complete credits: www.Beth-Glover.com


About the Adirondack Stage Rats

ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS is a collective of theatre artists and devotees dedicated to creating theatre that inspires, enriches, and educates residents of, and visitors to, our region. Utilizing minimal lighting & set pieces ADIRONDACK STAGE RATS creates “small-batch” personal, intimate, thought-provoking productions for adventurous, discriminating audiences. adirondackstagerats.com

 About the Depot Theatre

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” DepotTheatre.org

About the Westport Wadhams Community Alliance

The mission of The Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance is to nurture collaborations among public and private entities and support economic growth, cultural vitality, and environmental sustainability in the Westport-Wadhams community. gowestportny.com

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WESTPORT, NY — The Depot Theatre in Westport is pleased to announce the cast of PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, a crowd-pleasing, country-western musical tribute to life by the roadside.

The production features a talented multi-tasking cast of singers/musicians who portray Prudie and Rhetta Cupp, the generous gals from the Double Cupp Diner, and the guys from the gas station ‘cross the road. PUMP BOYS received unanimous raves on and off Broadway (including on the Depot Theatre stage in 1997!).  

Pulling double duty as music director and actor, Alexander LaPlante will be playing the part of L.M. LaPlate’s previous credits include Theatre West End PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES (L.M.), Orlando Shakes MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET (Jerry Lee U/S), The Athens Theater Young Frankenstein (Fredrick), and The Orlando Family Stage ALLIE KAZAN AND THE MAGIC MANOR (Eric).

Alexander Peck will be playing the part of Jackson and guitar. He has varied credits in stage, television, and film as an actor and musician – as well as in orchestras in his native Canada, England, and the US. Among his theater credits are a previous Jackson in PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES at the Boarshead – Michigan Public Theater; Yepihodov (guitar) in THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Caldwell Playhouse; and the Fiddler in FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at the Alhambra Dinner Theater, Florida. Numerous summer stock appearances include MAN OF LA MANCHA (two times), BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (also twice) as the Narrator, and he can be seen playing violin in several movies and daytime tv shows as a strolling restaurant violinist.

Addison Schuh makes her Depot Theatre debut as Rhetta. A recent graduate from Oklahoma City University, she is an NYC-based singer and actress. Some recent credits include Cinderella (INTO THE WOODS), Leilani (LEGALLY BLONDE), Julie Jordan (CAROUSEL), and Countess Helene (SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER; The CW Network 2025).

Bill Stokes returns to the Depot in the part of Eddie, having been in the orchestra for this season’s production of ANALOG AND VINYL. Bill started on violin at age nine and has been involved with music ever since. His credits include three summer seasons with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, teaching music in public schools, directing band and chorus, and in recent years has written a one-act musical. 

Michael Toperzer is making his Depot Theatre debut as Jim. His regional credits include MOONSHINE AND MISTLETOE (Rev. Nathe/Dewey/Jarret U/S), PASS/OVER (Mister/Ossifer U/S; Studio Theater DC), ROMEO AND JULIET (Friar Lawrence; CSC), ALICE IN WONDERLAND (The White Rabbit; CSC), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Oberon/Theseus, CSC), A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Fred, CSC). Off Off B’way: THE LAST POET ON MARS (The Attendant; Brooklyn Actors Troupe), Malvolio in TWELFTH NIGHT (Malvolio; Monday Theater Co.), and ROMEO AND JULIET (Tybalt, Paris; Verona).

Tiara Whaley will be playing the role of Prudie. Audiences will remember Tiara Whaley for her outstanding role as Rodeo Girl earlier this summer in the Depot’s production of ANALOG AND VINYL. Tiara is a Philadelphia-based actress and holds a musical theatre degree from West Chester University. Her favorite roles include Ti Moune (ONCE ON THIS ISLAND), Emmie Thibedeaux (CAROLINE OR CHANGE, Helen Hayes Outstanding Supporting Actress), Dorothy Gale (WIZARD OF OZ), and Heather Chandler (HEATHERS).

The production is directed and choreographed by DJ Salisbury, who has directed and choreographed over 115 shows across the USA and in Colombia. Favorites include LES MISÉRABLES (LA’s Scenie Award – Best Musical), THE FULL MONTY, RAGTIME, and THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES (10 productions!), MAN OF LA MANCHA, WEST SIDE STORY, THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. DJ directed Disney composer Alan Menken’s Lincoln Center concert, an Off-Broadway rock musical, and numerous readings/workshops of new musicals in NYC.

“The simple, earnest relationships reminiscent of those in Mayberry, R.F.D. along with a bushel of original hummable songs — rockabilly to blues to folk — serve to make PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES the comfort food of musicals,” said DJ Salisbury, director/choreographer. “It’s just plain old, good-time entertainment.”

PUMP BOYS will run from August 8-25. Tickets can be purchased online at DepotTheatre.org or by calling the box office at 518.962.4449.

More details, information about the Depot Theatre Academy, and news updates can be found online at DepotTheatre.org.

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About the Depot Theatre

The Depot Theatre is a non-profit, professional theatre located in a historic, functioning 1876 train station in Westport, N.Y., and it is the only theatre in the Adirondacks that operates under an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. In addition to its volunteer board of trustees, the theatre depends on the support and generosity of its loyal donors, volunteers, and community members. Committed to promoting and providing exposure to the performing arts in the Adirondacks, the Depot Theatre invites all to “Take a journey without leaving the station.” The Depot Theatre’s 2024 programming is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, with additional support from the Essex County Arts Council Cultural Assistance Program Grant supported by the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

The Depot Theatre Academy is a robust educational experience for area youth and a pathway for those interested in pursuing a profession in theatre—whether that’s backstage or on stage.

 

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Tyler Nye is a force in the Depot Theatre’s one-person production, EVERY BRILLIANT THING.

 

Adults with stacks of academic degrees from prestigious institutions have trouble understanding suicidal tendencies, so what chance would a child have? You might be surprised.

That’s the starting point of the one-person play, Every Brilliant Thing, which opened this weekend at The Depot Theatre. In it, an unnamed man, played by Tyler Nye, recalled his time as a youngster confronted with his mother’s attempted suicide, when he reacted as a youngster might: by trying to cheer up mom, in this case with a list of things that bring him joy. No. 1 on his list is ice cream.

Nye brilliantly expresses two emotions at once, as a patina of mirth tries to tamp down the great fear and uncertainty we sense roiling just beneath the surface. His co-star is the list itself, which grows by hundreds, then thousands upon thousands of entries of little things in life that are joyful.

Many entries on the list are called out by audience members, who also make brief stand-in performances as important people in the man’s life. The house lights remain on throughout the show, further integrating the audience into the performance. It is Nye himself who scoots among audience members pre-play to arrange their roles, which further breaks down the wall of separation between actor and audience.

As the walls of depression close around his mother, so does the demand for levity, as a self-defense mechanism if nothing else.

His list of brilliant things continues to grow and become part of him, a tool for communication, entertainment, and perhaps self preservation. As it expands into the hundreds of thousands, the list takes on an organic life of its own, and we wonder if the man is keeping the lengthy document alive or if it’s the other way around.

As we have come to know, illnesses physical and mental are often hereditary, and many a child has looked at an afflicted parent and wondered if that’s what’s in store for them. And maybe what has clearly become this man’s obsession is a clue.

Yet keeping these small, everyday nuggets of happiness at the fore is, in this case, an effective foil. There is beauty all around us if that’s what we choose to focus upon.

Every Brilliant Thing, directed by Chan Harris, is deliberately and effectively minimalist, leaving nothing but a couple of folding metal chairs to distract from the onstage emotion. In his notes, Harris says care is taken in the play to treat mental illness with the gravity it deserves, and in this it succeeds.

Critics might note that mental health is not that simple, that the hackneyed “but you have so much to live for” entreaties fail to understand that a positive outlook is no antidote for clinical depression.

But Every Brilliant Thing supposes as much; responding to a suicide attempt with visions of ice cream is indeed a child’s attempt to make sense of something that has no easy explanation. As the man’s list of things that make life worth living grows toward its one-millionth entry we know that the list isn’t for his mother, it’s for him — and for all of us who have been blessed with the good fortune of being able to choose whether we are happy or not. It is the perfect message for today’s world.

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Tim Rowland contributed this review by the request of, and in collaboration with the Depot Theatre. Rowland is a journalist and New York Times bestselling author, whose humorous commentaries explore an eclectic variety of subject matter, from politics to history to the great outdoors. He and his wife Beth live on the Ausable River in Jay, N.Y.

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Robin Caudell features the Depot Theatre’s EVERY BRILLIANT THING in the July 18, 2024 edition of the Plattsburgh Press Republican.

CLICK TO READ IT HERE!