There will be six plays presented during this evening of laughter.  Five will be directed by directors-in-training Aaron Locatelli and Jan O’Kelley.  Jan has a great deal of experience with backstage management, most recently with The Odd Couple, for which she was Stage Manager.  Aaron has been in several productions — most recently Epic Proportions –  and was Stage Manager for  Proof in 2010.

They have chosen and cast five short and funny shows covering everything from a funny computer lesson from granddaughter to grandmother to an alien encounter in the park to a woman’s melt-down at a baking contest.  They have held auditions and selected the cast for these five shows for your amusement.

The second act will be the comedy of dating-gone-wrong, Check Please.  Nan Nawrocki has cast all the auditioners in the fourteen roles in this show.  Two young people, a Guy and a Girl, run the gamut of “dates from hell” in the short vignettes that make up this one act comedy.

All the directors look forward to hearing you, our audience, Laugh Out Loud.

THE CASTS

Directed by Aaron

New Tricks
Grandma-Sylvia DeSio
Mattie -Crystal Bradley

Good Help
Igor-Daniel Picklesimer
Dr.Karl-Brandon Archer

Exhibit 4
Paul-Kenneth Farmer
Andrea-Lorrie Cain
Man-Aaron Locatelli
Customer – Brian Bayer

Commander Danny
Danny-Kenneth Farmer
Merritt-Marena Leonard
Assistant-Aaron Locatelli

Directed by Jan:

Bake Off
Paul — Alex Nawrocki
Rita — Jennie Hutto Smith
Pillsbury Doughboy — Skyler Denton
Security guard – Lorrie Cain

Directed by Nan

Check Please
Girl:   Christina Hill (2 shows) and Lorrie Cain (2 shows)
Guy:  Daniel Picklesimer
Melanie, the Bears fan:  Alecia Moore
Mary, the control freak:  Crystal Bradley
Sophie, the older woman:   Sylvia DeSio
Pearl, the thief:  Katie Archer
Mimi the mime:  Lorrie Cain (2 shows)  Jennie Hutto Smith (2 shows)
Linda, the schizophrenic: Marena Leonard
Louis, who pays no attention: Brandon Archer
Ken, the lounge lizard:  Alex Nawrocki
Mark, in the burlap bag:  Brian Bayer
Tod, the kid: Skyler Denton
Brandon, the considerate date:  Aaron Locatelli
Manny, the phobic: Kenneth Farmer

Coming to haunt your dreams:

2012 SEASON IS ANNOUNCED

Dixie Swim Club February 9-12 and 16-19  (auditions December 4 & 5, 2011)
The Foreigner May  3-6 and 10-13  (auditions March 4 & 5)
Gypsy July  12-15 and 19-22  (auditions for principals and dancers April 22 & 23)
Mark Twain in Jasper (Directors’ Workshop Show)  September 13-16 (auditions August 5 & 6)
Talmadge Brothers Funeral Home and Casket Company October 1-31 (volunteer info August 2012)
The Miracle Worker November 29- December 2 and December 6-9 (auditions October 7 & 8 )
Wassail!! December 15

A new theater … at last

That’s right, TATER PATCH PLAYERS have a home!!! Friday, February 25, the Taters purchased a building at 95 Old Philadelphia Lane. Click on the “Contact” tab above and  you will see a map to our new home. Thank you so much for all your support and love through the “gypsy” years.  From now on, you will know where to find us. Special thanks go to Don Martin and Ben Torrey of Torrey Mountain Properties. Countless hours of searching on their part led us at last to the right place.  Community Bank of Pickens County has been a good partner to us for several years, and our relationship will continue into the future.  The many advertisers and sponsors that support us are always in our thoughts. The hundreds of volunteer actors, stage hands, scene painters and costumers, and the often overlooked folks who hauled scenery, props and lights from place to place over many years are the backbone of Tater Patch. And a special round of applause goes to you, our audience. We are proud to be able to invite you to our home for your future entertainment.  The 2011 schedule is on the calendar. Ticket information, season tickets, seating changes, and lots more information will be here soon. Keep checking back. We’re having a great summer camp and a production with lots of children this summer. Details and sign up forms for that are coming soon, too.   Oh my, we’d better get to work!  If you want to help with work, ideas, sponsorship or funds, please contact us.  And keep coming back to the website for pictures and news and soon, an open house at OUR NEW HOME.  For an album of pictures of the new building, courtesy of knowpickens.com, go to  http://www.knowpickens.com/photos/taterpatchtheater.asp

2011 Show Info

In May, The Odd Couple will bring a laugh a minute.  Oscar and Felix — an odd pair indeed — deal with divorce, their poker buddies, and most of all, with each other.  A classic comedy from Neil Simon.  Performance dates are May 5-8, 12-15, and 19-21.
In July,  a non-musical adaptation of Peter Pan featuring the talents of the Tater kids from our community, and a bunch of familiar adults.  Adventure on the high seas and in the Darling kids’ imaginations.
In September,  a hilarious farce to warm you up.  A group of Hollywood types attempt to produce the Greatest Film Ever Made using a strange misfit cast of characters — it’s Epic Proportions!
In October, The Talmadge Brothers Mortuary and Casket Company, one of the finest haunted houses in North Georgia, is resurrected inside the Tater Patch Players Theater.  Volunteer sign-up info at the top of the page.
In November, Tater Patch will again present an evening of short comic plays:  Laugh Out Loud! Once again, this production will serve as a workshop for new directors and give our audiences a chance to preview our upcoming talent!

Caleb Smith as the pastor

The cast of Tater Patch Players’ Smoke on the Mountain is really getting the singing spirit.  The Sanders Family is reborn here in Jasper.  Burl, the daddy, is played by veteran Tater Patcher Kenneth Kincaid.  He was last on stage in Blithe Spirit.  He is having great fun bringing Burl to life.  He bounds on to the stage and immediately wants to introduce his gospel-singing family to the audience.  He is bursting with pride as he introduces his children and wife.  He also introduces his brother, Stanley — who is a black sheep who has just returned to the fold.  Stanley is played by Tater Patch President and veteran actor Robert Countryman.  Stanley has been to prison and while he was there, the family lost their matriarch.  Stanley, in his rumbling bass voice,  sings a heart-warming tribute to her, “If You Love Your Mother, Meet Her in the Sky”.

Daddy Burl is mighty proud of his singing children.  The twins, Dennis (he’s the boy) and Denise (the girl) are proudly played by Eric Reinhardt and Katie Cagle.  Eric was in some Tater Patch Productions many years back and some college productions.  His talents have been brought back on stage for this show.  An accomplished guitarist, he also learned to play the string bass for Smoke on the Mountain.  His character, Dennis, is brought to life by Eric’s warm performance.  Dennis’  duet, with twin sister Denise, called Christian Cowboy, is delightful.  Eric brings us a fun-loving but devout young man, who delights in bringing a smile from the audience, but especially in pleasing his mama (Thelma Cagle).  While the Sanders twins are busily singing their hearts out, over on the side of the stage, sister June is providing a wealth of sounds to back up the vocals.  June, who says, “I don’t sing, but I sign” has caught the eye of the pastor, played by Tater Patch newcomer Caleb Smith.  June is played by a familiar Tater Patch Players, Tracey Gibson.  Tracey has been in numerous productions over the years.  Most recently, she appeared in Steel Magnolias in  the role of Annelle and as the character Hope in Almost, Maine.

Come meet the Sanders family  at the Pickens Chamber of Commerce on October 28 and  29 and November 4,5,6 and 7:30 PM and October 30 and 31 and November 7 at 2 PM.  Tickets are $8 for students and $12 for adults in advance.  Prices will be $2 more at the box office.  Seating is by general admission, so come early to get the best seats!  However, in a new policy, preferred seating will be held for those who have tickets purchased online.  Advance tickets are available at Community Bank of Pickens County, who sponsors this show, and Jasper Drug.  Tickets are on sale here on the website by clicking the big button on the top right of our home page.  Online ticket purchasers get preferred seating.

Pay What You Can Night is the first Thursday performance of every Tater Patch Production.  This time it will be October 28.  This is an opportunity for members of the community who might not otherwise be able to afford a ticket to enjoy the troupe’s performances.  Bring a canned food or other non-perishable food item to that show, to be donated to the Pickens Food Bank, and pay what you can to get into the show

The next show will be Proof. The dates are June 3-6 at the Pickens Chamber of Commerce building.  June 3-5 are evening shows and June 6 is a matinee.   Ticket availability, pricing and showtimes will be published soon.  Our Pay What You Can performance will be Thursday, June 3.  Proof is a drama for adults.  There is strong language in the play and it is suggested that it is not appropriate for children.

Guys and Dolls will be performed July 29-August 1 and August 5-8.  The Sunday performances will be matinees.  All shows will be at the Pickens Chamber and other details will be announced soon.

Smoke on the Mountain will also be at the Pickens Chamber and will be on October 28-31 and November 4-7.  Details coming soon!

The Community Bank of Pickens County is a Main Stage sponsor for all of these performances, and we thank them!

This summer,  all the camp activities will be at our new theater.  See the “Contact” section for more direction info.  All sessions are geared toward the Tater Patch Summer production of Peter Pan which will be July 21-31.  All campers qualify to be a part of that production, but show participation is not required.  Parents of enrolled students will receive more detailed information about the Peter Pan production in an email. Summer campers may sign up for one or both sessions each week, or for all sessions.  Morning Stagecraft Camp sessions restricted to older campers. A snack will be provided to all campers in each session.

STAGECRAFT CAMP:  9 – 11:30  AM — for older “kids”: rising 6th graders through rising 12th graders.  Campers learn about lighting and sound, props and sets, makeup and costume.  All activities supervised by qualified staff.  Work with the designers & techs on our upcoming production of Peter Pan.  Students in Stagecraft camp may enroll for the afternoon theater camp also.  Students doing so should bring a sack lunch.  Students may enroll for one or two weeks.
THEATER & PETER PAN CAMP:  12 – 3 PM — for rising third graders through rising 12th graders.  From 12-2 there will be many fun theater activities for young actors.  They will learn about stage movement, breathing and speaking for the theater,  improvisation and puppetry from 12 -2  PM.  From 2-3  PM they will rehearse for Peter Pan.   Students may enroll for one or two weeks.  Each week’s theater camp will conclude with a short production for the campers’ parents during the last hour of afternoon camp on Friday.

See the application in the “Downloadable Forms” section.  Email us at taterpatchplayers@gmail.com with any questions.

PETER PAN

This summer’s production of Peter Pan features a new version with the familiar story.  Auditions for Peter, Wendy, John, Michael, Mr and Mrs Darling and Captain Hook will be May 21 and 22.  More information is on the homepage.

All kids in this year’s summer camp are eligible to be in the production, without audition, as Lost Boys, Indians, Pirates and more!  If you have any questions, or if your little ‘un can’t attend camp but is interested in being part of the show, contact us through the “contact” tab above and someone from the production staff will be in touch.