Columbia/Hellam/Wrightsville
townlively.com
JULY 14, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXII • NO 22
Death At A Funeral BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Family feuds can be dramatic, dysfunctional or - in the case of Rivertown Theatre Productions’ newest show - deadly. “The Deadly Affair” will be performed on Friday, July 23, at 6 and 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 24, at 4, 6 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, July 25, at 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Performances will be held at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 616 Locust St., Columbia.
“Follies” cast members include (from left) Lydia Alkinburgh, Lorraine Ford, Mike Kohler, Lindsay Bretz-Morgan and Charis McMellen.
“Follies” Looks Back At The Past BY CATHY MOLITORIS
f you had a chance to relive the past, would you take it? That’s the question at the center of “Follies,” which will be performed at Susquehanna Stage from Friday, July 23, through Sunday, Aug. 1. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, “Follies” reunites performers from a musical revue that ran between World War I and World War II until closing in 1941. “The theater where the Follies were is being torn down,” said Sharon Boyer, who portrays Heidi Schiller in the show and is also the vocal director. “The characters come together 30 years after the last Follies, in 1971, to reminisce.” The show focuses on two couples - Buddy and Sally Durant Plummer and Benjamin and Phyllis Rogers
Gagliano noted that audience members may seem themselves in the characters. “Think about going to your high school reunion,” she remarked. “You might go in with preconceived notions of who people were or what you thought you would be or who you would become, but now maybe your life hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would.” Lindsay Bretz-Morgan, who plays Sally in the show, said the musical doesn’t have a typical happy ending or saccharine sweetness to it. “The characters in this show are very relatable,” she stated. “These are people who are going through life, but they are not truly happy. They’re just going with the flow of life and where it takes them, and I think a lot of people can relate to that.”
See Funeral pg 3
The cast of “The Deadly Affair” is (back, from left) Nick Kaehler, Rick Barnhart, Chris Raudabaugh, (front) Emily Barnhart, Jayden Smith, Sara Mimnall and (not pictured) Sylvia Garner.
Hitting The Trail? There’s An App For That
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Bazaar Will Give Back . . .2
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Have you ever wondered how tall Chickies Rock is? Or what the White Cliffs of Conoy are made of? Wonder no more. If you’re out on a local trail, the answers to these questions and many more are right at your fingertips. The Susquehanna National Heritage Area (NHA) recently partnered with students at Franklin & Marshall College to create an interactive mobile app that helps visitors explore historical, geological and natural facts along area trails.
See “Follies” pg 2
Bonner Siblings Earn Eagle Scout Awards . . . . .2 Business Directory . . . . . .2 Weymer Honored For Military Service . . . . . .4 House Of Worship . . . . . . .4 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .4
See App pg 3
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Stone. The two women were showgirls in the Follies and, despite their outwardly successful lives, all four people are fundamentally unhappy. The cast features young adults who portray various Follies performers in their younger years. “They are sort of ghosts on stage, playing the performers from the past,” explained choreographer Jill Gagliano. “They are onstage, but they don’t really interact with the current-day characters.” “Follies” is a bittersweet show, said Lorraine Ford, who portrays Phyllis. “The show is a really interesting exploration of life,” she stated. “Wouldn’t you like to look back and watch a movie of your life and see, as a mature adult, how the decisions you made as a 21-year-old are affecting you now?”
The church makes the perfect setting for the play, said Sara Mimnall, who, along with Rebecca Wright, wrote the show. “Edward Keller has just died tragically, and his immediate family has come together for his funeral,” she explained. “There is definitely some inner family fighting going on.” After the drama comes to a boiling point, the characters storm off in a rage before returning to settle down and continue the funeral. They soon discover not all have returned and one person won’t be coming back. “The show is a mix of comedy and drama,” noted Mimnall, who plays Anne Keller in the show. “There are moments of laughs, but there are also times when you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next.”
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