Pequea Valley townlively.com
NOVEMBER 1, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LIX • NO 45
Murder … mystery … laughter PVHS to stage “Play On” BY ANN MEAD ASH
ffering a bit of fun to students of Pequea Valley School District schools was at the forefront of director Danielle Peifer’s thoughts when she chose “Play On” for her first Pequea Valley High School (PVHS) production. “I love that it’s comedy,” said Peifer. “High school kids have such fun with that.” But it is not just her cast members that Peifer has in mind. “I think (adult) audience (members) and younger kids can follow and laugh at some of the silliness (too),” she added. “Play On” will be presented at PVHS, 4033 E. Newport Road, Kinzers, on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 11, at 2 and 7 p.m. “Play On” is a play within a play detailing a community theater’s attempt to produce a show written by novice playwright Phyllis Montague, played by Annika Hofstetter, called “Murder Most Foul.” The new murder
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Student actors who are members of the cast of “Play On” get into character as they prepare to stage the show at Pequea Valley High School.
mystery coincidentally has the same title as an Agatha Christie novel. Director of the play within a play Geraldine “Gerry” Dunbar, played Madeline Heverin, jumps at the
idea of putting on the play because the playwright agrees to allow the performance at no charge. Unfortunately, the plot is lacking an actual murder, and the
playwright keeps showing up at rehearsal to make changes with only a few days before opening night. The small cast also includes Grace Melson as stage manager
Aggie Manville, Sean Ammon as Henry Benish and Lord Dudley, Naomi Brumbach as Polly Benish and Lady Margaret, Liv Hofstetter as Marla “Smitty” Smith and Doris the maid, Nathan Sensenig as Saul Watson and Dr. Rex Forbes, Robert Forsythe as Billy Carewe and Stephen Sellers, Tori Beiler as Violet Imbry and Diana Lassiter, Landyn Waters as technical director Lou Peary, and Gabrielle Troupe and Spencer Groff as Lou’s stage crew. Peifer said that the show is packed with circumstances that lend themselves to comedy. “Four days before the (opening night), they have never done the third act because (the playwright) keeps changing it,” Peifer noted, adding that the writer also accidentally erases information stored in the sound board. “(When) they run the show, it’s a comical series of events.” Peifer relayed that the student actors are “cracking themselves up”
BY ADRIAN ESCHENWALD
Nearly a century later, the trends and styles of those who lived in the early to mid-1900s remain instantly recognizable and deeply appreciated by many throughout the United States. Americans who were born in the first three decades of the 20th century are commonly referred to as the Greatest Generation, and with ample reason: This generation includes the individuals who weathered calamities like the Great
Solid on the essentials Bellevue Church observes 200th anniversary BY ANN MEAD ASH
Depression and fought in the Second World War. America as we know it was largely shaped by the Greatest Generation. Many people pay tribute to its members by recreating the music, dancing and fashion of their time, including the participants of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania’s annual swing dance. The museum, which is located on 300 Gap Road, Strasburg, will host the event on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are available to purchase in
Margaret Allison has been attending Bellevue Presbyterian Church for 80 years. “We have never compromised the basic essentials of our faith,” said Margaret, who, along with her husband, Paul, has been providing historical information by portraying costumed pillars of the church from years past to celebrate the faith community’s 200th anniversary. “When we look for a new pastor, we are looking for ‘Do you believe in the Trinity and the resurrection?’”
See Railroad Museum pg 2
See Bellevue Church pg 3
Members of the congregation of Bellevue Presbyterian Church are looking forward to celebrating the church’s 200th anniversary with a special service.
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Dance your cap off at the annual Railroad Museum swing dance
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See PVHS pg 5