The seats at the Grand Theatre were nearly filled on Friday evening for the Stage Left Players’ spring production “Short but Sweet.” A second performance was given the following afternoon. The show consisted of three “short but sweet” plays, a dramatic reading and live music. Sherry Carlton served as emcee for the event, which included cast members familiar to Indian Head audiences.
The evening began with a play called, ‘Three Turkeys Waiting for Corncobs’, directed by John Kort, which depicted three turkeys doing exactly as the title suggests. As they waited for corncobs, one of the turkeys was most concerned with whether corn or bugs were a better meal. Meanwhile, a younger turkey, played by Joni Lamb, aspired to play the saxophone and become a world-famous musician. Though her two companions, played by Linda Kort and Kyra Nelson, were content to contemplate dietary preferences, the young turkey ran off to pursue her dream. The play was relatively brief, but the audience found the humorous dialogue very entertaining.
Linda Kort directed the second play, ‘Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me a Song’. This was a heartwarming portrayal of the relationship between a mother, played by Tracy Gostick, and her daughter, played by Dee Lyke. Although there were struggles and they built a wall between them, the mother and daughter continued to care for one another and in the end they successfully weathered the many seasons of life.
A final play called ‘The Angel in the Clearing’ was directed by Cory Rennebohm, who also served as the lights and sound technician for the program. The play featured Jenn Litzenberger as Gabrielle, Father Francis Hengen as Pete, and Nick Rennebohm as Don. The three characters met outside Gabrielle’s home at a mountainside clearing. Don was initially skeptical of Gabrielle’s abilities and reluctant to ask her for help. Eventually Don poured out his emotional story of heartbreaking loss and begged Gabrielle to bring back his lost love. Gabrielle recognized it as an impossible request but Pete gave her good advice and finally saved the day by recommending a solution. He convinced Don that it was possible to fall in love again with someone like Gabrielle. After some thought, Don had a change of heart and he and Gabrielle went off-stage together, creating a happy conclusion to the play.
During the Stage Left Players’ production, reading and music were interspersed with the plays. Allison Kydd shared a dramatic reading about a mother and daughter to coincide with ‘Tell Me Another Story, Sing Me a Song’. Erin Lamb, accompanied by her dad Bruce Neill, performed original compositions about friendship, her career as a massage therapist and her hometown of Indian Head.
