Curtain Call Theater: A Shining Star on Front Street

Israel got to sit down with Suzanne Helwich, the Executive Director of the Curtain Call Theatre, as well as Ken Czechanski, who is a theatre board member as well as one of the stars of their upcoming March 2024 production, The Runner Stumbles. 

The setting for our conversation was at the foot of the stage as they were preparing for the production. It was two hours before the first practice when the cast is expected to know their lines without their script. With that pressure, Ken was still nice enough to share some of his story, and talk about the improv nights he introduced and hosts.

When the lights go down, this 70-seat venue makes you feel like you're in a downtown Chicago neighborhood theatre.  What was once a longtime neighborhood pharmacy, is now a hub where the magic of storytelling comes alive, fostered by the tireless efforts of volunteers.

This is a great community organization that is putting on some great productions and giving people a chance to live their dream of acting. I hope you enjoy our conversation and I hope you will go check out their shows!

The Curtain Call Theatre website can be found HERE!
https://www.ccctheatre.com/default.asp?iId=HILHG
The Emily McCabe Childrens Theatre Program Info HERE!
https://www.ccctheatre.com/default.asp?iId=LDJMK

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Find Matt's Blog here: Matt's Old Mokena
Photo & Artwork Credit: Jennifer Medema & Leslie V. Moore Jr.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Molkina's Front Porch.
A Molkina History podcast withMac Dalek and me, israel Smith.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Because everybody knows that show.
But also they were like oh,we'll go see you at a play.
And all of them individuallywere like I can't believe that
place exists.
How have we lived here for thislong and don't know about that
place?

Speaker 1 (00:23):
The Curtin Call Theater has been on Front Street
since 2016, but they've beenaround for a lot longer than
that.
I got a chance to sit down andtalk with Ken Chansky, who is a
board member of the theater, aswell as Suzanne Helwitsch, who
is the executive director.
Suzanne's been around for quitea while with the organization

(00:45):
and it was really great to gether background and her sharing
what this great theater hasmeant to her and her part and
what she's been able to do togrow it and make it more
effective in the community.
So, as I said, we got to sitdown and talk.
We sat right in front of thestage.
They're in the middle ofgetting ready for a production,
so the stage was empty.

(01:06):
Part of the stage was gone.
We just set up a table andtalked and had a really good
conversation.
We really enjoy their shows.
They've had some greatproductions and we're looking
forward to going to this currentupcoming one as well.
So I think you will reallyenjoy getting to know Curtin
Call Theater, getting to knowwhat they're doing in the

(01:28):
community.
We've kind of had this thing inour nose that a lot of people
just don't know are there.
You'll hear them share my story, but we were walking down Front
Street one night and happenedto see the doors open and look
in and you see there's a realtheater in there.
So after that went, enjoyed itimmensely.

(01:52):
You know Google Moquina'sCurtin Call Theater.
They're on Facebook as well andwe'll put links in the show
notes to their website, to theirFacebook page as well as share
that when we post on our stuffon Facebook.
The current production isrunning from March 1st through

(02:12):
March 10th, but if you'rehearing this after, they have
plays going on throughout theyear different times.
I think they say four times ayear.
They're doing productions likethis as well as the kids program
.
You know this is not like akids play that I expected.
They really are high quality.
So if you want to see that,look that up too.

(02:34):
You can see when the dates arefor that.
This summer it's in July, midJuly they do it hosted at the
Lincoln Way Central High School.
It's great.
Kids are on a big stage.
You know they really get thefull feel of a professional play
, great music they're doingNewsy's Jr this year as well, as

(02:59):
they also host at the theaterImprov Nights that they're doing
every couple of months.
So those are a lot of fun andI've gotten to go to a couple of
those.
So listen.
At the end You'll hear me andMatt talk a little bit about the
history of the site and thebuilding.
Enjoy this conversation withKen Chansky and Suzanne Hellwish
of the Curtin Call Theater andcheck them out.

(03:23):
Go check out this play itsounds like it's going to be a
great show and check out alltheir plays.
They really do a great job andyou can hear about if you've
ever had the interest of tryingout yourself and getting in
there.
So enjoy this episode, butplease go enjoy this theater.
This is a gem in ourneighborhood and always a great

(03:45):
time.
Alright, ken and Suzanne, thankyou both for sitting down and
talking with me today.
We're sitting in right in frontof the stage of Curtin Call
Theater here and you guys aregetting ready for your next
upcoming production, and that'sexciting.
We're going to talk a littlebit about that.
Ken, you're a director here, isthat right?

Speaker 2 (04:06):
I am a board member, board member and an occasional
actor and I guess also the leadof the improv programming at the
theater.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Great, and Suzanne, you're the executive director
here.
Is that right?

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yes, I'm the executive director and a very,
very occasional performer.
Yeah, I've been involved for along time, doing a lot, wearing
a lot of hats, basically and Ithink any volunteer organization
that's true of everybodyinvolved, including he's
probably been a lot more thanwhat he just fessed up to.

(04:44):
He's done a lot more.

Speaker 2 (04:46):
I don't want to brag.

Speaker 1 (04:49):
So can you talk a little bit about how the theater
got started?

Speaker 3 (04:53):
Sure, so I've been involved since 2000,.
But the group started in 1999.
The original name was theFrankfurt Fine Arts Association.
Over the years the name haschanged a little bit and in 2004
we landed with Curtin CallCommunity Theater and we go by

(05:13):
the name of Curtin Call Theaterand that's our permanent name
now.
And we have been in Moquinasince 2016 at the present
location.
We started more as just a oneor two productions a year, no

(05:33):
real space to rehearse, justkind of going to different
venues and using space torehearse and then using the high
school, and about probablyabout 15 years ago we started
renting space for rehearsals andthen again use the high school
or different community locationsand we were really fortunate in

(05:55):
2016 to get the space here forthe Front Street Theater.

Speaker 1 (05:58):
And what was the space like when you guys took it
over?

Speaker 3 (06:02):
It was honestly just a blank rectangle.
It used to be a long timepharmacy, so anybody in Moquina
is familiar that this was theMoquina pharmacy for many, many
years.
So when we came in we weren'teven sure that we'd be able to
turn it into the theater becauseit had some challenges, but

(06:25):
luckily the owner was willing tomove some beams and do things
to help us out and we turned itinto our beautiful space.
I think it's a beautiful space.
Very intimate 70 seat theaterright in the heart of downtown
Moquina.

Speaker 1 (06:43):
Which is really I mentioned this before but we
hadn't been in here until acouple years ago and we were
walking by one night, walkingour dog, me and my son and my
wife out and went by and thedoors were open and you see, and
I'm like, oh my god, there's awhole theater in there.
I just never really gone by thesign and everything, but I
don't know what my expectationwas.
So, as we've come, you reallysee, it's an impressive space

(07:07):
here and a very neat littletheater.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
Well, thank you, we're really proud of it.
It took a lot of volunteerhours to get it where it is
today and it's an ongoingproject.
We're doing some lightingupgrades right now, and every
year we try to add something newto enhance the theater
experience.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
I found an article from 2016, when you were opening
it, and you talk in the articleabout.
The goal was four to six showsa year, and as well as different
events, and so have you gottento that place?
Where's the annual number ofshows?

Speaker 3 (07:52):
So we do four front street shows a year.
But to that we've added someother projects.
Ken can speak in a little bitto his improv program that he's
added, that we're very proud of,which, I believe you may have
been involved in a little bittoo.
Those are a lot of fun and we'vealso added some more children's

(08:12):
programming In addition to thefour shows that we put on here.
We have a very robustchildren's program and some of
it takes place here and some ofit takes place at St Mary's in
the high school.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
So we talk about the improv, and you also mentioned
at that time possibly doing openmic nights.
Has that been a considerationagain?

Speaker 3 (08:37):
You know what?
We haven't gotten there yet.
I think that the improv hasbeen our kind of testing ground.
Maybe you could add to that.

Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, open mic nights are interesting to me because
you never know what you're goingto get with an open mic and you
don't know if people will showup for it.
So yes, I would say the improvnights have been kind of a
testing ground.
That's the way they all startedwas to gauge the interest first
in improv.
Because in the city improv isso ubiquitous, it's everywhere

(09:08):
and people are used to it,almost too used to it, but down
in the suburbs it's not asprevalent.
And so when I came up with theidea to do the improv nights,
which were going to be foradults, we had already been
doing some workshops for kids,and then I had this idea that
maybe kids and adults didn'twant to play together in improv
because they're from differentparts of their lives.

(09:29):
So the improv night was createdfor adults, but also as a way to
figure out if people wereinterested, and so far it's been
a lot of interest.

Speaker 1 (09:40):
And how many of those nights have you had so far?

Speaker 2 (09:43):
Well, fortunately, we numbered them.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
That's the only reason I asked, because I know
you numbered them.

Speaker 2 (09:48):
Right, yeah, so we've done seven, seven improv nights
and one of them we actually dida full improv show with my team
from the city for the firsthalf and that one sold out.
So we're always tinkering withthe format a little bit.
For the most part it tends tobe a come and see improv, learn

(10:12):
a little bit about it and try it.
If you want to, you don't haveto.
That's the biggest questionpeople have about it.
It's like do I have to do stuffif I show up and say no, I mean
, if you pay to come in, you canjust sit and laugh, you don't
have to do anything.
And we've had people who'vecome multiple times and just
watched and then the third timeor the fourth time they've
gotten up.
And that makes me very happywhen people do that, because

(10:36):
that means they're comfortableenough to do that.

Speaker 1 (10:37):
Yeah, have you seen, since the first show, an
increase in the number of peoplewanting to come back?
Have you seen an increase?

Speaker 2 (10:45):
It's it seems pretty steady.
I'll admit we were surprised bythe first one, that we almost
sold out the first one, and Ididn't want to do them too often
because I felt like if we didthem too often maybe that would
dilute the audience a little bit.
They'd be like, oh, I'll catchthe next one.
So we've kind of settled onevery two months.

(11:07):
But we consistently get 40 to50 people in a DC theater that
are coming to something that isit's not a show but it's not
completely a workshop, it'ssomething in between, and we do
have a lot of regulars.
A lot of people come back.

Speaker 1 (11:26):
And so my story goes that we came to the one and I
can't remember which, but it wasprobably for somewhere after it
wasn't the first couple, butand I had a good time to not get
up on stage and I came with myneighbors, so there were four or
five of us out here and none ofus left our seats, but had a
great time.

(11:46):
It was a lot of fun and wentdown to Al's afterwards and
Garrett and somebody else endedup coming in and talking to us
and talking more about improv,and I ended up going to see him
in Orland at one of the shows hedid there and now I've signed
up for taking his adultintroduction to improv, which

(12:08):
was great.
And so three of us came to thelast improv night and he told us
he said you don't have to getup, it's not required, but you
really should get up, and I wasreally nervous about it myself.
But we all three of us thatwere here from the class left

(12:28):
saying it was the perfectatmosphere.
It made us all feel better aboutthe show that we do at the end
of our class, and it's nice too,because once you're on stage
you really can't see anythingbut feet.
I feel like that as a plus.
But it really felt like almostlike you're in a class.

(12:51):
We really felt like instructionpulling us, like it was a great
first time on stage, I think,for all of us.
I think everybody felt thatsame way.
So for hearing that, anybodythat likes it, enjoys it or is
interested, definitely I thinkthose are great venues to come
and try it out.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
Well, that's the first thing I wanted about it.
I sort of was trying to mimicsomething that I used to go to
in the city all the time.
It was called the mixer at theplayground and that was for
people with no experience, someexperience or a lot of
experience.
The first time I went to it Iwas side by side, paired up
randomly with someone who wasperforming at Second City, and I

(13:34):
remember thinking I have nobusiness being on stage with
this woman and after it was overor right before we went out
there, everybody started pattingeach other's back before we
started to perform and I had noidea what that meant, because
normally that's the thing you doafter, like good job.
But they were all doing itbeforehand and we did our thing,

(13:55):
got off stage and I justhappened to sit next to her and
I was like why was everybodypatting?
their back and she was like itmeans that we have your back,
and I was like, wow, so that'staking that.
I wanted to bring thatatmosphere here, where it's just
it's a safe space, but youdon't have to do anything, but
you can, and I want you to feellike you can, and I think a lot

(14:18):
of people do.
When they're here, they're like, oh, I could totally do it.
I could totally do it.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
I'll do it next time and that's great, and you do a
good mix of.
You had some of the people thatare of your troop that we
realized.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
Yeah, I brought in some people from my team and a
couple people who have just cometo enough improv nights that
they are more advanced thanother people.
So it's nice to have them thereto demonstrate, or, if people
are, because we never know whatthe audience.
The audience might be timid.
Sometimes they're very, veryparticipatory, but we never know

(14:53):
what we're gonna get.
So I usually have them there.
In the event that everybody'stoo timid, we can perform, we
can show people things and thenif they don't wanna get up, we
can just keep going.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
Well, those guys make it look easier.
So then you get up and be likeoh, those guys are doing pretty
good, I can get up and do that.
See, is that it?
I feel like you can go bothways.

Speaker 2 (15:13):
You look and you're like, oh, I'm not getting up
there with them.
But that's why I say we'realways tinkering with what we do
and I don't know.
We're trying to figure outdifferent things, like different
levels of things, some sort ofbeginner stuff, but to me it's
all the same.
It's all the same principle Ifyou get up there and you

(15:35):
participate in the spirit ofplay, you're gonna be fine.
You're gonna be fine.

Speaker 3 (15:41):
Well, it's interesting too, the people that
came to.
The first there was a number ofperformers that came, regular
people that have been on stage,so they were really keen to get
up.
But then there was a lot ofjust people who have come and
watched shows and they were alittle more timid, and now some
of those are what you're callingthe Regulars.
The regulars that are prettyadvanced at this point because

(16:02):
they've gotten so comfortable,and I love seeing that.
I love seeing that.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
Yeah, there was a great group of people that
really knew what was going onand just jumped in and helped
other people along.

Speaker 3 (16:15):
It was really great and they were our number one
newbies, our number one shownewbies, a lot of them.
They'd never done it before.
Now they're that comfortable.

Speaker 2 (16:24):
We had half the audience and the last one.
We had half the audience on thestage at one point and that's
never happened.
That's never happened.

Speaker 1 (16:32):
Yeah, so that's good that night was.
Seriously.
All of us had so much fun.
And then it was neat too,because those that were part of
the troupe that had been here,we're all standing around
afterwards and they're like, hey, here's tips and here's things
to do, and so helpful, andwanting to help make us better,
and it was just such a greatatmosphere.

(16:54):
And I mean Garrett's that wayTo Garrett's, one of the
friendliest guys I've ever seen.

Speaker 4 (17:00):
He is.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
He is and you feel like you're his best friend
after you do he's beloved bymany.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
Well, it's community, and I think that's what's neat
about community theater too,that that's how you feel when
you're on stage with your fellowperformers that they do.
It's a great feeling wheneverybody has your back.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Right, and it's funny because people always they'll
talk about the differencebetween doing a scripted show
versus doing an improv set or animprov show, and the only
difference is the improv it'sover.
When it's over, it's over.
And it all happens at the sametime.
But the same principles apply.
Whether you're on stage withpeople that you've been

(17:42):
rehearsing with for two monthsor on stage with them for 10
minutes.
You have to be there for themand that is, yes, you have to
remember your lines, but yourjob really is to be there,
present, without thinking about,like you said, you can't see
the audience, so it's reallyyou're just there and that's.

(18:02):
I love that.
I love that kind of thing, thatkind of focus and that kind of.
That's why people meditate, andpeople meditate to get to the
state of presence, and I thinkyou can just do that when you're
a performer, because you haveto.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yeah, the idea of active listening.
You don't realize how foreignthat is until you're standing on
a stage catching a ball fromsomebody and it's very helpful.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
When you're talking to people and you're literally
thinking about what you want tosay to them and you realize you
haven't heard a word, they said,yeah, no, that's what we fight
against.

Speaker 3 (18:39):
Well and I think that's one of the things are
directors of the children'sprograms.
If you can teach a child to bepresent, everything else falls
into place.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
Sure, yeah, so I mean adults too, actually, no, I'm
going to say, though but thepeople who direct children, I
mean, they are something else,different breed of people, but
to be able to do that and getthat out of kids is impressive.

Speaker 1 (19:07):
It's very impressive and we'll talk a little bit more
about that program.
But I want to know, Ken, what'syour background in improv?
How did you get into it?
What's your background?

Speaker 2 (19:18):
I got into improv as an old man, at the age of 35.
I hadn't done a play since highschool, but I was very active
in high school, in junior highand plays and stuff.
But I never thought I didn'tknow that there was such a thing
as community theater when I was17.
So I was like, well, this is it, I'm not going to be a
professional actor, so goodbyestage.

(19:41):
And I was actually goingthrough, we don't have to get
way into this.
But I was going through apretty rough patch in life and
one of the things that I did wasto finally always wanted to,
always felt like the ship hadpassed me by, but I went and
took an improv class and itclicked so much for me not

(20:01):
necessarily doing it, but itfelt right and so I just kept
doing it.
So not to interrupt your story,but talk about that Like you're
35 when you took your firstclass Right, and the reason I
never wanted to take it wasbecause no offense to all the
20-year-olds out there, but Iwas just like I'm not going to
go and sit there with a bunch of22-year-olds and be like we

(20:22):
have nothing to talk about.

Speaker 1 (20:23):
Right, yeah.
So what did that feel like?
Walking into that class beforeyour nerves Like what was going
on?
I was very nervous.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
I was very nervous, but the advice that was given to
me by someone when they weretrying to convince me to do it
was it's an old, I don't knowwho the quote's by but it's that
the cave you most fear to enterholds the treasure that you
seek.
And so I remember thinkingabout that, being like OK, so
the cave is not guarded byanything except fear.

(20:53):
And I was like, well, I mean,can't you just walk right
through it then?
And so I did.
Doesn't mean it's not scary,right?
Bravery is not the absence offear.
But yeah, I was very nervous,voice shaking, and but I knew I
had to do it.
I had to do this because itkept feeling right, and then

(21:17):
eventually, it felt good.

Speaker 4 (21:18):
So that was it.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
But as far as if we're talking about hanging
around when 20-year-olds, theonly real difference between
them and me at the time was justthat, you know, I would say
things like oh, I have to gohome because my kid has to go to
school, I have to take my kidto school in the morning, so I
can't, you know, be out till twoin the morning.
That was really the onlydifference.

(21:41):
Other than that, we were allthere doing the same thing
You're all flying without a neton stage together, and you have
to be there for each other.
So at that point it doesn'tmatter, and did you?

Speaker 1 (21:51):
do a Chicago improv class or where did you go?

Speaker 2 (21:54):
I went to IO, formerly Improv Olympic, until
the Olympics sued them for them.
They really yes they did Aseasoned assist because they
were worried that they weregoing to confuse them.
Yeah, but so they call it IO.
I took, I did, their entiretraining program and then I took
another.
I studied at the Chicago ImprovDen, which I don't think exists

(22:17):
anymore, and then I did the CIC, which is like a.
They always talk about it asbeing sort of a graduate program
, because you have to have donelike another program before you
can take that one.
At least you at the time youhad to.

Speaker 1 (22:32):
So so what was your hope in taking the classes?
What were?
What was your vision Like?
Where did you think this wasgoing to take you?

Speaker 2 (22:39):
Well, I didn't think it was going to be a career.
I don't know anybody that'smade a career out of improv.
I really don't.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
But there's six guys out there.
Six guys, aren't they?
On whose line is it?

Speaker 2 (22:49):
Anyhow, I guess they've done it.

Speaker 3 (22:50):
Yeah, there's maybe eight, eight different people.
Yes, that's true.
That's true, that's it in theworld.
Six people in the world.

Speaker 2 (22:58):
Like you have to go and be like the legitimate actor
if you want to make any, anymoney, and that's still
difficult.
But no, honestly it was.
It was a way back on stagebecause that's where I wanted to
be and I didn't think again, Ididn't think that there was a
way that you could do stuffoutside of being, you know,

(23:18):
going to auditions with aheadshot and like, you know, for
a commercial or something.
I was like I just don't want todo that.
I like performing and I don'twant to perform with a bunch of
people who are like that's, itsounds weird, but that's their
livelihood, because that changesthe way they approach it a
little bit.
Or I thought that was myperception.
I wanted to just be with peoplewho enjoyed it and did it.

(23:41):
And then it wasn't until Imoved down to Frankfurt, like
improv was sating my desire tobe on stage.
I was like this is good, I'mperforming and it's fun.
But we moved down to Frankfurtand my daughter, who was nine at
the time, 11, but she gotinvolved with Curtin Calls

(24:01):
Summer Program I think it wassinging in the rain and we went
to see it.
I remember my parents werethere too and we walked out of
there we were just floored.
We're like that's better thansome high school productions and
these kids are like eight, nineyears old and she loved it and
she's still this theater thisday and I mean she was always

(24:21):
kind of active in it but thatreally solidified it for her and
she did the fall youngperformers program and she did
the next summer program and thenI'm sorry we were just getting
into off into a tangent, but itwas that one summer Molly, my
daughter, came home and she saiddad Curtin Calls doing Little

(24:42):
Shop of Horrors for theirmusical and it is my favorite.
I'm not like a big theater guy,which sounds weird.
I don't know a lot of thingsabout theater, but Little Shop
of Horrors was my favorite movie.
It was my favorite musical.
I saw it multiple timesprofessionally, like with my
grandma, and it was like ourthing.
But I knew it by heart and Ialways said that that is

(25:05):
something I wanted to do.
I wanted to be eaten by theplant, but I also just love it
because it's absurd.
It's a love story set againstthe backdrop of a man eating
plant.
It's great, it's like an improvset.
But she, she said I should tryout for it and I said oh no,
honey, I can't do that.
Like there are people who dothat, right, there are people

(25:27):
who go in there.
I haven't done it since I was17 and she just looked at me and
said so you're not even goingto try.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
Yeah, no, she landed on pretty thick.

Speaker 2 (25:38):
So I did, and I prepared probably more than I
needed to for this and ended upgetting cast as Mr Mushnick in
the show.
And that was, that was a dreamcome true.
It was it.
I got to be eaten, but I alsogot to perform here, and then I
was just that.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
I fell in love with it after that, and is that how
you ended up being on the boardof the theater?
I mean?
Not quite that quick the shortthe short.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
No, I did more productions here and I don't
know if I did.
I think I was volunteering youwere volunteering and yeah, and
like with the kids shows andstuff too.
And yeah, and I brought theidea of improv to the board
fairly early.
That's pretty bold.
You know I've only done twoshows here and it was just like

(26:31):
I have an idea and Suzanne andthe board, they were very
receptive to the idea and thenCOVID happened, so we couldn't
do it for a couple of years, butwe did come back to it and I
think just through thateventually.
I mean, I don't know Suzanne cantalk to why I was asked to be
on the board, but I gladlyaccepted.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
Well, because, because you bring the community,
you the sense of communityeverybody we have on our board.
We're a very collaborativeboard and it's important.
I mean it's a community theater, meaning that we need the
community, we need the communityof performers, we need the
community to come see the showwe need.
And Ken, you know, through hisvolunteering and his performing

(27:12):
and everything, just reallyexemplified that.
You know, yeah, we were luckyto, we were lucky.
You said yes when we asked youto be on the board.

Speaker 2 (27:22):
You've brought a lot to curtain call.
Yes, but I wanted to actually,you said something earlier and
this reminded me.
When I was in Little Chappahore, I was a pretty tight knit
group in our neighborhood, alarge group of friends, which is
weird, Unusual I guess, becauseit's very big and they all
wanted to come see this Becauseeverybody knows that show.

(27:45):
But also, they were like oh,we'll go see you in a play.
And all of them individuallywere like I can't believe that
place exists.
How does that?
How have we lived here for thislong and don't know about that
place?
I'm like, well, it's in thetown right next to ours, you
know.
But they were just like, andthey've come to see shows here,

(28:05):
regardless of whether or not I'min it, because they just love
it.
Yeah, it's like this hidden gemthat I mean.
It's not like it is hiding.

Speaker 3 (28:15):
No, excuse me, it's been a struggle.
I mean, I've known people who,when tribes was open, frequented
tribes frequented and I'd belike, yeah, we're two doors down
at curtain call, we have a signthat's going this way, but it's
just if it's not in yourgoggles looking, I guess I don't

(28:35):
know.
We've struggled with that,trying to figure out why some
people don't know we're herebecause we advertise.
You do, we've tried to doeverything, so if you have any
suggestions, maybe this is it.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
Maybe this is what's going to Hopefully, yeah.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
I mean not that we've to be honest with you.
We're very proud because we dousually sell out almost every
show.
So, we do have a good followingand that's been wonderful.
But I am always flabbergastedwhen I run into somebody who's
been in the community forever,who takes the train or you know

(29:10):
because?

Speaker 2 (29:10):
we're directly across from the train station and they
say huh, I didn't know, youguys were there you know the
craziest thing is my friendsfrom the city who come to see
the shows or come to the improvnights.
They'll take that train andthey're like it lets out right
at the front door Right.
This is great, yeah, we've hada couple.

Speaker 3 (29:28):
we've had some, some performers.
That you know, because noteverybody is from the community.
The, I would say, thepreponderance of people are from
probably the Lincoln Way areaand a little beyond that, but
occasionally when we have a showthat somebody wants to be in,
there'll be people from the city, and some of them have been,
you know, taking the traintogether, which is so cool.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
So talk a little bit about the people that you get
auditioning and end up beingactors.

Speaker 2 (29:56):
I know, ken, you and your wife are kind of one of the
stars of the upcoming one, andyeah, and I really the first
time we were in a show togetherwhich was Death Trap because she
was in the.
Did you say you saw theChristmas Carol?
You?

Speaker 3 (30:12):
saw.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Miracle on 34th Street.
The radio telling of.

Speaker 2 (30:16):
Christmas Carol we did too.
And we did Christmas Carol andthe following year we did
Miracle on 34th Street.
The music Miracle on 34thStreet she had done.
The year before.
They did a Christmas Carol,same setup.
You know it's a radio show andshe hadn't been on stage since
she was in high school and shedid not do improv, so she was
very nervous, but she absolutelyloved doing that show.

(30:38):
And then the following show wasDeath Trap and I was going to
try out for it and she tried outfor it and when we got cast it
was like oh wow, you know wehaven't been on stage together.
We're high school sweetheart.
So, we were on stage togetherthen, but it's been you know a
long time, so it's a big deal.
Like it never happens.
The stars aligned and then thefollowing year we did a

(30:59):
production in Lockport togetherand then this year we're doing
the runner stumbles together.
So careful what you wish forand how often does that happen?

Speaker 1 (31:09):
I mean, are you getting people out of the
community that are coming andtrying out and being part of it,
or is it?

Speaker 3 (31:15):
It's a mix and it's, you know, people from diverse
backgrounds.
I feel like and it depends onthe show Some shows bring so
many people out and some showsnot as many.
I don't.
We never can quite figure outthe algorithm, because there's

(31:36):
times that we think that we'regoing to you know they're going
to be lined up around thebuilding and we get enough
people, but not what we thought.
And then there's times it'sjust a small.
Well, the runner stumbles had areal big turnout for auditions.
It did, and I don't want to sayI didn't expect that, but it
really was somewhat unexpected.

(31:56):
And how many of those peoplehave never acted?

Speaker 1 (31:59):
before, do you think Usually with each production we?

Speaker 3 (32:02):
have a few people that come in that say you know,
I've never done this before, orthey haven't done it since high
school.
That's a big one, people sayyeah, well, I mean a lot that.
So we have a lot of people thatcome from their children
performing and they decided tocome, just like what you did,
and sometimes they are sonervous and I just give them so

(32:24):
much credit.
It's fun being at the auditiontable and watching people,
because even through theaudition process they grow.
You know, you can just see asense of okay, you know what I
can do this when they get up onstage and it's the best to watch
.
Yeah, that's really cool.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
Yeah, the first step is the hardest, it is.

Speaker 3 (32:44):
And the audition you see them do that and and in you
know, and we do try to make itvery, very comfortable for them
and very inviting, because Ihave been in a couple things
where you know and not here, butwhere someone isn't, as an
invite, inviting, and it just isscary.

Speaker 1 (33:04):
it's scary when you're up there so somebody's
interested in trying out for afuture play.
What is a?
What does it try out look likefor them?

Speaker 3 (33:12):
What depends if it's a musical or a called a straight
play, where there's there's nomusic involved.
Let's just say most of mosteverything we do here is is not
musical.
So usually they would come inand they would do a reading from
the show.
Some directors and thedirectors kind of have their

(33:33):
different directors havedifferent Processes.
Some directors want them tocome into a monologue.
That's not as as usual, butthey we do.
We do have a few directors thatdo that, but they usually do,
you know, a cider reading fromthe show and then usually we
pair them up with otherauditioners and scenes and they

(33:55):
go through a number of scenesand we let them read for what
they want to audition for.
A lot of people come out andthey put down any.
They want any role.
So it's it's really not asintimidating as it sounds and we
really really Welcome anybodywho wants to come to come and
try it.
I think we've gotten somepeople from from the improv

(34:16):
because we have.
Ken has done a great job sayingSee, look at your on stage
coming coming, if this issomething you're interested.

Speaker 2 (34:23):
Coming audition for our next show yeah, last, our
last show had somebody who?
Who came from the improv night,cool and and he was in the show
and did a great job, by the way.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
Well so, speaking of the show, let's talk a little
bit more about the runner,stumbles.
So tell us about what's theidea of the story you tell the
story okay, you're in it, so I'mgonna let you.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
I wanted to go without giving away too much,
because it's a it's a thrillerit is a thriller.

Speaker 2 (34:55):
I wanted to just go back to the audition thing for a
second, and this is somethingthat has, since high school, has
been interesting to me.
I didn't know what the termcold readings meant in high
school, but they would alwayssay that and it would consist of
cold readings from the script.
And when I asked what thatmeant, it just said, well, you

(35:17):
won't know what, what scenes,we're gonna pick for you to read
from.
And I said, well, can, can Iread the script beforehand?

Speaker 4 (35:26):
And they were like of course you can.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
I'm like, oh okay.
But I'm always surprised thatyou get people who come to
audition, who who say like whydidn't want to read the script
first, I wanted to go in cold.
You know.
It's like, oh okay.
So maybe that's a little bit ofa misnomer.
Like you can, you can read thescript.
Most of them are at the libraryand I think it's.
I'm just gonna say right now, Ithink it's a good idea.

(35:49):
That's all I'm gonna say.
I should be aware of what theshow is about and the characters
because it helps you.
Even though you won't know whatscene and you're not gonna be
like oh yeah, I remember that.
But it just helps to put you inthe right time space and
mindset when you're going upthere, especially if you're

(36:09):
auditioning for a specific part.
A lot of people will write downa specific part but then
they'll say they'll be happywith anything.
You know if they're not castingthat role, but Anyway, that's
all you can.

Speaker 1 (36:20):
Did you take any formal acting trainer?
Just the improv.
No, just improv, okay.

Speaker 2 (36:25):
That's it, yeah, good .

Speaker 3 (36:28):
And our performers are all over the place in that
respect.
To me, we have people who haveacted professionally and then
all the way to someone who it'stheir first show, they've never
done anything, nothing throughhigh school and not even in high
school, and and you know,sometimes it's crazy someone is
just a natural and they get upthere and yeah.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
I think I think we have an actor in the runner
stumbles who is never, neveracted before.
Wow, and he's fantastic, likeit's just.
You know you, if you makesomebody feel comfortable and
make them feel like they can doit, they usually can and will do
it, and so that's.
It's been great to see that.

Speaker 1 (37:08):
So tell us about the, about the runner stumbles is
based on a true story.

Speaker 2 (37:13):
in 1911 in the upper peninsula of Michigan, a, a nun,
was murdered and the priest wasput on trial for her murder.
So that's all I can say aboutit.
And what are you playing?
I am playing the priest accusedof murdering the nun.

(37:34):
The nun is played by my reallife wife, beth.
So there's a natural chemistrythere already, even though there
shouldn't be between a priestand a nun.
Is that what you're saying?
Yeah, it's very believable,they do they.
They do have a bit of a loveinterest which is sort of
forbidden well, not sort of itis forbidden in the church.

(37:54):
So there's that that element toit as well.
But what?
What I liked about this playparticularly is the way it was
staged.
It's because it's told in thepresent, during the trial.
But it also flashes back andyou see the story of what led to
the events of the trial andit's just very well.

(38:16):
It unravels well.
Like, as an audience member,you start sick oh, that makes
sense.
Oh, I see the connection there.
And then it comes to a climaxwhen you find out who killed
sister Rita.

Speaker 1 (38:29):
Can you talk a little bit about the rest of the cast?

Speaker 2 (38:33):
It's a.
It's a bigger cast, for youknow, normally some of the
straight plays we do are smallercasts, but it's like 10 people,
I think, in total and you know,I I know some of them just from
being around, but this, thisone, actually has quite a few

(38:53):
that I don't know.
But they are active in othercommunity theaters, like we.
When we got together for thefirst time, we all talked about
in our experience and what we'vedone and I've seen a lot of
them perform other places.
So they're, they're all they're.
What's the word when somebody'sseason.

(39:15):
So they got season, they're all,they're all nicely seasoned.

Speaker 3 (39:18):
And then I think, I think that one thing we do at
curtain call is we really dowelcome new people and I think
that, you know, sometimes youhear from other other performers
that come here that they'vewalked into an audition
somewhere and they know it'salready cast and you know it's
kind of a waste of their time.
We always I almost every showwe have new people that we've

(39:42):
cast because you know it's, it'sthe way it should be.
You know, we we try to open itup, it's it's a community effort
here and yeah, yeah.
This is a perfect example,because I think there's at least
three or four new people right.
And we had a lot of it's.
Casting a show is difficultbecause you know people think,

(40:06):
oh, it's community theater,you're not going to get the
cream of the crop.
There are so many talentedpeople and if you've come to see
you know the shows, they areamazing.
And so I think we had 35 comeout for 10 roles.
So you have to say you have tosay sorry, this time we can't

(40:27):
cast you to people.
You know people who have beenin several shows.
It's not easy.

Speaker 2 (40:32):
Well, and new sometimes doesn't mean
completely new to theater Right,it can be just new to curtain
calls specifically, like they'venever done a show here before,
but it also just behooves acommunity theater to do that.
You know you want to bring newpeople in, because those people
come in, they have a goodexperience, they tell other
people and so more talentedpeople, more interested people

(40:53):
are coming and auditioning andthat raises the level of.
I mean, that's one of thethings I love most about curtain
call because it is actuallytrue I'm not just saying this it
they do really really believein this idea of quality.
You know, it's, it's evidentfrom the children's shows which,

(41:14):
just like I said, blew me awaythe first time I saw it.
But even here, where you cantake people who who have
experience acting or, in thecase of some people, no
experience acting and you put ona show here and people like it
is high quality, from everythingfrom the performers to the, the
whole experience, the staging.

(41:35):
But that's a testament to thedirectors and to curtain call
and the, the atmosphere thatthat is created here.

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Yeah, cause you.
I'm sorry but I think youdefinitely.
I was surprised by you know, myfirst experience here and you
do get a high quality.
You know, you don't, I don't.
People probably don't know whatto expect with community
theater.
Exactly, you know the idea andso, yeah, I a hundred percent.
A test.
Every show is so well done andprofessional and very enjoyable.

Speaker 3 (42:06):
Well, thank you.
Well, our motto is downtownquality at community theater
prices, and you know it's true,it's well.
First of all, it's difficult togo downtown anymore and we have
a.
We have a.
We have a lot of regulars thatprobably would have a difficult
time getting downtown and theyjust really appreciate that

(42:28):
we're here for them to come andsee a show.
Parking is easy, they can go todinner before or afterwards
very easily and it's reasonable.
Yeah, I, I think I think that's,that's our motto, and we really
try to live up to it.

Speaker 2 (42:44):
And it's good.
It's good.
Community theater is good forjust exposure to the arts, which
I think is important, andcommunity theaters in general
make it accessible for people todo that.
You know, if the only way youcould go see anything is to go
downtown or or spend hundreds ofdollars to to see something
like, yeah, that's wonderful andgreat, but not everybody can do

(43:05):
that, and it's not even amatter of they can't do it, like
sometimes you just want, youjust want entertainment and art
in your own backyard, and that'swhat this is.

Speaker 1 (43:15):
Well, I mean we walk down, you know, to the shows,
usually when we can, and it's,it's great.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
Yeah, and it's intimate.
Yeah, I've had so many peopletell me, especially some of the
shows we've done, they'rethey're intimate shows and to be
able to be, you know, 10, 15feet back away from them.
I mean I've, I've gone and seensome shows that are at some of
the large theaters downtown thathave no business being there,
because they should be in atheater like this, definitely.

Speaker 2 (43:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (43:44):
And so that's something that I think we really
bring to the community.

Speaker 2 (43:47):
It's like seeing a standup comedian at the United
center.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
Yeah, what's the point?
Exactly, exactly.

Speaker 2 (43:52):
You're watching a TV anyway.

Speaker 1 (43:55):
So the runner stumbles starts.
Beginning of March.
Where right now we're, you know?
Beginning of February, Where'sthe play in process right now?
Like what's going on?
What are you guys doing to getready for the March 1st open?

Speaker 3 (44:08):
Well, obviously this is a podcast, so you can't see
it, but we are in construction.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
Paint us a picture, Suzanne.

Speaker 3 (44:13):
The stage is set with platforms that they're in the
middle of painting andconstructing.
It's a mess really right now interms of construction, in terms
of you could speak to whereyou're out in the process.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
While we're supposed to be off book this week.
Oh, that's always a fun week,which means you, means you have
to have your lines memorized bythis week.
Oh wow, You're soloing in twohours.
So everybody's just a littlenervous because, no matter how
well you think you know yourlines, the first time you try to
do it without the book in yourhand.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
You get in your head and you know it's hard, it's a
difficult and all it takes is toget off beat a little bit and
one person can cause anotherperson and it just and you think
you have it, and then justdon't.
But the first week of off book.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
Yeah.
The directors are very, verysupportive because they know
right, they know it's not.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
They've all.
Many of them have been incharge.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
You were talking about the platforms and stuff
here, and that's probablysomething to say to just to
speak to the idea of community,that everything here is done by
either the people in the show orthe board members or volunteers
.
You know, you can I made a joke, I think, at the last improv
night or somewhere thatvolunteering is not, is not

(45:30):
limited to just being aperformer on the stage, because
actors are technicallyvolunteers, but you can work
behind the scenes.
We had we had people this lastweekend I don't know if you know
this, suzanne that came in.
We had a set build day onSaturday and we had people from
our last show, who are not inthis show, who came in to help

(45:50):
us paint.

Speaker 3 (45:51):
Bravo to them, yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
Yeah, I mean that's great yeah.

Speaker 3 (45:56):
Well, and we were, as I talked to about earlier,
we're doing a lighting upgradeand the person Katie, who's
who's helping us with that isgoing to start offering classes
for the tech aspect of it,because not everybody wants to
be on stage but they want to beinvolved, and so we're going to
try to, in the next year, workon getting some workshops for

(46:17):
that for for probably two agegroups, like a teenage, high
school-ish age group, and thenadults, because there is so much
more that goes on behind thescenes and even like the show
that's coming up, you have tohave a person running lights,
you have to have a personrunning sound, and it's a big

(46:37):
commitment because they have tobe here during the entire, you
know, week prior to the showsand then commit to all the shows
over two weekends.
So it's a huge commitment and wehave a yeah, we have an army of
volunteers that help and youknow we haven't mentioned family
.
I mean, Curtin calls a family.
It really is, We've, we alwaystalk about that and we really

(47:01):
feel that way that we are alljust a big family of people who
are interested in theater,interested.
That Curtin call continues onthe path that's, you know.

Speaker 2 (47:12):
And we just keep adding members to the family.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah, yeah, we're a big family.

Speaker 2 (47:16):
Yes, very extended.

Speaker 3 (47:18):
We're going to be on Bravo Network soon, or something
that's right.

Speaker 1 (47:20):
Yeah, Well, what else ?
What else do you want to sayabout the upcoming play?

Speaker 2 (47:27):
I would get tickets.
I keep, I keep forgetting that.
How short February is.
I mean we opened two weeks fromthis Friday.

Speaker 3 (47:36):
Yeah, I think that keep talking, kind of look up
the tickets.

Speaker 4 (47:40):
I should have?

Speaker 2 (47:40):
yeah, you can get tickets at CCC theater with an r
?
E dot com.
Typically our Sunday shows,which are matinees, sell out the
fastest.

Speaker 3 (47:52):
And I believe one of them is one of them is almost
sold out.

Speaker 2 (47:56):
But yeah, it's March 1st through 3rd and then the
following weekend, march 8ththrough 10th, so please come out
and see us.
It will be a great show.
The other thing we are doingafter that we will.
We will be having anotherimprov night improv night,
number eight on March 23rd,which is a Saturday, and then we

(48:18):
will shortly after that, if notbefore, I don't know when when
that's actually happening.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
It's not set yet for the next show, but it's going to
be mid, mid to late March.

Speaker 2 (48:27):
Okay, we'll be the audition.

Speaker 3 (48:29):
So anybody who's listening, who wants to you, can
take it with you A classic.
A classic with a lot, of, a lotof roles, so a lot of parts.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
And I say I think I said that at the last improv
night if you are thinking aboutgetting on stage and want to
give it a shot, there are partsin this that are.
That are nice, small, medium,very large parts.
So there's something foreverybody in this show and they
it'll be fun, It'll be a realcrowd pleaser.
So it'll be fun to be in andand tell people to come see you
in.

Speaker 1 (48:56):
Yeah Great.
So everybody's thinking oftrying out and now's their
chance.
And then, before we go, Iwanted to talk about the kids
program, the theater program inthe summer.
You know, this is somethingthat we got to go through with
my son last year.
He got to be the young princeand beauty and the beast.
They opened the show.

Speaker 3 (49:18):
That's awesome.

Speaker 1 (49:19):
Very nice, and it was he.
It was such a great experiencefor him.
You know his, he really enjoyedit.
He was telling everybody aboutit and it was just such a great
experience.
So I know, you know we haven'tsigned up again for this year
and he's already telling hisfriends about you know, when
he's going to, you know to come,come to the play.
So tell, tell me a little bitabout that program.

Speaker 3 (49:43):
So it's in its 22nd year.
We have been doing this.
You know we've been doing itfor 22 years and the first, the
first year we did it, I believe,we did Schoolhouse Rock and
that is part of the reason I'minvolved with Curtin Call,
because my daughter was in thatand she's going to be 34 soon

(50:04):
and camp is just.
Camp is amazing.
I know a lot of kids who havelifelong friends because of camp
and we do a two programs.
So kids all the way fromkindergarten through eighth
grade have an opportunity to bein one of one of the two
programs.
So our junior program is forkids currently enrolled from K

(50:28):
through three.
Our senior program is currentlyenrolled fourth through eighth.
This year we're doing thesenior program is doing newsies,
which is a really, really neatshow.
If you get a chance, just kindof YouTube it, because I think a
lot of people aren't familiarwith it.

Speaker 1 (50:45):
There is a movie.
Yeah, we went back and watchedit.
It's on Disney plus.
I think it was Christian Bale.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's a pretty cool show,
great music, great music.

Speaker 4 (50:53):
Great dancing.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Yeah, a lot of a lot of roles.
You know, one of the things wewant to emphasize is when you,
when you think of it, you thinkof paper boys, but back then
there were paper girls too thatactually did the same thing.
So you don't have to be.
You know it can be, it's goingto be, it's not going to be all
boys, nope.
It's not going to be all boys,right?
So there is a absolutelyadorable show called Dino Stars

(51:19):
and yeah, that that those twoshows, those two registrations
also can be found on our, ourwebsite.
I would, I would register forthem soon, just because
sometimes one of the sessions wehave morning and afternoon
sessions Sometimes one of thesessions does fill up and a lot
of times kids like, let's say,your son suddenly is talking to

(51:42):
five of his friends and four ofthem decide to do it and we're
we're already filled up for oneof the sessions.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
The morning session is filled and then they have to
go to the afternoon, so I wouldencourage people to sign up for
it.

Speaker 3 (51:57):
That camp starts, I believe, june 16th and it will
go up it.
Well, first of all, it happensat the high school and it it
happens July, do you remember?

Speaker 2 (52:12):
mid July.

Speaker 3 (52:13):
Mid July to the 14th yeah 12th to the 14th at Lincoln
Way Central.
So it's that's really neat too,because I don't know what your
son said, but we we hear set StMary's, which is a lovely,
lovely place to rehearse, butthe kids get so excited when we
move to the big stage.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
It's a big stage.
It is a big stage, it's a verybig stage.

Speaker 3 (52:32):
It's so cool State of the art.
I mean it truly is.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Is this true, Suzanne ?
Speaking of the turns, youmight have to edit this, but
everybody who signs up is in theshow.

Speaker 3 (52:41):
Everybody who signs up is in the show.
They have auditions.
So the first week is kind ofgetting prepped for the audition
process which takes place onThursday and Friday and
everybody auditions for a roleand then everybody's in the show
.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
And what's your role?
Are you involved in the camp?

Speaker 3 (53:00):
I'm.
I'm basically just like theexact executive producer.
You know, check in, I check inand stuff with.
With the directors, we have ahuge staff.
This year.
Our director is Marta Kunz.
Not sure if you're familiarwith Marta, but Marta has been
involved with a lot of, a lot ofdirecting of children's shows

(53:22):
and adult shows.
She's a former performer at thewhat's it called the American
Girl Theater in Chicago and wehave a.
Our staff is already in there,excited and great choreography.

Speaker 1 (53:40):
You have some really high level staff as well.
I know from the meeting lastyear.
You just talk about who's who'srunning the program and some of
the people.

Speaker 3 (53:49):
Well, marta, marta is director this year, so last
year it was Ann Coatesy, who isamazing, but she couldn't do it
this year.
So, marta, and Marta actuallyhas done it for several years
prior to Ann coming aboard.
Eric Reem is our music director.
He's done a lot of differentmusic directing throughout the
area.
He's currently the musicdirector at Summit Hill Junior

(54:13):
High, joe O'Brien is going to bethe assistant director and Joe
is a teacher at I believe it'sOakview in New Lenox.

Speaker 2 (54:25):
And Joe is also in the runner.
Stumbles.

Speaker 3 (54:27):
Oh, she's in the runner stumbles and she also has
a theater background, a theaterdegree.
Marta went to the AmericanAcademy of Dramatic Arts.
I mean, I don't actually, Idon't have something in front of
me, but they all have.

Speaker 1 (54:39):
No, I don't mean to put you on the spot.
No, no, no.

Speaker 3 (54:42):
They all have amazing resumes of stuff they've done
in the past.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
I'm very impressed hearing it and so to know that
these kids are.
These aren't just putting highschool kids together.

Speaker 3 (54:53):
Oh, no, no, no, this is a.

Speaker 1 (54:54):
This is a high quality show.

Speaker 3 (54:56):
Well, we take a lot of pride in our summer camp, but
a lot of the high school kidscome back to volunteer and help
out which is that's also part ofthat family and the community
that you're talking about.
Yeah, we'll probably have one,two, probably four of the people
on staff will be former campers.
You know, so they come back andhelp.
Some of them go and get theaterdegrees and then come back

(55:17):
during, during college or aftercollege to help or to to be on
staff.
So, yeah, it's a.
It's an amazing program.
I just can't say enough aboutit, because people really need
to to.
If you want to get your kidsinvolved in something and they
love theater or music or dancing, come and give this a try.

Speaker 1 (55:39):
In 20 years or 22 years has.
What a great I mean to have astring like this, like that.
There's gotta have been somegreat stories and things, those
memories those kids made inthose years.

Speaker 3 (55:51):
Yeah, it's, it is amazing.
Like I said, there's, there's.
I have a son also who'sgraduating from college and he
went all through camp, you know,all the way from junior camp
all the way through throughsenior camp, and, yeah, one of
his best friends he actually myson played truck and he, his
best friend, played donkey andthey they are a different.

(56:13):
Yeah, they are they aredifferent, different
universities, but when they comehome they're together hanging
out Shrek and donkey.

Speaker 2 (56:21):
Shrek and donkey.

Speaker 3 (56:22):
Yeah, they, they kind of.
They kind of well, I won't sayI'm here what we call them, but
it's a, it's a different moviethat way.

Speaker 1 (56:30):
So, oh, that's great.
Well, it is a great program andI'm going to be sure to share
you know when that's coming upthis summer as well as I'm going
to include the link to yourwebsite where people can get
tickets, you know, so people canknow about this show.
We're excited.
We got our tickets already, sowe'll be here at opening weekend

(56:52):
and we're looking forward toanything else you all would like
to say.

Speaker 3 (56:57):
Well, we also have a Facebook page, so everything's
announced on our Facebook page.
So that's a that's a good placefor people to stay and
Instagram and Instagram, andthen our website has any
upcoming shows or auditions, sothat's a good way for people to
stay in touch and to sign up forthe, for the newsletter I was

(57:18):
just going to say, or to sign upfor for the newsletter that we
sent out.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
We do not bombard you with things.
It's really just a when, whenthings are coming up.

Speaker 3 (57:27):
I'll test to that, and it's great for the reminders
when tickets are coming up,because we've tried and they've
been sold out before, so so wetell, we tell our, especially
our performers who haven'thaven't, you know, been here
before, like get your tickets,get your family needs to get
their tickets.
Or your friends need to gettheir tickets early.

Speaker 2 (57:44):
Cause it's such a disappointment.
Every rehearsal we have, we getan update about ticket sales so
that cast members can be like,okay, all right, gotta get,
gotta get you know mom and dadticket.

Speaker 3 (57:56):
Yeah, and tech week is the week prior to the show
starting, right, and so usuallythere's a thread between the
performers and then, like theproduction team and you know the
producers and everything, andthat suddenly becomes the.
Does anybody have tickets forSunday?

Speaker 2 (58:10):
or does anybody?
I need your tickets.
Yeah, because everything's sogood.

Speaker 3 (58:14):
And someone, and you know, and and Irene just decided
she wants to come, and it'slike there's no tickets left and
you can see that we can't addany more seats.

Speaker 2 (58:24):
It's a set number, but if we sell out, we can
always add another performance,and that's what we end up doing.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
I mean that's, that's something that in in our since
2016, there's been, I'd say,only a few shows that we haven't
added at least one performanceand some we've added two or
three performances to Wow, yeah,well, that's a, that's a good
string.
It is, it's a good string andit's a it's a good problem to
have right and we have to try tofigure that out.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
And can remind, remind us when the next improv
show is.

Speaker 2 (58:54):
The next improv night , number eight, is March 23rd,
saturday, march 23rd, and Idon't know if tickets are up for
that yet.
I don't.

Speaker 3 (59:03):
I don't think they're alive yet.

Speaker 2 (59:04):
Yeah, I don't think they're alive yet, but they will
be, um, certainly by March.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
What's the expectation of how often people
could expect those the improvnights.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
Yeah, improv nights right now are we try to fit them
around the programming that'shappening here, like our main
stage shows, cause we don't wantto interfere.
As you can see, if you look atthe stage right now, it'd be
very difficult to do an improvnight, um, so it's roughly every
two months we do them, um, andyeah, so we have.

(59:32):
We have two more on the booksalready.
March 23rd and May 18th aredefinite.
After that we'll we have towork around all the summer
things that are happening.

Speaker 3 (59:42):
Oh, I do have something else and we, we, we
haven't announced the show yet,but we also have a summer stack
show that we do.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
Um high school and it's up to age 23.
Yeah, up to age 23.

Speaker 3 (59:54):
So last year we did um Percy Jackson the light and
so that's.
That's a way for us to you knowwhat.
What happened was the first.
The first year, 22 years ago,we did the fourth through eighth
grade show, right.
Then people came and said, youknow, but you know, johnny has a
little sister that wants to dosomething.

(01:00:14):
So then we, the next year, weincluded the, the junior program
, then fast forward, I don'tknow, maybe 10, 12 years.
People said, well, now I'm outof, I'm out of um grade school
and I'm in high school, butduring the summer I have nothing
to do.
And so we started doing summerstock.
Uh, not consistently, but thisis.

(01:00:37):
This is here now, our secondyear of doing it, our third year
.

Speaker 2 (01:00:41):
No, and we just did the lighting thief.

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
Oh, cause of cause, we we did it prior to COVID, but
um yeah, so that's reallyexciting.

Speaker 2 (01:00:48):
We've got a great turnout for the lightning thief,
and I'm sure we can't say whatit is yet because we don't, we
don't know.
But, um, it's between twothings and both are great, great
shows that people want to doyeah.

Speaker 3 (01:01:02):
They'll, they'll want to do, and it's a great way to,
another great way to to keepthem involved in, uh, that that
age group just loves beingtogether.

Speaker 1 (01:01:11):
Oh yeah, you know, and you do that here in the
front street theater.
Yes, yes.

Speaker 3 (01:01:14):
We do it.
We do it right after camp end,so like the end of July, so it's
actually summer is very, verybusy you know, because then
we'll be right at that pointauditioning for our fall show.
So don't worry.

Speaker 2 (01:01:28):
I'll squeeze another improv idea in there, don't
worry.

Speaker 1 (01:01:31):
Yeah, we can.
We can count on Ken Yep.
Well, if feel free, if there'sanything else you want to share.
If not, um, I really appreciateboth of you guys taking the
time to talk to me.

Speaker 3 (01:01:41):
This has been great yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
And please, uh, thank you for doing the shows and for
all the long time.
You know, the commitment hereis, uh, you know, as we see is a
big commitment from you guysand the volunteers in that and,
uh, you know, a true communityeffort.

Speaker 3 (01:01:57):
So thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:01:58):
Um and great shows.

Speaker 2 (01:02:00):
So, hopefully, hopefully, we don't stay hidden
gem very long.
Let's, let's, let's be out inthe open gem.

Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
There we go, and we maybe we'll see you, not just at
improv, but maybe at one of ourauditions.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
We'll see, there we go.

Speaker 3 (01:02:15):
If it's you know, I heard you just walk down here,
so that that always makes it foran easy so you're close, so you
can't say traffic is an issuethough We'll see.

Speaker 4 (01:02:25):
Well thank you guys.

Speaker 3 (01:02:26):
Thank you, we really appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
Matt, I got to sit down with uh Ken Chansky I'm
probably messing up how you sayhis name, but and uh, as well as
Suzanne uh, who's the executivedirector of uh the uh Mokina's
front street, uh Curtin calltheater, yeah, and a great
conversation.
But I wanted to get a littlebackground from you, uh, about

(01:02:54):
kind of the site, kind of whatwas there prior to uh the
theater and the building as weknow it now.
So what other buildings wouldwe know from the past that have
been on that site?

Speaker 4 (01:03:06):
Prior to the current building, which was built in
1966, there was at least oneother building that was on that
site.
It was a 19th century buildinguh that for many years was the
Zumstein general store of, uh,mr Zum Zumstein, lewis Zumstein

(01:03:28):
and his family.
And then, um, try to rememberwhen they got off the scene Mr
Zumstein died in the 1920s,early 20s I think, and then,
after uh they were off, theZumsteins were off the scene.
Uh, mr Hensel, uh, who was apharmacist, moved in and uh, uh

(01:03:52):
kept his pharmacy there for manyyears and that wasn't the first
place in town he had had hispharmacy.
But uh, it's uh a lot of peopleare still around who will
remember Hensel's pharmacy Uh,and he, yeah, he kept up the
business there for uh for manyyears, I think, until the early
1950s and uh, when he retired ata very advanced age.

(01:04:15):
And then there were a few otherthings um in the building after
that, that old historicbuilding, um nothing that was
really there for a very longamount of time.
But uh, the Kerber familyacquired the property and uh had

(01:04:38):
the the historic buildingknocked down to build the
current building in 1966.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Okay.
Yeah, yeah, and uh, sorry, butyou mentioned uh, you talk a
little bit about the.
There was an addition put on itas well, correct?

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
Yeah, the current building was added onto the um,
the part of the building thathouses the art studio now and
what was formerly the Mochinoliquor store.
Uh, that was added on.
Oh see, I don't know exactlywhen that happened, probably
like end of the sixties or intothe into the seventies.

(01:05:17):
Uh, was added on Um, but the?
Yeah that when the building wasfirst built it just had, uh, uh
, the pharmacy, mochino pharmacy.

Speaker 1 (01:05:27):
Okay, and there's some pretty unique stone on the
front of it.
Any idea if there's anysignificance to that, or is it
just kind of uh?

Speaker 4 (01:05:35):
yeah, it was, uh, California drift stone.
What exactly the significance,why Mr Kerber wanted that,
though?
Um, I don't know.
But, um, yeah, it is veryunique.
I can remember, um, when I wasvery, very young in the early
nineties, my friends and I wouldkind of try to climb it,

(01:05:55):
because it kind of little piecesof it stick out.
Yeah, it's perfect for that.
Sure, yeah, right.

Speaker 1 (01:06:01):
So interesting, Um, and so they had it.
Do you know how long it was apharmacy?
When was the last time?

Speaker 4 (01:06:10):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, uh, the Kerber family keptthe pharmacy all the way from
1966, when they opened Um, andof course they they also wasn't
their original location.
They first opened shop I wantto say that must have been
around 1960 on the uh, let's see, that would be the southeast

(01:06:32):
corner of front street andMokina street.
They were there before they.
They built the, the currentbuilding where Curtin call is.
But eventually Mr Kerber uh,that was Daniel Kerber and his,
his father-in-law at first,arthur uh Mielin, who ran the
business down the line.
Uh, mr Kerber's son, Daniel Jr,took over the business and they

(01:06:59):
sold it probably, I want to say, towards the end of the
nineties maybe, and then for afew years after that, it was
Fagan pharmacy which, if Iremember right, was a chain, um,
but it wasn't.
It wasn't Fagan pharmacy formore than maybe five years or so

(01:07:21):
.
It it ceased being a pharmacyin the 2000s Um, trying to
remember when, exactly, I can'treally place it in my head when
the, when the Fagan pharmacy wasoff the scene.

Speaker 1 (01:07:32):
And the theater came in in 2016.
So was there anything that youknow of um between the pharmacy
and the theater?

Speaker 4 (01:07:41):
Yeah, I remember there being a pretty short lived
convenience store that wasthere, um, which wasn't around
for more than a couple yearstops, if that even Um and I feel
like there, you know there hadto have been other things in
there, but I don't reallyremember Um.

(01:08:02):
If there was, yeah, it wasn'tanything that was, you know,
very had any kind of longevityto it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
Okay, yeah, uh, so yeah, and then 2016, the, the
theater moved in, so have you?
Have you been to a productionthere before?

Speaker 4 (01:08:18):
I have.
I've been to many of them there.
I was at their inaugural frontstreet production back in 2016.
And I think I've been toprobably almost everyone they've
had since then.
Wow, that's a great record,yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm not a

(01:08:39):
single one, unfortunately, butbut, um, I'd say maybe like 75%
of everything done since then,because I'm really happy that,
uh, we have something, um ofthat quality in town.
Uh, and uh, I like to supportit and I like that it's on front
street and that is right in themiddle of Mokina and uh,

(01:08:59):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:09:00):
No, all great things, and I mean all all things that
as we've talked about, uh, andyou don't get much more
community than community theater.

Speaker 4 (01:09:08):
Right.

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
I mean, and uh, you know it's unfortunate that uh
tribes isn't there, but, um, youknow it's a, it's a great piece
in place already to to makesome, you know, good things
happen in downtown, oh,absolutely.
So you have your tickets, yetfor, uh, the the runner stumbles
their upcoming show.
I do, okay.

Speaker 4 (01:09:30):
I do as a matter of fact.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Speaker 1 (01:09:35):
Um, yeah, no, it was great, it was great to hear
about.
I'm excited that we can kind ofshare a little bit, because so
many people just say, uh, youknow that we talk, just don't
realize it's there, or you know,don't know that that theater is
there.
So well, great.
Well, you know, as we said, thecurrent play that's there runs
March 1st through March 10th,but if you're hearing this after

(01:09:56):
um, you know there's greatshows going all through the year
.
Um, and then the Emily McCabeKids Theater program.
Check that on the on theirwebsite.
Uh, they have the improv improvnights coming up.
Uh, you know, as Ken saysthrough in the interview,
they're doing those about everyevery two months.
Is their their goal to have theimprov nights at the theater?

(01:10:19):
So those are a lot of fun aswell.
Uh, so you know again, it'sgreat to have live entertainment
on front street.
Um, you know, and then you knowwe have Zapp kind of doing the
same thing with some liveentertainment nights over there
with comedy and quizzes, quiznights, game nights and stuff.
Yeah, exactly, great to see.
That's definitely positive andgoing in the right direction.

Speaker 4 (01:10:40):
So yeah, I know it definitely is.

Speaker 1 (01:10:43):
Matt and I both really hope that you're enjoying
the podcast and that youenjoyed this episode.
We would really appreciate itif you would share our podcast
with your friends or family, aswell as leave us a review on
Spotify or Apple music orwherever you hear our podcast.
We'd love to hear your showideas or your questions so you
can send us an email at podcast,at Mokinasfrontporchcom, or on

(01:11:09):
Facebook through Messenger orthrough our website, which is
Mokinasfrontporchcom.
You can send us a message there.
We have some great thingscoming up and we're really
excited to share with you.
So thanks for listening andwe'll see you next time on
Mokinasfront Porch.