Theatre North opens new season with 'Mamma Mia!'

By LARRY HOLCOMBE

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Ironwood — With this coming week’s production of “Mamma Mia!” Theatre North begins its 56th season.

A June launch to what is usually a three-show season is a change from the past, according to TN board president Cindy Franck.

Typically, the community theater season included show in the fall, another in February and a third in the spring. Franck said the plan is to avoid a show in the middle of winter.

“A lot of our patrons who buy season tickets ahead of time and make a donation with that purchase that gives us seed money every year, are traveling in the winter, so they weren’t able to attend our winter season show,” she said. “So the board decided to start our season in June, and run the other shows in fall and late spring. Then, some of those snowbirds, or people who are out of here in the winter, could still enjoy the season.

“We’re kind of doing it as an experiment. I think it might be good. I had a couple actors from our spring show, ‘The Foreigner,’ say to me ‘Now I can get involved in something.’”

The two other shows in Season 56 will be “The Skin of our Teeth,” directed by Helen Fashbaugh and opening in late October; and “The Wind in the Willows,” a family-focused musical directed by Heidi Brown and Maggie Hill and opening in late March 2020.

The 2020-21 season is not set yet, but Franck said the fall 2020 show will be “Fiddler on the Roof.”

Big show

Franck said it’s the people — all volunteers — who have been the key to TN’s success over the years. A 15-member board works in many ways to prepare for and help with each production.

“We have a Programming Committee that works with the Play Reading Committee to put together the seasons. They’re going to be kicking into gear again for the next season, looking to directors and reading plays. That work is ongoing,” Franck said.

Franck has been involved in many plays over the years — on stage, back stage, acting, directing, serving on the board of directors. “I was vacuuming and folding costumes the other day.”

With “Mamma Mia!” she is creating the choreography with Becky Bogaczyk.

The show, a musical with a cast of two dozen and directed by Andrea Harrison and Beth Bordner, opens Tuesday and runs through Sunday, June 16.

“It’s a big show and a popular show,” Franck said. “It just got released, probably a year ago. So lots of community theaters are jumping on the bandwagon because it’s such a popular musical. It’s toured for years. It’s something Andrea wanted to do for a while.”

Community theater

Franck got involved in Theatre North when she moved to town in 1976 from Kalamazoo.

“For me, it was like instant friendships. The theater is such an open door. That’s something that always makes me feel good about it. It sure helped me be a part of the community,” she said.

Community theater can be a great place to blossom.

“It gives people with a desire to be artistic in some way or another to join a group,” Franck said. “Whether it is somebody who is doing lighting or a musical, or getting on stage or back stage, making props or costumes; it’s a way to get involved without actually performing. It’s really worked well for our group.”

There are a lot hours put into a show, but there’s a big return according to Franck.

“People give as much time as they can at that time. If you can’t help with something, someone else steps in. It’s just being a part of something: That’s the key.

“Everybody needs to have some kind of a purpose. Of course, we have our families and that’s crucial, but to be a part of something feeds into your self-worth and feeling good about yourself. Being a part of something: There’s nothing else like that. I think human beings need it. We all need to feel like we’re a part of something. There’s a lot of value in that.”

As for “Mamma Mia!” Franck said it’s “remarkable” that probably half of the cast members have never been on stage before.

“Being part of a show, in some people, it builds confidence. They do things they never thought they could do before,” she said.

Celebration planned

Theatre North, as a 501(c)3, holds an annual meeting every year around this time and elects new board members.

“This year we’ve chosen to really make it a celebration. Hopefully a lot of the new people involved in the theater this year will come and help us celebrate the accomplishments,” Franck said. “Maybe it attracts some of the people sitting on the sidelines that say ‘I went to a play, I’d like to get more involved. Maybe this is a social evening where I can meet some new people.’”

The celebration will be held on Thursday, June 20, at the Elk & Hound – social hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6.

“It’s partly for recruitment, but also to pat each other, including the board of directors on the back,” Franck said.

She said TN had a big donation from the Christmas show this year, as did the Ironwood Theater, and TN was able to buy a new furnace.

Bright future

“We’re staying focused to put on really high quality shows and being diverse about it,” Franck said. “Not all our shows sell like a big musical, but it’s important for us to produce, and for people to come and see, a drama or a lesser known comedy.

“I’ve seen a lot of community theater. I think we can stand up to most of it with the small budget that we have.”

It’s certainly a testament to the people involved.

“It says a lot for the community to support our community theater for 56 years in row. We’re always looking for new people. If everybody that comes would bring somebody new with them, that would be nice,” she said. “We keep plugging away. We’re doing well.”

For more information, visit theatrenorth.info.