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2016 OMIE AWARD WINNERS (photos by Chandra Yoder)

The OMie Award winners for the 2016 Oyster Mill Playhouse Season were announced at the 6th annual gala event held again this year at Duke’s Riverside. OMies chair, Mary McGill led the program which followed a festive cocktail hour

where attendees could mingle and nibble on mixed cheeses and meats hors d’ oeuvres and then a great Italian buffet dinner.

Attendees were also invited to bid on an array of silent auction items which included a cast-autographed opening night Playbill for the Broadway hit Something Rotten. Tickets for a 50/50 drawing were also for sale with the winning ticket drawn after the announcement and distribution of the OMie Awards.

IN THIS ISSUE 2016 OMIE AWARD WINNERS………………..……………….……..…....………….. 1 MURDER ON THE NILE RUNS THROUGH FEBRUARY 12TH….………………………... 2 PA THEATRE GUIDE VOTING……………………..……………………………………….. 2017 SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN STILL BE PURCHASED,…………..……………… REMINDER - UPCOMING AUDITIONS FOR SUPERIOR DONUTS……………..……….. SPOTLIGHT ON MARY GERACI….…………………………………………………………..

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SPITFIRE GRILL WILL OPEN ON MARCH 10TH ……………………………………………. MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE DUE………………..…………………………………………….. OYSTER MILL PLAYHOUSE GOES HI-TECH………………………………………………… MORE OMIES GALA PHOTOS……………………………………………………………….

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The 2016 Season OMie Award winners were as follows:

BEST LIGHTING An Act of the Imagination — Bethany Frymark

BEST SOUND Bye Bye Birdie —Lindy Mack

BEST SET An Act of the Imagination —Brian S. Stewart

BEST COSTUMES Bye Bye Birdie —

Judy Razvillas and her team of: Joyce O'Donnell, Carolyn Holtzman, Cheryl Petroff, Linda Orlousky, Alice Kirkland,

Mandi L. Hurley, Carol McDonough

BEST ACTOR All My Sons —Eddie Kostik

BEST ACTRESS All My Sons — Aliza Bardfield

BEST PLAY All My Sons —directed by Lew Silverman

BEST MUSICAL

I Love you, You’re Perfect, Now Change! directed by Michael Zorger

A highlight of the award presentations was the Best Actress OMie won by Aliza Bardfield. Aliza is well known as a fine actress on the OMP

stage and had been nominated for the Bets Actress OMie several times in the past, but had never won. This year she was ecstatic to finally break the ‘Susan Lucci’ curse.

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Also honored at the OMies Award Gala were the major contributors to the OMP 2016 Capital Campaign, some of whom were able to attend, and all of the generous donors to that important campaign. Finally, the Oyster Mill Playhouse DISTINGUISHED

SERVICE AWARD, conferred annually on a member of the OMP family who has steadfastly demonstrated outstanding dedication and commitment to the mission and vitality of the organization and its operations, was awarded this year to Larry Warner, for his extraordinary leadership in the effort to bring municipal water into the building as well as his unfailing behind the scenes efforts to maintain and improve the safety and function of the old mill that we call our theatre.

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MURDER ON THE

NILE RUNS THROUGH FEBRUARY 12TH

Murder and mayhem abound in this Agatha Christie classic construct in which Simon Mostyn, having discarded his former lover, Jaqueline, has married the wealthy Kay Ridgeway. The newlywed couple are on their honeymoon on a paddle steamer cruising

the River Nile, accompanied by a bevy of memorable characters. Among those on board are Canon Pennefather, Kay’s guardian, as well as the jilted Jacqueline, who has been dogging the couple’s footsteps all throughout the honeymoon. Shots are fired, someone dies (of course) and by the time the boat reaches its destination, Canon Pennefather has laid bare an audacious conspiracy, making sure the criminals will not go free.

Eight more performances of the production will be presented over the first 2 weekends in February.

JAN – FEB 2017

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Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 PM Sunday matinee performances are at 2:00 PM

THE PA THEATRE GUIDE IS SOLICITING

VOTES TO IDENTIFY THE BEST COMMUNITY

THEATRES IN PENNSYLVANIA

In case you missed it on Facebook, PA Theatre Guide, as part of their Best of 2016 Readers’ Choice Awards. is polling for Best Community Theatre in Pennsylvania. Last year, as part of PA Theatre Guide’s Best of 2015 Readers’ Choice Awards, Oyster Mill Playhouse was voted third among the five Pennsylvania community theatres nominated for ‘Best Community Theatre’ garnering more votes than Ephrata Performing Art Center which was the only other theatre nominated in this area. You only have until Feb. 7th to vote for OMP so find the PA Theatre Guide it on Facebook or through this link: PA Theatre

Guide.

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2017 SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN STILL BE PURCHASED

Even though Murder on the Nile has opened, 2017 Season Subscription can still be purchased. If you have already purchased a ticket to Murder on the Nile, the cost of that ticket can be applied to a season ticket for the remainder of the 2017 Season. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to reserve your seats for the terrific shows chosen for production in 2017:

Murder on the Nile — Agatha Christie Mystery The Spitfire Grill — Musical Superior Donuts — Comedy Social Security — Comedy

Hollywood Arms — Comedy/Drama Taking Leave — Drama

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels—Musical Jeeves Intervenes — Comedy

Also included in the 2017 Season Subscription, as a bonus, is a reprise of the program introduced in 2015:

Not the Run of the Mill play festival STAGED READINGS OF WORKS BY LOCAL PLAYWRIGHTS

REMINDER UPCOMING AUDITIONS FOR SUPERIOR DONUTS

FEBRUARY 19TH & 20TH

This comedy-drama by Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy focuses on the relationship between a despondent former 1960s radical who owns a rundown donut shop in Uptown, Chicago, and his energetic but troubled young African

American assistant who wants to update the establishment with lively music and healthy menu options.

Director Paul Hood (an accomplished playwright himself) is seeking to cast 7 males and 2 females for the production. Auditions will be conducted over two nights: Sunday, February 19th and Monday, February

20th, both starting at 7:00 pm. Callbacks will be on February 20 at 8:00 pm. Auditions will be held at the playhouse, which is located at 1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill, PA.

The show will run for three weekends, opening on April 21, 2017, with the potential for some mid-week benefit performances.

APRIL – MAY 2017

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Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 PM Sunday matinee performances are at 2:00 PM

The Director notes that this show contains several instances of profanity in the script which will not be altered or deleted. In addition, the show contains a lengthy choreographed fight sequence between the characters of Arthur and Luther. Actors interested

in those roles should come prepared for a movement audition with our choreographer. Please wear clothing that will allow for full range of movement.

For character descriptions and additional information, please visit oystermill.com and click on the audition link for this production. If you have any further questions, please contact the production staff at donuts@oystermill.com.

Spotlight on Mary Geraci by Mellissa Hurwitz

Mary Geraci (nee McCleary) is returning to the Oyster Mill Playhouse stage to portray Louise in Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Nile, the first show of the 2017 OMP Season. Previous OMP roles that Mary has played include Gabriella Wingate in Meanwhile, Back on the Couch; Stephanie/Martha/Jane in Done to Death; Sheila Birling in An Inspector Calls; and Marion

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Davies in The Cat’s Meow. In two of these shows Mary shared the stage with Anthony Geraci, now her husband. In fact, Mary and Anthony met at Oyster Mill and Anthony proposed to Mary while they were performing in Lucky Stiff together at Susquehanna Stage Company in Marietta.

Mary grew up in York, Pennsylvania and graduated from Central York High School. She has been active in community theater for the past twelve years. She and Anthony currently reside in Mechanicsburg and are the proud parents of a healthy and active six-month old baby boy, Leo.

Mary continues to work in the office of Partners in Family Health in York, not minding the long commute from Mechanicsburg because she enjoys driving. When not at work or with her family, you will most likely find Mary at one of the local theaters performing. She enjoys the energy of being on stage and the friendliness of her fellow actors.

THE SPITFIRE GRILL WILL OPEN ON MARCH 10TH

The first musical of the Oyster Mill Playhouse 2017 Season, The Spitfire Grill, with music and book by James Valcq and lyrics and book by Fred Alley, will open on the Oyster Mill stage on March 10, 2017. The critically acclaimed musical is based on the 1996 film of the same name by Lee David Zlotoff, and depicts the journey of a young woman just released from prison who decides to start her life anew in a rural Wisconsin town. As her own personal journey unfolds, she participates in a journey within the town itself toward its own tenuous reawakening.

The production will be directed by Alice Kirkland, with musical direction by Ellen Carnahan, and will run for three weekends.

MARCH 2017

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Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 PM

Sunday matinee performances are at 2:00 PM

DUES ARE DUE Membership dues for the calendar year 2017 are currently due. The benefits you will enjoy for your $10 membership include: Invitations to special events held for Members of

Oyster Mill Playhouse. The ability to run for election to the OMP Board

of Directors The right to attend and vote at the 3 General

Membership Meetings held in March, June and September. At the June Membership Meeting, the members elect new OMP Board Officers and Board Members-at-Large.

The right to attend meetings of the OMP Board. (Board meetings are open to all members as a guest of the Board; members are entitled to participate in discussions of OMP business, but cannot vote.)

The right to borrow costumes and props free of charge if you follow a simple sign-out procedure.

Go to the OMP website – oystermill.com – and click on the ‘Participate’ button for more information. You can even join online through the link to our ticketing service.

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OYSTER MILL GOES HI-TECH

At your next visit to the Oyster Mill Playhouse lobby, you will notice two state-of-the-art flat screens hanging on the walls.

Thanks to the efforts of President Chris Holbert and Public Relations Coordinator Keith Bowerman, the screens will allow us to provide continuous information to our patrons about upcoming productions, auditions, and other OMP activities and events. The talented Mr. Bowerman also has created several video loops that may stream, highlighting the theatre’s history and it’s many, many talented actors, actresses and other contributors.

You can see many examples of Keith’s video work at the Oyster Mill Playhouse Facebook page, where he routinely posts informal interviews with cast members of whatever show is playing or in rehearsal.

MORE OMIE AWARDS PHOTOS (courtesy of Chandra Yoder)

Mary McGill and Stephen F. J. Martin puzzling as they read the

card indicating that Aliza Bardfield had indeed won the Best Actress OMie.

Howard Hurwitz reading the number on the winning 50/50 ticket

Aliza Bardfield and Eddie Kostik congratulate each other on their Best Actress and Best Actor OMies for their performances in this

year’s OMie Award winning Best Play – All My Sons

And members of the winning costume team must surely

participate in the ‘hat silliness’ that closes out the evening thanks to the collection of hats always provided by the Wasileski family.