One at a Time

The Theatre Guild of New Jersey offers local playwrights, actors and directors a chance to display their talent during the Fall Festival of New Plays in Yardley, Pa., Oct. 13-28.

By: Jodi Thompson

"Skip
Skip


Wiese, left, and Howard Matter in the Theatre Guild of New Jersey production,
Last Tale.

Staff


photos by Frank Wojciechowski

   They may be a registered nurse, a public accountant and a retired
lawyer, but for the actors, writers and directors of Theatre Guild of New Jersey,
theater is their life.
   The Guild will present its Fall Festival of New Plays at the
Yardley Community Center, South Main Street, Yardley, Pa., Oct. 13-28. The theme
of the four plays offered in the festival is "Old Friends."
   The 20-year-old Guild has exclusively produced one-act plays
for three years. The concept was adopted by the late Diane Dixon, founder and
managing director until her death in April. The Guild accepts only new one-act
plays, primarily from local playwrights. Each piece runs 10 minutes to an hour.
   Guild member Barbara Lependorf describes Ms. Dixon as a dedicated
individual.
   "It was her belief that presenting new work to the community
is a service to the community as well as to the playwrights," Ms. Lependorf says.
   Ms. Lependorf is one such benefactor of the policy. The Princeton
resident retired from her profession as a lawyer three years ago. She took acting
classes at the Princeton Adult School and playwriting classes at McCarter Theater.
   "I really loved the playwriting course," she says. "That just
turned me on. My father was a playwright, so I come by it honestly."
   Ms. Lependorf’s father was also an actor and director in Buffalo,
N.Y. As a child, she spent hours with him at rehearsals, but it wasn’t until three
years ago that reading his plays inspired her to turn to her father’s pastime.
   "I was always sort of imbued in the theater," Ms. Lependorf
says. "But I went into law as a profession. I’ve been writing my whole life, just
never thought about plays."
   Then she saw a Guild advertisement calling for new one-act plays
and proffered a 10-minute play that was accepted.
   Her latest submission broke one of the guild’s rules. Spanning
Time is actually a two-act play but had Ms. Dixon’s approval. Ms. Lependorf
directs the hour-long piece about two women at their 25th high school reunion.
The play features Yardley resident Katt Ambrose, Eileen Fox of Feasterville, Pa.,
Carol Radziwon of Fairless Hills, Pa., and Mt. Laurel resident Wade Hampton.

"Carol
Carol


Radziwon, left, and Eileen Fox in Spanning Time.

   Ms. Ambrose not only acts in Spanning Time, but also
wrote one of the night’s three one-acts, Top This! The Temple University
alumna earns her living teaching piano, for now. If she has her way, she will
soon have a little office next to The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin. She
has the writing bug.
   She took film courses at Bucks County Community College and
her student project, What Is Your Bliss, was shown on public television
WYBE’s series for independent filmmakers.
   Ms. Ambrose tried her hand at a feature length film and the
result was five vignettes with a unifying theme that could each stand on its own
as a one-act. Top This! is from her feature, New Hope.
   "My big hope is my ‘New Hope’ screenplay," she says. "That’s
the one I really want to get out there."
   Perhaps the Fall Festival of New Plays in Yardley will offer
a preview of what may some day be on the silver screen nationwide. Director of
Top This! as well as the remaining two one-acts, Morrisville, Pa., resident
Mary Ann Wylie says the play involves the reuniting of two elderly women after
many years. The short piece stars Cranbury resident Pat Gambino and Levittown,
Pa., resident Audrey Mills. The two women exchange ever-increasing boasts about
their children that eventually dissolve into ever-declining revelations.
   "It goes up, up, up and then down, down, down," Ms. Wylie says.
"It’s very cute, very colorful. (The four plays) are all unique, very different
in their own way."
   Ms. Lependorf appreciates that quality and thinks the audience
will as well.
   "One of the best parts is, if you don’t like one play, you know
that in a few minutes a new one is going to start," Ms. Lependorf says. "You may
like that one better."
   Short length doesn’t require less effort from the Guild members.
   "It takes a couple of months, believe it or not, for 15 minutes
of finished product," Ms. Wylie says. "I do a lot of analyzing the characters,
very much in depth, even though there’s only maybe 18 pages. We’re very analytical
of it."
   Also included in the evening is Such Good Friends, a
mystery written by Jacquelyn Peake, a Montanan with a daughter in Cranbury. The
twisting tale stars Kathy Poli of Philadelphia, Liz Wurtz of Levittown and North
Hanover Township, Pa., resident Marco Villanueva.

"From
From


left, Carol Radziwon, Wade Hampton, Katt Ambrose and Eileen Fox in Spanning
Time.

   Hugo and Fred’s Last Tale is a bittersweet account of
World War II buddies who served together in Italy before returning stateside to
open a burger shop. Years later, Hugo wants to sell the shop and return to Italy
to put headstones on the unmarked graves of fallen comrades. Fred wants no part
of the scheme and the two friends part ways after so many years as a team. Edison
resident Matthew Harrington wrote the one-act, recruiting actors Howard Matter
of Holland, Pa., and Philadelphia resident Skip Wiese.
   The two experienced actors enjoy working with new material,
though this is their first venture with the Guild. Mr. Wiese is enjoying the opportunity
to define his character for himself, a sentiment echoed by Mr. Matter.
   "(Ms. Wylie) let us let the characters evolve on our own," Mr.
Matter says. "We met with the author early in the rehearsal process and he let
us inject our own thoughts into the characters. He was pretty cool with that."
   Mr. Wiese and Mr. Matter aren’t alone in participating in various
other theater venues in the area. The Guild members and its actors are immersed
in entertainment.
   Mr. Wiese, a registered nurse and graduate student, gets his
entire family involved in the process.
   "You can’t get my wife out on stage, but she loves backstage,"
he says. His 12-year-old daughter thrives amid the lights and greasepaint, too.
She, however, is anxiously awaiting her turn to take center stage.
   Mr. Matter, a public accountant by day, says the rehearsal time
is worth the effort.
   "Once the shows are up, you’re into it so it becomes part of
your life," Mr. Matter says. "I work my schedule around it. I have a very understanding
wife who’s not involved in the theater and allows me all these idiosyncrasies
and supports me like crazy.
   "It can be testy at times, but the final product is rewarding."
The Theatre Guild of New Jersey presents its Fall Festival of New Plays
at the Yardley Community Center, 64 S. Main St., Yardley, Pa., Oct. 13-28. Performances
Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $12, with discounts for seniors and students.
For information, call (609) 924-5952.