VW Civic Theatre lists season offerings

VWCT information

Van Wert Civic Theatre is getting in shape for another championship season of live entertainment at its 170-seat venue on South Race Street in Van Wert.  The torch of the recent summer Olympics has been extinguished, but VWCT is rehearsing for its “opening ceremonies” on September 20 when the new season officially opens.

For 53 years, all-volunteer casts and crews have produced high-quality, award-winning theatre for audiences at a very economical price.  The new season promises a variety of show styles that will appeal to a wide demographic.  And, every play will be a gold medal event.  Just like the Olympics, which includes a variety of events to watch, this VWCT season is sure to have a play that will appeal to each audience member’s entertainment taste.

One way to be sure to get a prized seat for these great shows is to purchase a subscription.  Subscribers get advance notice of box office hours and get to make reservations ahead of the general public. Subscriptions also offer flexibility. The admissions that come with the subscription can be used in any way the subscriber wishes.  For example, a season membership could be used for anything from one admission to each of the five shows to five admissions to one of the shows. Subscribers decide how to use the admissions and make their reservations accordingly. Subscriptions are only on sale until September 30, so act fast.

Subscription prices remain the same in six categories. A Super Saver at $35 provides five admissions to any Thursday or Sunday (matinee) performance of any show.  Super Saver subscribers will receive a newsletter prior to each show and have three days in advance of the public to reserve seating. A season membership at $40 provides five admissions to any performance of any show. Season subscribers will receive a newsletter prior to each show and have three days in advance of the public to reserve seating. These two subscription levels are excellent values and provide a significant savings over at-the-door prices, which are $9 for a play and $11 for a musical.

A Patron membership at $95 provides 10 admissions usable for any performance and five days in advance of the public to reserve seating. Patrons receive newsletters, an invitation to the annual patron champagne party in September, and their name in each play program. A Patron Saint membership at $145 provides all the benefits of a patron, plus the individual’s or business’ name appears on the special Patron Saints’ page in the play programs.

A Stellar Patron at $250 provides all the benefits of a patron, plus a very prominent program mention. A Stellar Patron is part of a very select group that supports the Civic Theatre at a very high level. Civic Theatre’s most exclusive level of giving is its Patron Angel. This level at $500 provides 15 admissions to any performance of any play, all the benefits of the patron level, and a highly visible program mention. A portion of all patron subscriptions can be reported as a tax deduction.

The season will open with Wrong Window!, a comedy/thriller by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore.  Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognize several famous story lines mixed together in this highly energetic play that has two couples convinced they have witnessed the murder of their neighbor across the courtyard.  The bodies pile up as the accusations fly. Wrong Window! opens September 20 for eight performances.

Next will be the thought provoking Driving Miss Daisy, opening on November 8 for eight performances.  Spanning 25 years, the play begins in the Deep South of 1948 when Daisy’s son, Boolie, decides it is time for his mother to have a chauffeur. In the beginning, Miss Daisy regards Hoke with disdain, but time and circumstances allow a friendship to develop.

Big River will be the third production of the season. This musical, with book and lyrics by Roger Miller, chronicles the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, who fakes his own death to escape his father and joins up with Jim, a slave who is also on the run. The music in this show should not be missed. Big River will open on January 24 for 11 performances.

The fourth show, Weekend Comedy, by Jeanne and Sam Bobrick, will open March 14 for eight performances. Two couples rent the same cabin in the Catskills Mountains for the same weekend by mistake. When both couples decide to share the cabin, the events make for a comic evening.

The season will end with the emotionally powerful and intimate musical The Last 5 Years, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. In the contemporary song-cycle style, the show chronicles the last five years of a marriage. The unconventional structure of the show will keep audiences engaged. The VWCT season-closer opens May 2 for eight performances.

Anyone wanting to receive a 2012-13 brochure or to purchase a subscription may call Ruth Ann Boley at 419.238.0404, send an email to vwcivictheatre@gmail.com, or send a check, as well as the way patrons want their name to appear in the program, to: Van Wert Civic Theatre, P.O. Box 823, Van Wert, OH  45891.

In addition, subscriptions will be on sale in the lobby of VWCT on September 17-19, from 6:30-8 p.m., and before each performance of the season-opening show.

For more information about the season or VWCT, visit www.vwct.org or like the VWCT on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vanwertcivictheatre.