So it’s the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were
(sung by Barbra Streisand)
Community theatre erupted two years after I first moved to Mount Vernon! The 1980 production “Oklahoma” exploded in colorful, professional, and vibrant energy.
With a large cast of townspeople, a high bar was established for what community theatre could be.
Yes, but what’s the encore?
1981 featured another ensemble with the production “Guys and Dolls.”
Three people recall the challenge, camaraderie, and happiness of those first days when performance, creativity, and individual excellence kept the bar high!
“Mount Vernon had extraordinary pockets of talent,” recalled Jessie Ware “Everyone knew everyone, who to find and bring out their talent. We brought in a dance instructor to assist choreography.”
As Ado Annie, Ware played opposite Dan Wilch’s Will Parker. A 1978 MVHS graduate, Ware returned to her hometown to perform in summer theatre. She otherwise attended Oberlin College in Ohio, a place she chose because of its conservatory where she could “be exposed to great music.” That influence graced Mount Vernon theatre.
Wilch, a 1977 MVHS graduate, attended Cornell College. To him, the college’s Armstrong Hall theatre was a familiar setting. “I wasn’t a theatre major, but I did a lot of acting in Armstrong,” Wilch recounted.
In “Guys and Dolls” Wilch played the key role of Nathan Detroit. Ware played Sgt. Sarah Brown, a female lead.
Ware, a soprano, gave soaring vocal renditions of “I’ll Know” and “If I Were a Bell.” The self-deprecating Wilch remembers his vocalizations as “tuneless barking” as he was usually among a group of male vocalists. “But I was willing to put myself out there, to put a song across.”
One exception was his duet with his on-stage love interest Mickey Curley. Cast as Adelaide, she pressured Wilch’s Detroit in “Sue Me” to secure their overdue marriage.
Though a seventh grade Kim Benesh (MVHS ’85) wasn’t on stage, she had a significant role in making Guys and Dolls visually stunning.
“I climbed up a ladder into a cave above the stage and operated the follow spotlight,” noted Benesh. “In July it was really hot up there. With no air conditioning, the cast used tubs of ice water, sponging to keep cool.” Her work to light the actors was perfection.
The happy and challenging memories from these three flowed forth.
“Guys and Dolls was perfectly cast with perfect talent. It was something special to see what community theatre could be,” reminisced Benesh, now an innkeeper at Bracket House. “I don’t want the magic to be a fluke, it’s magical to have live theatre,” she added.
Ware, now a Minneapolis attorney and mediator, explained “I miss music. I wish I hadn’t stopped. Music is good for one’s soul and mental health. It touches a part of a person like nothing else.”
“Some of my fondest memories are tied to music theatre. I was honored to be part of something bigger than myself, something powerful. It was a gift,” Wilch concluded. Now a New Yorker, Wilch is a senior vice president with Magid Associates. “I still enjoy listening to music, though I do not perform,” he added.
Author’s conclusion: I took publicity photographs for both musicals. Through my lens I saw the theatric magic unfold. Local talent fearlessly emerged. Our community’s proud tradition continues through excellent instruction in our school system, Cornell, and the Mount Vernon Lisbon Community Theatre. The “way we were” certainly set the stage for what will be!
Bob Campagna is a local photographer and writer. His email is: [email protected].
For children and grandchildren!
January 27, 2022
Bob Campagna
Kneeling (from left) are gamblers Jay Gunn, Dan Wilch, and Robert Triplett. “More than anything it was fun, with people I knew and liked,” Wilch said, adding, “this was a great thing for our community, it made sense for Mount Vernon. It was an interesting town that supported both the arts and sports.”
Jessie Ware