GCP 2013-2014 Season announced!

And now for the news everyone has been waiting for – the official announcement of the 2013-14 season! Drum roll, please…

“Lend Me a Tenor”
Written by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Carlos Francisco Asse
Auditions: July 14-15, 2013
Show Dates: Sept. 13-29, 2013
On a historic night at the Cleveland Opera Company, world-famous tenor Tito Morelli is to perform in Otello. Through a series of mishaps, Tito receives a double dose of tranquilizers, causing the house manager to believe he is dead and setting off a chain reaction of slapstick and mistaken identity.

“Seussical”
Book by Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Directed by Rhonda Wilson
Auditions: Aug. 25-26, 2013
Show Dates: Nov. 29-Dec. 22, 2013
Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and other characters from the whimsical imagination of Dr. Seuss come together in this musical featuring a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.

“Aida”
Book by David Henry Hwang, Linda Woolverton & Robert Falls
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Elton John
Directed by Dan Christophy
Auditions: Nov. 10-11, 2013
Show Dates: Jan. 31-Feb. 23, 2014
This Elton John-Tim Rice pop opera, inspired by Verdi's classic opera, tells the story of enslaved Nubian princess Aida, who falls for captain of the guard Radames, who is betrothed to the Egyptian princess who is Aida's mistress.

“Noises Off”
Written by Michael Frayn
Directed by Erin Kleim
Auditions: Jan. 12-13, 2014
Show Dates: Mar. 28-Apr. 13, 2014
In Act I of Michael Frayn's farce, a second-rate company of British actors is rehearsing a touring company of a terrible sex farce. Act II reveals the backstage chaos that takes place during a performance, and Act III follows the onstage performance in which everything goes wrong.

"Into the Woods”
Book by James Lapine
Lyrics & Music by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Margery Pierson
Auditions: Mar. 9-10, 2014
Show Dates: May 23-Jun. 15, 2014
A childless baker and his wife endeavor to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, where they encounter Rapunzel (and her witchy "mother"), Cinderella, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Little Red Riding Hood and other classic fairy tale characters, and they all must learn the responsibility that comes with getting what you want.

“A Chorus Line”
Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
Lyrics by Edward Kleban
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Directed by Susan Christophy
Auditions: May 4-5, 2014
Show Dates: July 18-Aug. 10, 2014
Broadway gypsies bare their souls and put their lives "on the line" as they audition for an unnamed Broadway musical. The 1975 show won the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Musical.


There also will be a change in performance days next season. Attendance at Wednesday night performances has been low the past few years, so the GCP is replacing that time slot with Saturday matinees to make it more convenient for patrons to attend.

If you want to learn more about the upcoming season, how to audition and what volunteer opportunities are available, don’t miss our first-ever Director’s Showcase this Saturday, June 8 at 6 p.m.! More event details can be found on our Facebook event page. See you there!

xo xo GCP Girl

"Moonlight & Magnolias" character profile: Miss Poppenghul

The Character

Miss Poppenghul

Secretary to David O. Selznick,

Motion Picture Producer

Age: Perpetually 39 (or so she says)

Miss California Orange Festival 19—

(We’re pretty sure the character of Miss Poppenghul is fictional. If she is not, there is no biographical information readily available, so we made some up.)

Miss Poppenghul was the capable and long-suffering secretary to movie producer David O. Selznick, catering to his various whims with good grace and humor. A California native, she witnessed the movie industry grow from its early years into the all-powerful studio systems of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She liked to think she might have been a starlet herself if movies had been around when she was footloose and fancy-free.

After a whirlwind romance that ended tragically in a story much too long to be told here, Miss Poppenghul sold perfume at a posh department store until she went to work at MGM Studios when it opened in 1924. When Louis B. Mayer's son-in-law David O. Selznick started his own studio, she went with him and became his personal secretary. Miss Poppenghul was a tremendous fan of "Gone of With the Wind" and read it several times. She could not wait to see Clark Gable take on the role of Rhett Butler.

In "Moonlight & Magnolias," Miss Poppenghul keeps the screenwriting team supplied with nourishment (well, peanuts and bananas) and keeps the world at bay while they complete their task...with the possible exception of Louis B. Mayer.

The Actress
Jennie Stringfellow
Jennie Stringfellow is a favorite with GCP audiences, playing such roles as Myrtle Brown in "Mornings at Seven," Eunice Hubbell in "A Streetcar Named Desire," Amanda in "Private Lives," and Carrie Watts in "Trip to Bountiful." She also directed many popular productions, including "Driving Miss Daisy," "The Sugar Bean Sisters," "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" and "45 Seconds from Broadway."