The Lansing Theatre Community has lost one of its many memorable characters. 

Tim Beam, participated in a lot of shows, often serving as firearms consultant — and acted in local movies. He was also a karaoke fanatic, making the news for record-setting consecutive days of karaoke singing. 

He was also that motorcycle guy who was always smoking. I figured one of those habits would do him in, and it seems it was the smoking. 

I have fond memories of his onstage antics falling off the operating table in Young Frankenstein and growlingly funny as Blog of Blondania in Thunderhoof… and his ominous portrayal of Walter Cunningham in Riverwalk’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

Check out Tim's local theatre resume at Matt Ottinger’s wonderful database (where you can all search all local shows/names; it’s a treasure!)
http://lansingtheatre.org/Lansing/TimBeam

Visitation will be this Wednesday, November 1st 2023 at 12:00 PM at the Christ Community Church (227 N Capitol Ave, Lansing, MI 48933) with funeral to follow at 1:00 PM at the same location. More info at:
https://estesleadley.com/obituaries/tim-beam/

​Please join the MSU FRIENDS OF THEATRE returning this fall with a class on Shakespeare’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn more about the MSU Department of Theatre productions, featuring the MSU Department of Theatre Production Directors, Faculty, and Students. Facilitators are Carol Bryson, Sam Austin, and Joan Mattson.

We will be offering three events throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.

All Behind the Scenes events will have three sessions:

    First session: An open discussion of the play and related historical and cultural context led by MSU faculty or a community expert.


    The Play: The “Behind the Scenes” package includes a ticket to the production at MSU on the day and time of your choosing.


    Second session: After the play, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with the faculty and students involved in the production.

First up:

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

by William Shakespeare

First session: Professor Jyotsna Singh, MSU Department of English
Second session: Director Deric McNish, MSU Department of Theatre, and students from the production

Thursday, Nov 9, 3-5pm and Wednesday, Nov 29, 3-5pm Hannah Community Center, Room 144
Cost (includes a digital copy of the script and a show ticket) $40 (members of Prime Time), $45 (non-members)

To sign up for “Behind the Scenes,” call Prime Time at (517) 337-1113.

Note from the Director, Deric McNish
Acclaimed as one of Shakespeare’s most delightful comedies, Much Ado About Nothing delivers witty tongue-lashings and fast-paced farce. As the diabolical Don Gianna devises a scheme to shatter the wedding of young lovers Claudio and Hero, the friends of Beatrice and Benedick conspire to trick them into admitting their much-denied love for one another. Shakespeare shapes the light-hearted deceptions with cleverness and charm while keeping the laughter coming.

Meet our Guest Lecturer
Professor Jyotsna Singh is a world-renowned expert on early modern literature and culture, including Shakespeare, as well as travel writing, postcolonial theory, early modern histories of Islam, and gender and race studies. She has published widely and lectured extensively on these subjects. For a list of her extensive research and popularity as a guest lecturer and visiting fellow, please visit the MSU Dept of English website (http://english.msu.edu/faculty/jyotsna-singh/). Most recently, Professor Singh was an invited speaker at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada, where she gave a post-production talk following the performance of Much Ado About Nothing.

Audio Air Force will present its annual Halloween audio theater production on Oct. 27, 7pm at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing. 

This year the featured production will be the classic radio version of "Dracula". We will be using the original script that was written for the network radio production. 

Also, we will be featuring a play that was recognized by the Community Theater Association of Michigan's scriptwriting competition this year. "A Voice in the Darkness" was written by AAF member Jon Ritz. There will be another original script produced that was written by an AAF member, Patti Spinner, called "The Villians”. 
Featuring
Tom Cantrell
Ben Guenther 
Lee Helder

James Houska
Michelle Jackson
Jeff Kennedy
Hollie Lane

Trina Rowell
Maureen Sawdon
Steve Ledyard

Show at East Lansing Hannah Center
Oct. 27, 7pm
$10 at the door

I REALLY hope can stream this film. ACTING LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG. It chronicles the troubled trajectory of Jim Hoffmaster’s life, starting in the foster care system, traveling through “local stardom” in Lansing area theatre (final role here, “Fagin” in Oliver! at Riverwalk 2001) before seeking his fortune in L.A. and eventually logging many years as Kermit the barfly on Shameless.

I think it is about an hour and a half. Some “dark” stuff, but okay for kids; our teenagers seemed to appreciate it when it played in East Lansing awhile back. It is very hard to describe, but Lansing area folks will recognize some people, places. It’s sad but uplifting — really hard to describe.

ANYway - hope you can stream it; here’s the info:

“Acting Like Nothing is Wrong" can be viewed online for four days only, Oct. 19-22, courtesy of La Femme Film Festival.
Pre-purchase your ticket at the link below.

Jim says, "Although I would prefer everyone see it on the big screen and with an audience, this is a great alternative.You’ll have a chance to vote for it as audience favorite, and I hope you do. So….pop some popcorn, have some tissues handy, and be ready to dance!”

https://watch.eventive.org/lafemme/play/650bde77f646ac005f614904?fbclid=IwAR1uke-SVbjSxB3dzm6IySB9w3BzdeX6cWmPU7khz0caqrAQalD2FVnyW3A
​

Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter takes place this Friday and Saturday, October 13 & 14 at 8pm in Studio 60 at MSU and on Oct 16 at 7pm at Williamston Theatre. 

This one-woman musical show uses the indelible music and lyrics of Cole Porter to tell the story of Linda Lee Thomas whose marriage to the writer inspired some of the greatest songs of all time. 

With a book by Stevie Holland and Gary William Friedman (also arrangements) the musical examines the complex marriage between Cole Porter, who was gay, and their thirtyt-five year relationship. It includes some of Porter's best-known songs such as Wunderbar, So in Love, Let's Misbehave, and more.

Love, Linda: The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter performs at MSU in the Studio Theatre with  no tickets needed and free admission with donations to a local woman’s shelter. Enter the Auditorium through ground level entrance facing Auditorium Road, near the Fairchild Theatre, and follow the signs to the Studio 60 Theatre. 

The Williamston show on October 16 is also free and accepts donations to Williamston Theatre.

Emergency Director Needed at Starlight!

Sadly, Guy Sanville has had to bow out of directing It’s A Wonderful Life for Starlight Dinner Theatre due to an urgent medical issue. The show is set to start rehearsing, with cast and crew already lined up, rehearsing and performing at Delta Presbyterian Church 6100 West Michigan (between Elmwood and Creyts Roads) (There will be no food service for this show. Linda hopes to be back at Waverly Intermediate with food for future shows.)

Check out an excerpt from this streamlined/script, based on the movie — NOT a radio show, but full, staged production. 
https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/media/pdf/excerpts/exItsAWonderfulLifeIF1.pdf

Starlight also needs 2 young boys for Wonderful Life to play Young George and Young Harry. Young George also doubles as George’s son. approximate ages 12 to 14. The young lady they’re playing across from is 11. 

Rehearsals are planned to start Oct 9, performance Dec 1, 2, 8, 9, and 10,  in also at Delta Presbyterian.

For more info contact Starlight Executive Director Linda Granger mailto:[email protected] ‭(517) 243-6040