What We Did For Love
For the Bobcat Players, theatre is always brought to life through love. This year, we are stretching ourselves even further by pushing our work to be as intimate as possible. That goal is reflected in our 2017 season, with shows ranging from an original work by our own artistic director to Tom Griffin's The Boys Next Door, which focuses on the lives of four mentally-challenged men who live in a group home. We are cutting to the core of what we are made of in order to show it to you.
Our outreach show, What I Did For Love, is no different. This show was conceived by our artistic director, Patti Ross, who found inspiration in original one-acts from the past few years. After picking out her favorites, Patti reached out to these playwrights, or their agents, to seek permission to perform their work. Together, she and our corresponding secretary sat down to discover a common theme among the shows and discuss casting. Patti then wrote an introduction and closing, as well as transitions for each individual one act. In December, we met as a cast for a read-through, and in January, everyone hit the ground running with their scenes.
Our production features fifteen actors and seven different directors, which makes this a large project for the Bobcat Players. The cast is solely comprised of familiar faces to our stage, but some of our directors are taking on that role for the first time. Most people probably don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes; beyond rehearsing once a week and learning lines, we have been organizing costumes, props, and our minimal sets.
What I Did For Love is composed of seven vignettes that revolve around the common theme of love. As we all know, love comes in many forms—and love isn’t always romantic. What is particularly exciting about this production is that it has something for everyone, no matter what phase of life you are in.
This weekend, we take our "comedy hour" on the road to Liberty Hills and Sewickley Ridge. In 9 days, we return home.
But bringing our outreach show to the Ed Schaughency Theater has also posed new challenges, particularly in the technical sense. Sound and lighting design add a whole new dynamic to this show. Our outreach committee has been working overtime to arrange refreshments and prizes for our audience, as well as focusing on getting the message out. Audience members can look forward to giveaways that correspond with each vignette, and of course, the grand prize—a pair of season tickets!
For us, What I Did For Love is the culmination of this incredible labor of love that we bring to you with arms outstretched. We truly hope that you’ll enjoy what we’ve brought to you and encourage you to come prepared with open "hearts" to share in our joy. We can't wait to see you there!
[For more information, visit our Facebook page. Our one-night-only production takes place on February 25 at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be purchased for $5 via the Hostess Gift Shoppe in Beaver, or call (724) 494-1680 to reserve tickets.]
