Bobcat Pride
Being a member of the Bobcat Players means a lot of different things. It means a great time commitment, a lot of hard work--and a heck of a lot of fun. But one thing I didn't anticipate when I joined the board a year ago was what a great sense of pride I would feel for this group.
This summer, our members have been working overtime to make our community proud. Barbara Pease Weber's Foolish Fishgirls and the Pearl premiered in July and three out of five shows were sold out. Audience members told me it was their "favorite production to date" and many took to our Facebook page to express how much fun they had attending. Those are exciting accolades and still, the greatest part about our run of Foolish Fishgirls... was that we were graced with the presence of the playwright. Barbara Pease Weber herself joined us for our closing night performance--and we were so incredibly honored to have her!
I think it's safe to say that July 22 will go down in Bobcat history as one of our most memorable nights. After the performance ended, there were quite a few happy tears, and we were fortunate to get to spend time with Ms. Weber and her guest, Diane. Check out some additional pictures below of her with the cast and directors:
Meanwhile, director Erin Berger has been busy casting our LabWorks performance (formerly Staged Readings) for the Pittsburgh New Works Festival. On August 20, she, along with her cast of three, will present the drama Wilderness Survival by Hamilton Kreeger. The PNWF is a great opportunity for our theatre to connect with other local groups and introduce ourselves to new talent. (Fun fact: our Foolish Fishgirls and the Pearl leading lady came to us through last year's PNWF! Kathleen Regan was a part of our award-winning performance of Dennis Moore's Unlikely Event.) We are so excited to celebrate the arts in such a fresh and unique way, and we truly hope you'll join us. The performance takes place at 7:00 PM at the Carnegie Stage and is FREE to attend!
Back at the home-front, founder Frank Meyers is taking on the season special production of Meredith Dayna Levy's Decision Height. Decision Height focuses on the lives of the women who stepped up to become members of Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. A truly inspirational story, I can tell after our first read-through that this play perfectly combines drama, comedy, and history. I'm truly proud to be a part of this production and I know audiences are going to love this show. Not only does Decision Height boast an all-female cast, but it is also a play with music--and after only one vocal rehearsal so far, I can already tell you that things are sounding amazing! In the spirit of the play, the Bobcat Players are donating all proceeds from the opening night performance to the Yellow Ribbon Girls. The board of directors felt this was the perfect charity to donate to, since their mission mirrors that of the characters in Decision Height. We will also be collecting supplies for the troops throughout the run of the show.
Exciting events are on the horizon with the Bobcat Players. And trust me, this is a group that easily feels like home. If you're interested in helping in any way, please reach out. And stay tuned for updates on the Pittsburgh New Work Festival and Decision Height. You don't want to miss these!
