Celebrating Season Number 90!
Posted: September 2022
Beloit Civic Theatre was formed 90 years ago in 1932 as the Beloit Little Theatre Guild. Profits from that first successful season were donated to the Municipal Hospital for X-ray work. To celebrate our 75th season back in 2007, we did a revival of BCT’s very first show, The Whole Town’s Talking. In 1948 the name of the Guild was changed to the current Beloit Civic Theatre. Early shows were performed in various locations, including at the old Scoville Hall on the Beloit College campus. Productions also rotated between the Roosevelt and Lincoln Junior High School auditoriums. When the current high school was built, BCT was incorporated as a non-profit organization, and in November of 1951 we moved to our current performing space. In the early years, BCT had to limit admission to only season members since there were usually only two performances of a play. Curtain time was typically 8:45 pm on a Tuesday and Wednesday night.
To celebrate our milestone 90th season, we will be conducting a free raffle at each performance this year. Our lucky winners will receive a BCT memento. Thanks for joining us and helping us celebrate this achievement.
Here is the cast for our recently closed musical, BEING EARNEST.
Thomas Doninguez | Algernon, Being Earnest
Sydney Winchester | Gwendolyn, Being Earnest
Saralyn Duncan | Ensemble and understudy, Being Earnest
Sara Johnson | Musical Director, Being Earnest
Matthew Tiritilli | Lady Bracknell, Being Earnest
Greg Roy | Lane, Merriman, and Dr. Chasuble, Being Earnest
Elizabeth Brown | Cedily, Being Earnest
Carol Roy | Miss Prism, Being Earnest
Janet Palmer | Director, Being Earnest
Dorris Tropp | Stage Manager, Being Earnest
Adam Drefs
NEW MICROPHONES:
Thanks to the generosity of our BCT patrons, BCT has purchased a set of wireless headset microphones for our actors. We used them for the first time in our musical Pump Boys and Dinettes and plan on using them for all our upcoming shows. Hopefully this will make it easier for everyone to hear all the dialogue in our upcoming productions.
OUR 2022 ANNUAL MEETING:
Once again, because of Covid, we were unable to hold our annual meeting in June. Normally we announce the upcoming BCT season and do a short presentation from each of the three new shows. We also introduce our high school scholarship winners and distribute the first copies of the new season brochure. At our regular board meeting in June, the five board members up for re-election all graciously offered to extend their service on the board. They are: Pat Hoye, Susan Smith, Mike Fallon, Rebecca Wallendal and Mary Mowers.
IT’S ALWAYS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE:
In the summer of 2021, the Beloit Civic Theatre Board of Directors met to say farewell to Donna Balsley. The group had not seen each other in person for over a year due to Covid. Donna did costumes and props for BCT shows for MANY years, and has moved to Alabama. We wish her all the best and will definitely miss her contributions to BCT.
Tom Young, whose carpentry skills will be missed in the scene shop, has moved to New Mexico. New board member replacements include Janet Palmer and Sydney Winchester. Janet is a retired music teacher and has directed many musicals for BCT. Sydney was very active in theatre as a student at Beloit Memorial High School, and has continued as a frequent performer on the BCT stage.
AIR CONDITIONING IS INSTALLED!
BCT was the recipient of a bequest of $21,700 from the estate of a long-time theatregoer. Air conditioning for our theatre had been a dream for BCT for many years. With an additional gift of $18,300 from P.A.P.A.S. (Parent Advocates or the Performing Arts in Our Schools), we were able to present the School District of Beloit with a check for $40,000 for the installation of air conditioning.
Making the presentation at a school board meeting were (left to right): Pat Hoye, BCT President; Jackie Jackson, founding board member of P.A.P.A.S.; Greg Wallendal, P.A.P.A.S. President and current theatre director at Beloit Memorial High School; and Loren Sass, P.A.P.A.S treasurer and BCT Vice-President.
We are always happy to receive cookie donations for our intermissions. Contact Pat Hoye at 608-362-6879 if you are willing to bake for us. All donations from the intermission refreshments go toward our scholarship fund. We can also always use a hand with ushering (you get to see the show for free!) For more information, call the office at (608) 362-1595 and leave a message. If you would like to volunteer as a set builder or painter, give Loren Sass a call at 608-201-3084, and he will share the schedule of workdays. Hope to see you at the theatre!
THE BCT BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
BCT has fifteen members on its all-volunteer Board of Directors, each elected to a three-year term at the annual meeting.
President: Pat Hoye
Vice President: Loren Sass
Secretary: Doris Tropp
Treasurers: Les Blumreich and Rebecca Wallendal
Board Members: Elizabeth Armstrong, Donna Balsley (emeritus), Deb Burns, Mary Easland, Mike Fallon, Dee Fischer, Mary Mowers, Janet Palmer, Lisa Scholten, Susan Smith, and Sydney Winchester
NEED A GIFT FOR SOMEONE?
Gift certificates for Beloit Civic Theatre are available, either for season memberships or for a single show. Call our office at (608) 362-1595 or send an e-mail message to beloitcivictheatre@gmail.com