Indianapolis Premiere of QUARTET Opens Tonight at Buck Creek Playhouse

The Buck Creek Players will continue their 41st season of quality theater, LIFE 101: A Season of Life Lessons, with the Indianapolis premiere comedy, QUARTET, by Ronald Harwood. Opening tonight, January 30th, and continuing for two weekends through Sunday, February 8th, curtain times are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with 2:30 p.m. matinees on Sundays. All performances will be held at the Buck Creek Playhouse on the southeast side of Indianapolis at 11150 Southeastern Avenue.

Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for children, students, and senior citizens (aged 62 and older). Reservations are highly recommended and can be made securely online with no added fees at www.buckcreekplayers.com, or by calling our automated reservation line at (317) 862-2270. Group discounts are also available for parties of ten or more when purchased online for the same performance date.

From British playwright Ronald Harwood comes QUARTET, an uplifting comedy recently made into a major motion picture starring Dame Maggie Smith in 2012. Three former opera singers, Reggie (Michael M. Jones), Cissy (Diann Ryan), and Wilf (Bernard Wurger), lead a harmonious existence at a home for retired musicians - until Reggie's ex-wife, grande dame Jean Horton (Robina Zink), arrives. Can the passage of time heal old wounds? And will the famous quartet be able to patch up their differences long enough to head back into the rehearsal room for one final encore?

D. Scott Robinson will direct with assistance from Bobbi Griffis and Lynne B. Robinson (Producers), Aaron B. Bailey (Set Designer/Technical Director), Joanne M. Johnson (Lighting Designer), Georgeanna Teipen (Costume Designer/Assistant Director), and Dotti Peek (Properties). Griffis will also serve as Stage Manager for the production.

MEET THE CAST:

MICHAEL M. JONES (Reggie) Mike is pleased to be appearing in his eighth show at Buck Creek Players, and to be working with Scott Robinson again! Active in theater for many years with his wife Debbie, daughter Elizabeth, and son Matthew, Mike has performed in or worked behind-the-scenes in over 75 plays, musicals and, operas in Central Indiana theatres and venues. Mike is currently a boardmember of Our Town Players (Franklin), and has previously served five terms as a judge of plays and musicals for the Encore Association. Mike has also received numerous individual Encore nominations for stage and technical work, and was a member of the Best Ensemble in a Musical" in Footlite Musicals' HIGH SOCIETY in 2009. Some of Mike's favorite roles include Judge Turpin in SWEENEY TOODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET here at Buck Creek Players, Eliot Pryne in TAKING LEAVE with Our Town Players, and Ebenezer Scrooge in SCROOGE! THE MUSICAL at Footlite Musicals. Mike is an architect and senior project manager in the investigative department at American Structurepoint, Inc.

DIANN RYAN (Cissy) Nearly 35 years ago, Diann's very first show in the Indianapolis area was COMPANY at Buck Creek Players, followed by many shows and happy times at BCP. In fact, she first appeared with cast member Robina in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST on the BCP stage, in which Diann shamelessly copied Robina's most authentic British accent. ("So nice to be doing that again!") Diann's most recent appearance on this stage was as Princess Puffer in the THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD in 2008, far too long ago. It's good to be back. Over the years she's appeared at nearly every community theater in town and been the recipient of nine Encore awards for acting, the most recent being for Best Actress in a Comedy for MIRACLE ON SOUTH DIVISION STREET at the Belfry in 2014. Diann thanks Scott for asking her to join this wonderful cast and crew who have made it worth driving all the way to Acton in the wintertime. Thanks especially to Bill, her husband of 40 years, for all his love and support.

BERNARD WURGER (Wilf)A play about opera! That made Bernard want to recall his experiences in opera. Would you believe, at the age of nineteen, that he sang the role of Guglielmo in COSI FAN TUTTI by W.A. Mozart? In junior college (aged 20), he sang THE MEDIUM and THE TELEPHONE by Gian-Carlo Menotti. Summer musical stock provided opportunities to sing many of the best operettas. When living in New York City, Bernard was asked to be the assistant director/musical stager for H.M.S. PINAFORE at the New York City Center, and also performed as a chorus member in their productions of AIDA and IDOMENEO. While working at Butler University, he and Jackson Wiley produced at least seventeen operas together. While at Butler, he also directed RIGOLETTO for the Indianapolis Opera Company. He now belongs to The Harmonie Opera Club of Indianapolis. They concertize well-known and obscure operas. Bernard last appeared on the BCP stage in VINTAGE HITCHCOCK: A LIVE RADIO PLAY, and will direct the opening production of our 2015-2016 season, CLIFFHANGER by James Yaffe.

ROBINA ZINK (Jean) Robina Zink is very happy to be appearing once again at BCP, lastly having fun as Aunt Eller in the BCP Play-A-Part Fundraiser of OKLAHOMA! Previous roles with BCP include Diana in LONDON SUITE, Mrs. St. Maugham in THE CHALK GARDEN, Dottie/Mrs. Clackett in NOISES OFF, Clairee in STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Lady Bracknell in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and a personal favorite, Eleanor of Aquitaine in THE LION IN WINTER (which she reprised for University of Indianapolis and Theatre on the Square). She has performed at many area theatres, including Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre, Edyvean Repertory Theatre, Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre, Theatre on the Square, Playmakers, Mud Creek Players, Warren Performing Arts Center, and The University of Indianapolis. Favorite roles include Angel/Narrator in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre), Duchess of Dene in ME AND MY GIRL, Mrs. Pearce in MY FAIR LADY, Julia in LEND ME A TENOR, Mother Goose in ONCE UPON A SHOE (Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre), Mrs. Kirk in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, Dolly Levi in THE MATCHMAKER, Empress in ANASTASIA (Mud Creek Players), Duchess of York in RICHARD II (The University of Indianapolis), Rose Kirk in NUTS, Mrs. Baker in BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE, Dr. PatrellI in TRIBUTE (Playmakers), Sarah in BREAKING THE CODE, Julia in DANCERS, and Ethel in ON GOLDEN POND (Theatre on the Square), Josephine in THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT, Elizabeth Bolyne in ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS, and Aunt Jenny in I REMEMBER MAMA (Edyvean Repertory Theatre). Robina came to the United States in 1973 and has enjoyed pursuing her love of theatre here in America. She is a recipient of several Encore Awards, is an accomplished costumer, and has volunteered her skills in that area many times at various theatres. She thanks Scott for this wonderful role and grateful thanks, too, to her fellow actors. It has been an honor sharing the stage with them. As always, heartfelt thanks to her loving family and friends for their support in her endeavors.

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