Farmington Players Ring in the Holidays with Offbeat Comedy GREETINGS
By: Julie Musbach Nov. 26, 2017
As a Catholic family prepares to celebrate Christmas, one son Andy Gorski (Bob Cox of Ann Arbor) arrives for the Holiday with his Jewish fiancée, (Amy Lauter of Farmington Hills) who happens to be an atheist. This sets the stage for an offbeat comedy that is sure to delight and surprise audiences at the Farmington Players Barn in Farmington Hills.
Greetings! by Tom Dudzick opens Friday December 1st and runs through Sunday, December 17th. Tickets are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office, (248) 553-2955.
"CATHOLIC Neil Simon"
The playwright Dudzick is sometimes referred to as a "Catholic Neil Simon." His thoughtful and uplifting Christmas comedy is laced with genuine laughs, family drama, and a touching twist that harnesses the enlightening power of the holiday spirit.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT
Dudzick spoke with the Farmington Players about his work saying, it's partly based on the time he had a Jewish girlfriend. "I thought it might be fun to imagine what it would be like to take her home to Buffalo to meet my very Catholic parents, maybe on Christmas Eve, and write a play about it," Dudzick said. Farmington Players patrons fondly remember Dudick's "Miracle on South Division Street," which was performed at the Barn to rave reviews in 2015. Like Miracle, Greetings! tugs at the heart with themes of family, faith, and fun.
"PRECISE PORTRAIT" OF PARENTS
The parents of this working-class family from Pittsburgh Phil and Emily Gorski, are played by Bob Hotchkiss of Bloomfield Township and Maureen Mansfield of Farmington Hills. Dudzick says the characters are a "precise portrait" of his own parents. "My father used to gripe and grumble all day, just like Phil. And my mother did her best to keep her good humor," said Dudzick. "Like Phil, my father was a ball player, but basketball, not baseball. In his college days he was 6' 11". And in the 1930's this was gigantic!"
MAGICAL EXPERIENCE
As the dysfunctional family members settle in for Christmas eve, the final character is Andy's mentally challenged younger brother Mickey, played by Alex Macksound of Farmington Hills. Mickey turns everyone's belief system upside down with a stunning revelation.
Barbie Weisserman of Farmington Hills, a longtime admirer of Dudzick's work, is directing Greetings! for a second time. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to direct it again this season at the Farmington Players," said Weisserman. "It was a magical experience before and it is turning out to be even more insightful and magical this time."
Greetings! is sponsored by Cadillac Travel Group. Reserved seats are available now at www.farmingtonplayers.org or by calling the box office at
248-553-2955.
SHOW DATES & TIMES
- Friday, December 1 -8pm
- Saturday, December 2 -8pm
- Sunday, December 3 -2pm
- Friday, December 8 -8pm
- Saturday, December 9 -8pm
- Sunday , December 10 -2pm
- Thursday December 14 -8pm (Thrifty Thursday: All Tickets $16 including students and seniors)
- Friday, October 15 -8pm
- Saturday, October 16 -8pm
- Sunday, October 17 -8pm
TICKETS
Seats are available at both www.farmingtonplayers.org and the box office at 248-553-2955. You can also send an email to boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org
* Adults: $18
* Students: $16
* New Senior Pricing: $2 off any performance except Thurs. Dec. 14th when all tickets cost $16; Seniors must be at least 62 years old.
* Group Discount: $2 off adult price on any show with a group of ten or more people. Group discounts do not apply on Thurs. Dec. 14th when all tickets ($16) are $2 off
* Thrifty Thursday all tickets: $16 on Thurs. Dec. 14th - senior, student and
group pricing does not apply.
LOCATION
The Farmington Players Barn is located at 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills Michigan 48334. It's the big white barn on the north side of 12 mile between Orchard Lake and Farmington Rd.
SPONSOR:
Cadillac Travel Group
CAST MEMBERS
- Phil Gorski: Bob Hotchkiss, Bloomfield Township.
- Emily Gorski: Maureen Mansfield, Farmington Hills
- Andy Gorski: Bob Cox, Ann Arbor
- Mickey Gorski: Alex Macksound, Farmington Hills
- Randi Stein: Amy Lauter, Farmington Hills
PRODUCTION LEADERS
- Director: Barbie Weisserman, Farmington Hills
- Asst. Director: Bonnie Fitch, Southfield
- Producer: Allison Boufford, Livonia
- Producer& Jim Pierce, Southfield
- Stage Manager
- Lights: Frank Ginis, Troy
- Josh Fitch, Southfield
- Sound: Eric Nogas, Farmington
ABOUT THE FARMINGTON PLAYERS:
You can find the Farmington Players at www.farmingtonplayers.org and also on Facebook (The Farmington Players Barn Theater). The Barn began as an off-shoot of the American Association of University Women. Their first production, The Torchbearers, was performed at a local church. After performing in various city and educational locations, the Farmington Players moved into an old dairy barn located on the site of their present facility on West Twelve Mile Road.
Initially, productions were staged downstairs on a dirt floor. Over the years, improvements to the original Barn transformed it into a more finished space, with the theater itself eventually moving upstairs into a traditional and finished setting.
Since 1953, the Farmington Players have staged more than 200 different musicals, dramas, mysteries and comedies, all as a community theater with 100% volunteer membership.
People from Farmington, Farmington Hills and beyond have come to recognize the group as a true community resource. Since the completion of its state-of-the-art facility in 2003, the Farmington Players Barn Theater has expanded its mission, serving as the site for city-sponsored events such as youth theater camps in the summer, concerts with groups as varied as Blackthorn and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and as a meeting place for various groups.
The Farmington Players have been reinvesting in The Barn over the years to enhance the patrons' experience. In 2013, partly funded by 50/50 raffle proceeds, the theater installed a new stage floor complete with hydraulics and a trap door.
PHOTO CREDIT: Jan Cartwright.
PHOTO:
Front Row: Sitting: Alex Macksound, White Shirt and tie: Bob Cox
Back Row left to right - Bob Hotchkiss, Amy Lauter, Maureen Mansfield
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