Jerry O' Boyle Returns To The Round Barn Theatre's Stage

Jerry O'Boyle, returning Artistic Director, will open the 32nd annual production of "Plain and Fancy" at The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres reprising his role playing the part of Jacob Yoder for the first 3 weeks of the May 23rd through October 13th run. O'Boyle has played the family's patriarch and pivotal character over 800 times in the Locke Township Meeting House and on the Joseph Stein Stage. He has been associated with the flagship production for the last three decades. After seven years as Artistic Director, he spent four years on the international tour of the Broadway hit "Hairspray" playing Edna Turnblad the frazzled mother of her full of life daughter Tracy. During the four year stint, he once again played the musical's pivotal character over 800 times-200 performances per year.

In reflecting on his involvement with "Plain and Fancy," O'Boyle said he continues to find deeper meaning in Joseph Stein's script. It is the same pursuit of perfection that master painters accomplish by continually painting over less perfect stances with subtitle changes creating a pentimento, a painting of layers ending with a finished product superior to the original images on the painter's canvas.

He said that influences of previous artistic and guest directors of "Plain and Fancy", and hundreds of cast mates, have added a mixture of viewpoints that continue to enrich each new production.

O'Boyle explained that Papa Yoder says the colloquial "Yah" 8 or 9 times in each performance, and each one has a different meaning calling for different inflections; mastering the subtlety of each never ends. Each year's cast is a combination of returning actors and a bevy of new faces, thus bringing a new mix of the extended family's reactions to the "New Yorkers" who stumble into their lives.

The theatre is celebrating its 32nd year of producing "Plain and Fancy," a 1955 Broadway musical about Amish life and love. With over 4,000 performances it is the longest running annually produced musical in America. In addition, over 160 additional musicals, dramas, and comedies have been produced over the last 23 years.

Producer Richard Pletcher said, "Jerry, perhaps more than any of us who have been involved in The Round Barn Theatre, has an understanding of Joseph Stein's script that was the first of the author's Broadway hits, a prelude to his Tony award winning "Fiddler on the Roof."

For information, performance times and reservations call the Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, (800) 800-4942, or go to www.amishacres.com.

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