Category Archives: Rehearsal

January 20, 21 (7:30 p.m.), 22 (2 p.m.), 27, 28 (7:30 p.m.) & 29 (2 p.m.), Rialto Theater, 228 E. 4th St. Loveland.

Tickets: $14 adults, $13 seniors and students and $12 for groups of 10 or more.

Don Kraus, Director

Director’s Notes:

I’d never heard of this show. And I had no intention of directing it. After completing a lot of hard and demanding work on three films and three stage shows, my intention was to lounge around on my chubby patootie in my beautiful home and wait until spring sprang up graciously around me. Well … the best laid plans…

Moon Theatre approached me with the script and I loved it. It has just the right touch of insanity that makes for a great evening of theatre. We laughed straight through every rehearsal … and I know that God has a terrific sense of humor because we rehearsed this thing in a church, and no one was struck down by lightning!

The key to any directing task, in my opinion, is casting. And I somehow managed to find acting’s cream of the crop. But a great deal of credit for the success of this show has to go to Joan DeMuro, our Properties Queen. “I don’t like to do food shows,” she told us. “They’re messy and need a lot of preparation.” She’s right, and in the hands of a director like me, you can bet things can get pretty messy! Nevertheless, Gallant Joan tackled the task and helped enormously to craft this show into a real winner!

As with any production, there are a lot of people who put a lot of work into this show: Lesley Jones, Larry Westrum, Kathleen Gruman, Tess Cacke, Rick Padden and the ever-creative-ever-exploited Paul Jones, who created our set virtually out of nothing but spare parts. Thanks, Paul. And thanks to everyone who had a hand in this show. The next time I say I’m retiring for awhile, don’t pay any attention.

— Don Kraus

About Don Kraus …

This is the third show Don Kraus has directed for The Moon Theatre Company … and probably the wildest. Don has been an actor-director-producer-writer for over thirty-five years and has performed alongside such notables as Sir Anthony Hopkins and James Garner. He appeared as Grandpa in Moon Theatre’s “You Can’ Take it With You,” in which he couldn’t remember any of his lines, so they gave him a role in “Dearly Departed,” in which he had no lines and promptly died on stage! Don grew up and studied his craft in New York, and has appeared in a host of regional productions with the Openstage, Bas Bleu, Encore and Moon Theatre companies since relocating to Colorado fifteen years ago. Don has also appeared in dozens of independent films throughout Colorado. He spends what little spare time he has with his lovely wife, Inge, two dogs (Doc and Bear) at their home in Loveland.

January 20, 21 (7:30 p.m.), 22 (2 p.m.), 27, 28 (7:30 p.m.) & 29 (2 p.m.), Rialto Theater, 228 E. 4th St. Loveland.

Tickets: $14 adults, $13 seniors and students and $12 for groups of 10 or more.

PRODUCTION STAFF:
Director    Don Kraus
Set Design    Paul Jones
Stage Manager    Gale McGaha-Miller
Lighting operator    Gale McGaha-Miller
Sound Design    Don Kraus
Costuming    Tess Cacke
Props/Set Dressing    Joan DeMuro
Graphic Design     Kelly Hines-Keller

This is Pam Strahan’s (Izzy) third production with Moon Theatre Company. She was last seen as Penny in “You Can’t Take it With You.” Pam has performed throughout the northern Colorado region, and her favorite roles have included Rosemary in “Picnic,” Lenny in “Crimes of the Heart,” M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias” and Lucille in “Cemetery Club.” Pam wants to thank her husband Rick for his endless support and enduring many nights home alone. “Thanks honey, you’re the best!” She would also like to thank the cast of “Kitchen Witches” for making this experience a blast! And thank you Don, for believing in me! Enjoy the show!

Julie Marino (Dolly Biddle) is awed and humbled to be a part of this phenomenal production and thrilled to be making her debut with Moon Theatre Company. Julie has been performing all her life up and down the Front Range. She has been seen onstage most recently as Ruth in “Blithe Spirit,” at California Actors Theatre, and as Helsa in “Musical Comedy Murders of 1940,” at the Longmont Theatre Company. Julie is an award winning actress, director and stage manager and has won state-wide recognition for her work. Unafraid of any job, she has schlepped sets, moved props, herded children and dressed numerous actors (and undressed them as well!).  Some of Julie’s favorite roles were Annie Sullivan in “The Miracle Worker,” Diana in “Lend Me A Tenor,” Ruth and Elvira in “Blithe Spirit” and Caroline in “Stay, Carl, Stay.” Julie would like to thank Pam Strahan for letting her know about this great opportunity, Don for having faith in her and the stellar cast for putting up with her! Enjoy the show!!

Dolly and Izzy iiven things up in "Kitchen Witches". Photo by Rick Padden.

Julie Marino as Dolly (left) and Pam Strahan as Izzy, whip up a hilariously delicious comedy in “Kitchen Witches, playing at the Rialto Jan. 20, 21, 27 & 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 22 & 29 at 2 p.m. Written by Caroline Smith and directed by Don Kraus, this full-length comedy joins two archenemy cooking show hostesses on stage in the same TV show, yielding ratings that would put Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer both to shame.