Christmas Gala: A Collaboration of Fine Arts

Christmas Gala: A Collaboration of Fine Arts

TONIGHT 12/22 at 7:30
An evening of evening performance of classical ballet, piano, classical
guitar, theatre, and more. Presented by Anna Kirwan, a 2008 graduate of Central Catholic High School in West Point. Collaborating for this performance will be Rachel Kirwan, Blair Koehn, Taylor Leffler, and Carrie Brown. A free will offering will be taken.

Article in the Omaha-World Herald!

An article about the West Point Community Theatre was featured in today's Omaha World-Herald! Read the entire piece here.

Cast for Oliver announced!

The cast for the spring musical, Oliver has been announced! Characters and their respective cast members are listed below.

Oliver……………….... Robert Kienbaum

Mr. Bumble………...... Barry Johnson

Widow Corney……..... Marcia Beck

Noah Claypole…….... Spencer Leffler

Mr. Sowerberry…....... Mike Bailey

Mrs. Sowerberry…..... Sandra Peaslee

Charlotte…………...... Emilee Peterson

Artful Dodger……....... Karsten Schuetze

Fagin……...…….….… Mike Mack

Nancy……...……….... Brandee Johnson

Bet…………...……..... Brittany Ramig

Old Sally……...……... Donna Davis

Bill Sykes……...….…. Frank Vogt

Mrs. Bedwin…...….… Judi Wolken

Mr. Brownlow…....….. Dana Leffler

Dr. Grimwig……...….. Ryan Reeson

Woman…………….... Lynn Crawford

Night Watchman....… Vaughn Beed

Milk Maid……….....… Jill Redmond

Strawberry Seller....… Ann Marler

Rose Seller……....…. Patti Knobbe

Townsperson.......……Violet Kirk

Townsperson..…..…. James Schuetze

Fagin’s Kids
Adam Perry

Ronny Peterson

Gage Vance

Sam Ulrich

Greg Johnson

Jakob Andreasen

Tyson Snodgrass

Workhouse Kids

Melissa Hagedorn

Brooklyn Bailey

Maddie Erb

Nicole Fisher

Marci Franzluebbers

Extras

Austin Streeter

Chase Streeter

News Update & Upcoming Movies

Hello Everyone!

Many great things are going on around the West Point Community Theatre this time of year!

West Point Central Catholic performed their one-act, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Theatre on November 23 to a packed house! This is the best attendance that a CC one-act has ever seen! Best wishes to CC as they perform at District competition.

Tryouts for the musical "Oliver" were held last week and the cast will be announced next week. The dates for the production will be March 5-7 and March 12-13. Billy Stokely is director and Marlene Wiechman assistant.

Our Holiday Fundraiser with Monroe Crossing is THURSDAY at 7:30 p.m. with social beginning at 6:30. Tickets are going quickly, so if you're interested get your tickets NOW either online or at PetroMart in West Point. Hope to see you at this fun, holiday event!

A FREE MOVIE will be presented on Thursday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m. This showing will benefit the West Point Food Pantry. FREE admission, popcorn, and pop with a non-perishable food or cash donation to the West Point Food Pantry. If you have any questions, contact James Schuetze at (402) 380-1675.

Finally, here are our upcoming movies:

December 4-6...... Planet 51

December 11-13...... Disney's A Christmas Carol

December 18-20...... Old Dogs

December 26-27...... Princess and the Frog

Work Day at the Theatre Monday

At our last general meeting it was decided to have a clean up and Christmas decorating night on Monday, Nov. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

There is a lot to do this night. We are having this clean up prior to the Monroe Crossing Fund Raiser. We will decorate the stage (still as it was for Arsenic and Old Lace) for the concert. Please bring any decorations you have, such as artificial trees, lights, garland, extension cords, adapters, etc.that you don't need or use, that we could use to decorate the theatre for our fundraiser.

We will also be cleaning up the kitchen area to be used as a "green room" for the band.

We will need to remove the curtain in front of the concession stand, set up tables to use that night, etc.

Be sure to purchase your tickets for Monroe Crossing! Anyone who would like to help that night, please let Jerry or Cindy know (372-5742-leave a message). We are also asking the workers to wear black pants (or ladies skirts if you prefer) and white tops.

General Meeting & Upcoming Events

First of all, a huge thanks to everyone who attended "Arsenic and Old Lace" this past weekend! It was a huge success! Hopefully you had as much fun as the actors!

A regular meeting of the WPCT members will be held THIS Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Theatre. Everyone is welcome!

On Monday, November 23rd at 7:00 p.m., West Point Central Catholic High School will present their one-act play. The play is a half hour adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in a 1920's time setting. Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for students (if you have a CC booster club pass--no charge).

On Thursday, December 3, we are bringing in Monroe Crossing, an excellent bluegrass group from Minneapolis, MN. This will be the first stop of their Christmas tour. Besides being an enjoyable evening for you, we hope it will be a big fundraiser for capital improvements. You may purchase your tickets online at our website, at the PetroMart in West Point, or at the Theatre Box Office during weekend movie hours. For the first time, we will be selling numbered seats, so for the best selection, get your tickets NOW for this one-time show!

Arsenic & Old Lace in the News!

The Fremont Tribune recently featured a wonderful article about our upcoming fall comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace. Be sure to read the full article HERE.

On the same note, the play is THIS WEEKEND! Be sure to get your tickets online HERE or at any West Point Bank

The Fall Comedy production of "Arsenic and Old Lace," directed by Debbie Ell.

The dates and times of the production will be:

Friday, November 13 @ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 @ 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.


Below is the list of characters and respective actors:

Abby Brewster..... Kristine Kienbaum
Martha Brewster...... Vicki Craig
Reverend Harper...... Chris Kuester
Teddy Brewster...... Jerry Hugo
Officer Brophy...... Aaron Hughes
Officer Klein...... Tim Ell
Elaine Harper...... Violet Kirk
Mortimer Brewster...... Kris St. James
Mr. Gibbs...... Paul Kreikemeier
Jonathan Brewster...... Dana Leffler
Dr. Herman Einstein...... Chase Becker
Officer O'Hara...... Eric Lauritzen
Lieutenant Rooney...... Randy Davis
Mr. Witherspoon...... Dan Birchem

Balcony Renovation / Expansion Conceptual Drawings

One of the major projects that we've been focusing on lately is the renovation and expansion of the existing balcony area. This is the first set of conceptual drawing from our architect, Eddie Santamaria of Contrivium.

Areas directly underneath the balcony will also be addressed. This includes the restrooms and concession area.

An additional restroom is needed on the main floor. This issue will be addressed at the same time as the expansion of the balcony.

The balcony will be extended an addition 10 feet in order to seat an additional 104 upstairs.

This view shows the graceful curve of the balcony extension. Every effort is being made to blend any new work into the existing architecture.

A view of the expanded balcony from the stage.

This is the view of the stage from the top row of the balcony. These could become the best seats in the house!

An overall view of the balcony extension in relation to the overall theatre. Wow!

Get your tickts for the fall comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace!

Hello Everyone!

The fall comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace" is fast approaching! The cast is working hard and is prepared to put on an outstanding show!

The times and dates of the play are:

Friday, November 13 @ 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 14 @ 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 15 @ 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.

A social will be held one hour prior to each show.

Tickets are available at the Theatre during movie hours and at all West Point Banks.

You can now ORDER TICKETS ONLINE at our website! It's fast, easy, and you can use a variety of payment options! Check it out!

Below is the list of characters and respective actors:

Abby Brewster..... Kristine Kienbaum
Martha Brewster...... Vicki Craig
Reverend Harper...... Chris Kuester
Teddy Brewster...... Jerry Hugo
Officer Brophy...... Aaron Hughes
Officer Klein...... Tim Ell
Elaine Harper...... Violet Kirk
Mortimer Brewster...... Kris St. James
Mr. Gibbs...... Paul Kreikemeier
Jonathan Brewster...... Dana Leffler
Dr. Herman Einstein...... Chase Becker
Officer O'Hara...... Eric Lauritzen
Lieutenant Rooney...... Randy Davis
Mr. Witherspoon...... Dan Birchem

Hope to see you at the show!

Insulation project begins!

One important project for the new West Point Community Theatre is making it energy efficient.
Thanks to the volunteers who helped last week in removing the old ceiling behind stage, professionals were able to start this week on the insulation project. These photos include workers spraying on insulation to the ceiling high above the stage.

Theatre Work Week

The West Point Community Theatre is having a work week to prepare the Theatre for installing insulation above the stage area. We will meet at the Theatre at 5 pm Monday, August 31^st. The project’s main focus will be removing the false ceiling above the stage so that the insulation contractors can access the 40 foot loft area with scaffolding.

Everyone is welcome to help. We will serve food to the volunteers at about 6:30 pm on Monday. Please call Tom Wellman at 380-9246, or Jerry Hugo at 372-5742 to find out what tools would be helpful, and for more detail on the project.

We will be working from 5-9pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. Wednesday will be a general cleanup of the Theatre to get it ready for the weekend movies. We also welcome anyone who has time to work during the day on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This project is a “Hands-On” Project through Thrivent Financial Services. Thrivent will provide funding to help with the insulation project. Members of Thrivent are encouraged to come and help out.

VOLUNTEER ONLINE!

You can now sign up to help at the movie theatre online! It's very easy! Just click on this link:
http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/61-62764080884
Once you're there, you enter your email address and you'll receive a message with instructions on how to volunteer. It really works great! You can pick the dates you want to volunteer, see who else is already signed up, and then add your name to the list -- as many times as you want, for whichever movies are still in need of volunteers.
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
It's been quite a project so far -- creating a movie theatre inside the West Point Community Theatre building! Along with tremendous financial support from our community, volunteers put in thousands of hours to create it. And we've got quite a list of volunteers who are now helping to operate it for four movies every weekend.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP?
We need about four to five people in the concession stand, and a couple people to take tickets for each movie. Volunteers show up at 6:15 for a 7:30pm movie (12:45 for a 2:00pm matinee) to get everything ready. Ticket takers are usually done about 20 minutes after the movie begins, and the concession stand volunteers are usually done about a half hour before the end of the movie. We do ask that everyone stick around to help clean up the theatre after the movie -- it usually takes about 20 minutes, depending on the crowd.

If you'd rather volunteer by phone, that's fine too! Just call Mary Kreikemeier at 402-380-0687. Leave a message and Mary will call you back!

MOVIE SCHEDULE

Show times are Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m, and two show on Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for K-12 students, preschool and under are free.
Doors will open to the public an hour before showtime!

June 19-20-21

Star Trek

http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/1559/

Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence and brief sexual content.

June 26-27-28

Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/3058/

Rated PG for mild action and brief language.

Summer Melodrama Announced!

The West Point Community Theatre will be doing a production of the melodrama "Rustlers Revenge" on July 3, 4, and 5.

Tryouts will be THURSDAY, MAY 21 and TUESDAY, MAY 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Theatre building. The cast will consist of 6 characters, 3 men and 3 women. Eric Lauritzen is directing. Those interested in stage crew, set construction, etc. are also encouraged to attend.

Musical this Weekend!

Just a quick reminder that the West Point Community Theatre's production of the musical, "Back to the 80s" is this weekend.

Performance Dates & Times:

Friday, April 17 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 18 - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 19 - 2:00 p.m.

Friday, April 24 - 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 25 - 8:00 p.m.

Social is one hour prior to curtain.

Tickets are available at all West Point banks or from any cast member. Tickets will also be available at the door, however the supply will likely be limited. Join us for a night of fun and music!

Remember, this will be the first time that the Theatre building will be open to the public since we began renovations in October. Be the first to see our progress and find out what else is in store for this historic downtown landmark!

Movie Theatre Opening Weekend!

The First Movie at the new West Point Community Theatre will be Monsters vs. Aliens, rated PG. The first movie will be Friday night, May 1st at 7:30 p.m. The movie will also be featured Saturday and Sunday nights at 7:30, and a 2 p.m. matinee will be held on Sunday.
Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students, preschool and under are free. The movie is 94 minutes long. You can see the trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjVvx2TMhD0
For more about the movie, go to:
http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/3106/


Upcoming movies include:
May 8-9-10 Fast and Furious http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/2933/

May 15-16-17 Hannah Montana – The Movie http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/3277/

May 22-23-24 17 Again http://www.filmjabber.com/movie/preview/3263/

Calendar of Events

To view upcoming movies and our calender of events, go to:
http://www.my.calendars.net/wptheater
(thanks to Patty Schinstock)

Community Theatre in the Fremont Tribune!

This past weekend, the Fremont Tribune ran an excellent story (front page!) about our progress on the Community Theatre building. Read the entire story here.

Movie Theatre set to open May 1st!

Along with help from volunteers, Midwest Cinema spent three days in West Point this week installing the movie theatre projection and sound equipment. As you can see, work continues on improving the building, getting it ready for the live musical performance of "Back the the 80's" April 17-18-19, and April 24-25.
The following weekend will be our
first movie -- with the title soon to
be announced. Movies will be shown
on the 10' by 26' screen every
Friday, Saturday and Sunday night
at 7:30. Admission will be $5 for adults, and $3 for high school students and younger.

Renovation Update - Balcony

Here's a few photos from our most recent work day. We've accomplished a lot over the past few weeks!

The balcony area "before"

The balcony area "during"

The balcony "after"

Before

After!

The balcony wall was removed to allow for additional seating during live performances. Typically, our live theatre performances will draw over 300 people per showing - with our new permanent seating, the main floor will hold 205. Our eventual goal is to have to balcony hold 100 seats, however this number will be far less in the interim.

The mosaic murals, created in 1984 by the public high school art class have been placed in storage. We are currently looking for a new home for them. If you have any suggestions, please call the Community Theatre at 372-2250.

We also made an exciting discovery of long-covered decorative stenciling on the ceiling. Hopefully, we'll see this restored someday!

Work Day on Saturday!

Another work day will be held at the Community Theatre building this Saturday, March 7 starting at 7:00 a.m. Some projects include:

• Installation of drywall in the newly constructed projector booth
• Removal of walls separating the balcony from the main auditorium to allow for balcony seating
  
• Hanging of the movie screen
• Installation of wiring for new surround sound speakers

Feel free to join us at anytime throughout the day! We appreciate your help!

Nebraska State Historical Society Visit

The Nebraska State Historical Society will visit the Community Theatre Building Monday, March 9 at 12:00 noon. Historical Society staff will be available to answer questions about what a National Historic Site designation would mean for the theatre. The public is invited.

Work Day #2 at the Theatre!

More Chamber Coffee Photos

Chamber Coffee

Two more major financial gifts were announced at the West Point Chamber of Commerce Coffee on Friday January 23rd -- from the Wimmer Families and from F&M Bank! THANKS!

Work Day at the Theatre!