Conklin Players Bring FOREVER PLAID to Five Points Washington Sept 30 to Oct 2

You may remember the intrepid troupe who put on shows at the Barn II Dinner Theatre in Goodfield. Mary Simon and her Conklin Players were forced to give up their friendly barn when storm damage made it unsafe for shows, but they've managed to keep the entertainment coming, moving their act to Five Points in Washington.

This time, Forever Plaid is on the bill, with performances September 30 and October 1 at 7 pm and October 2 at 2 pm, directed and choreographed by Simon herself. Simon has said that Forever Plaid, a musical revue involving a guy group from about 60 years ago that never quite hit the big-time, is her favorite show ever from the Barn. If you know who The Four Aces, The Four Freshmen or The Four Lads were, you're in the right ballpark for the tuneful boys in plaid.

But before the Plaids had the chance to compete with the likes of the Lettermen and the Hi-Los (or even to get an album out), they were in a bus accident and dispatched to the afterlife. For the purposes of Forever Plaid, the story is that they're returning to the mortal world to sing a little four-part harmony on hits you may recognize -- "Three Coins in a Fountain," "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing," and, of course, "Moments to Remember" -- as they get one last shot at the brass ring. Or at "Heart and Soul," anyway.

The Plaids will be played by the same actors who took the roles at the Barn 19 years ago. If you saw it then, you already know you'll be seeing Dan Challacombe as Frankie, Pat Gaik as Jinx, Chad Kirvan as Smudge and Dave Windsor as Sparky.

Forever Plaid is a lot of fun and its song list can't be beat, whether you're into "Sixteen Tons" or "The Anniversary Waltz." If you'd like to turn on the Plaid version of the Wayback Machine, you can reserve tickets here on the Five Points site.

GREATER TUNA Brings Conklin Players to Washington Five Points

Conklin's Barn may be a thing of the past, but its players have found a new space to play. Greater Tuna, the two-person show about the off-beat residents of a tiny town in Texas, will be on stage at Five Points Washington on April 1, 2 and 3, with Conklin Players Dan Challacombe and Pat Gaik playing everybody in Tuna, Texas, directed by Mary Simon, long-time owner and operator of the Barn II.

"Everybody in Tuna" includes Aunt Pearl, who has a penchant for poison pills (in the middle of the back row in the picture above), Vera Carp, who leads the local Smut Snatchers group (the blonde next to Pearl), put-upon bouffant-wearer Bertha Bumiller (back row, far left), and gun-shop owner Didi Snavely. Didi is the one in camo, with the gun, of course. In front with the DKKK microphone are radio hosts Thurston Wheelis and Arles Struvie. By my count (if you include Yippy the dog) there are 22 characters in Greater Tuna. The key is that two people play them all, rapidly changing wigs, costumes and props.

Greater Tuna was created by Texans Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, with Williams and Sears originally taking all the roles and Howard directing. The show was a huge success, playing everywhere from Texas to off-Broadway and the White House. It is affectionate and biting, sending up small-town prejudices and provincialism as it makes us care about a pretty awful set of people. My favorite may be juvenile delinquent Stanley Bumiller, but it's hard to beat Aunt Pearl when she feels a song coming on over the coffin of a dead lover.

For tickets to this Greater Tuna, visit the Five Points page. Three performances only, y'all.

Happiness Is CHARLIE BROWN at Conklin's Barn II, Starting Tomorrow

Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre sent out word to its patrons last spring that it had endured a rocky winter season -- the terrible weather socked in the theater, which really is in a barn outside Goodfield -- and it needed their support to spring back.

The Barn has made some progress, but they're hoping for even more with You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, the "hilarious and heartwarming" musical based on Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown opens tomorrow, June 19, for a six-week run, with performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Charlie Brown is scheduled to close July 27. And there's even a July 4th performance if you'd like to celebrate your entertainment independence in Goodfield.

The Barn's materials describe this version of Charlie Brown as "a funny and nostalgic look back to our childhoods with our favorite friends from Peanuts, including Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally, and, of course, Snoopy. The delightful skits and songs take us through a typical day in the life of our hapless but hopeful hero, Charlie Brown and his friends. Many classic Peanuts moments are encapsulated in this enchanting musical: Lucy mooning over the Beethoven-obsessed Schroeder and manning her psychiatric booth with the price of five cents; Linus’ devotion to his blanket; Charlie Brown’s lonely lunch time and dismal attempt to fly a kite; and Snoopy’s joyous celebration of "Suppertime.” The day ends with the perennial Peanuts' anthem “Happiness.”"

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown was a major hit off-Broadway in 1967, piling up almost 1600 performances and numerous awards. Its cast included actor and director Bob Balaban as well as MASH's Gary Burghoff. The show was revived on Broadway in 1999, with a cast that included Roger Bart, Kristen Chenoweth, Ilana Levine, Stanley Wayne Mathis and B.D. Wong, with Anthony Rapp as Charlie Brown himself.

For the Barn, those roles will be played by Pat Gaik (as Charlie Brown), Mary Simon (Lucy), Dan Challacombe (Linus), Tamra Challacombe (Sally), Chad Kirvan (Schroeder), and Jimmy LaHood (Snoopy).

This Charlie Brown is directed and staged by Mary Simon with musical direction by Chad Kirvan and choreography by Tamra Challacombe. To find out more details or to make reservations, visit the Barn's website at www.barn2.com or call the box office at 309-965-2545.

Note that the Barn II is a dinner theater, which means your ticket price includes a buffet. Tickets range from $35 to $39, but they are offering a special coupon (see above) to give you a free dinner on Thursdays and $5 off per couple on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Just click on the image to see the full-size version of the coupons.