The Summer Season 2008

Thursday, Friday and Saturday Shows Begin at 7:30 pm
Sunday Matinees Begin at 3 pm

Click here to view the summer season's company

Click here to download a copy of the Summer Festival Poster

The Fantasticks
by  Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones
July 3, 4, 5 & 6, Thursday through Sunday

Opening the playhouse season this year the Festival Players and Muskegon Community College’s Overbrook Theatre present the world’s longest running musical. This light, romantic musical tells the story of two fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love and includes wonderful songs like, “Try to Remember.” Directed by Sheila Kulp Wahamaki (Sylvia, Escanaba in Da Moonlight).

Scenes from The Fantasticks (click on any picture to view a larger version

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
by Adam Long, Daniel Singer & Jess Winfield
July 10, 11, 12 & 13, Thursday through Sunday
Encore 2nd Week! July 17, 18 & 19, Thursday through Saturday

A wildly funny romp through all 37 of the Bard’s plays in one evening! Our most requested play returns to the playhouse stage with festival players Jeremy Meier and Brandon Zale, directed by Kevin Wurz. If you like Monty Python and love (or hate!) Shakespeare, this is the show for you. Not for the faint of heart or those with motion sickness. Can they do it all in 90 minutes? Join us and see.

Scenes from The Complete Works (click on any picture to view a larger version)

As You Like It and Richard III
by William Shakespeare
As You Like It: July 24 & 26, Thursday & Saturday
Richard III: July 25 & 27, Friday & Sunday

The Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company returns to the playhouse with one weekend of two shows presented in repertory. The romantic comedy of mistaken identities will play on Thursday and Saturday, contrasting with the jealousy and ambition of one of England’s most ruthless monarchs on Friday and Sunday. See one cast tackle two of Shakespeare’s great plays in one weekend, featuring PCS regulars Katherine Mayberry and Scott Lange.

The Jungle Book
A Youth Theatre Performance
by Rudyard Kipling, adapted by Joseph Robinette
July 31, August 1 & 2, Thursday through Saturday

The White Lake Youth Theatre tradition continues at the playhouse as the students perform Kipling’s classic story of Mowgli, the Indian boy, raised by caring wolves, befriended by Bagheera, the Panther, and Baloo, the Bear; threatened by Shere Kahn, the evil tiger. Young audiences will delight in the portrayal of the animals and the fast paced action, older children will be fascinated by the character relations and the story itself; just great family entertainment.

Star Spangled Girl
by Neil Simon
August 7, 8, 9 & 10, Thursday through Sunday

The “Red and Blue” states collide in this romantic tale by America’s master comic playwright. All-American Sophie moves in next to Andy and Norman, radicals barely getting by publishing their magazine “Fallout.” It’s love at first “smell(?)” Will true love conquer politics? Featuring Andrea Matthews (Lend Me a Tenor from the 2007 Summer Season) and directed by Tom Harryman.

Scenes from Star Spangled Girl (click on any picture to view a larger version)

The Foreigner
by Larry Shue
August 14, 15, 16 & 17 Thursday through Sunday
Encore 2nd Week! August 21, 22 & 23, Thursday through Saturday

This multi-award winning comedy will be the final season show for the Festival Players with Brandon Zale, Jackie Cody, Terry Ireland, Tom Harryman and a rare stage appearance by director Kevin Wurz! In a fishing lodge in rural Georgia, two Englishmen encounter assorted secrets, scandals and the KKK! All this drama because the locals think Charlie is a foreigner & doesn’t speak English. Also a playhouse debut of West Michigan’s Judy Johnson as Betty.

Scenes from The Foreigner (click on any picture to view a larger version)