Lordy, Lordy! Look who's 40!
This summer, Phantom Theater reaches a remarkable milestone – 40 years of original, and unforgettable performances. To mark the occasion, the company is pulling out all the stops with “Phantom Turns 40!”, a vibrant mash-up of greatest hits, comedy sketches, dance, original music, and moments of reflection, happening July 18-19 at the Edgcomb barn in Warren.
This summer’s cast is a mix of local talent and professional performers traveling from all over the country. The cast reads like a who's who of eclectic artists: actors, musicians, directors, teachers, authors, restauranteurs, architects, treehouse builders, humanitarians and more.
People keep asking what the show will be about, and the truth is no one really knows until the lights go up on opening night. When this group of performers reunites, the process becomes a form of curated improvisation. B’fer Roth said, “Phantom shows fill you with a sense of wonder; you wonder what you’re getting into! But you know you will be pleasantly surprised.”
For many cast members, Phantom has never been just a theater – it’s been a creative home. I fell in love with the stage as a child performing numerous shows with Phantom, playing Ariel in “The Tempest” and delivering a Lady MacBeth monologue before the age of 10. That same monologue even found its way into my first solo show, “Killing It,” 20 years later.
Longtime Phantom collaborator, Ben Schneider, told a similar story, “I remember going to see the very first Phantom Theater show, “Crimes of the Heart,” and that experience had a lot to do with me being interested in theater when I got to college years later.” Phantom has ignited a lifelong love for the arts for many and this anniversary show celebrates that shared passion.
The first cast rendezvous began on Zoom, a little over a month ago, filled with banter, memories, and the kind of wild ideas that only Phantom could dream up – one instant favorite was an original song by founder Cat Carr, titled, “I Can Feel Myself Aging,” which all agreed felt hilariously appropriate for a 40th anniversary show.
Even though cast members were still in the beginning stages of brainstorming, they knew that characters, Wolfie and Clog, would return as the show’s emcees, played by director, David Sinaiko and Ben Schneider. Their return captures the spirit of joyful improvisation that is one of the defining characteristics of this show.
“Wolfie is a lounge singer who is very groovy and vaguely European, though he claims to be from Denver, so you know he is a person of mysterious origin,” explained Sinaiko. Schneider added, “Clog is a lovely combination of an intellectual and a beast. . . he’s funny and oddly sensitive and I really enjoy living life through him. Clog is very excited to be back in town!”
We are all wondering: Has Clog finally removed the fork from his skull?
“Phantom Turns 40!” is more than a retrospective. It’s a living, breathing celebration. “It’s going to be a communal active celebration,” said Sinaiko, “a celebration of both the people on the stage and the people in the audience and what we’ve shared together in making theater.” Carr added, “This ensemble is like a master jazz group that has played together for decades . . still at the top of their game.”
Even as a performer, I am just as excited to see what unfolds as anyone else in the audience. Who knows? Lady MacBeth might even make an appearance. . . perhaps this time, in a strip club in Los Angeles.
Phantom Theater presents “Phantom Turns 40!” Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19, 8 p.m. For more information and advance tickets, visit phantomtheater.org.
Right picture Cast members - Top Row, left to right: Rob Donaldson, Pamela Rickard, Tammi Cubilette; center row: Josh Broder, David Sinaiko, Karen Leiner; bottom row: Jeanne Darst, Liz Darst, and David Gammons
Left picture Cast members - Top row, left to right: Cat Carr, Henry Tenney; center row: Ramsey Brown, Jim Sanford, Annie Wattles; bottom row: Tracy Martin, and Ben Schneider.
