by Tom Varner | Jan 6, 2016 | Press Release, Shows
Sponsored by Staunton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Hard Road Theatre Productions in association with the Highland Arts Council invites you to join them for an evening of hilarious hijinks with the nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing in the state and regional premiere of the family-friendly comedy Drinking Habits 2. The play is a direct sequel to last winter’s highly popular play, Drinking Habits and features all of the same characters.
Set in the present day outside the small town of Shady Glenn, USA, Drinking Habits 2 follows the misadventures of the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing and their friends. An orphanage with a strong connection to the convent is in danger of closing unless $5,000 can be raised in four weeks. In order to raise the needed funds, the convent decides to perform a play written by Mother Superior. Meanwhile, the other nuns of the convent agree to make a secret batch of their award-winning wine to sell to supplement the play’s proceeds. But when Mother Superior believes she’s had a holy vision, the lead male actor can’t remember his lines, and the woman playing the Blessed Mother can’t stop her uncontrollable cravings because she’s pregnant with twins, things are thrown into chaos and everything that can go wrong does just as the curtain rises.
Directed by Tom Varner, the cast includes Breanna Noe as Sister Augusta, Linda Collman as Sister Philamena, Chad Korte as George, Mary Knebel as Mother Superior, Evan Fifer as Paul Billings, Gentry Nessel as Sally Andrews, Megan Jakel as Kate, and Rob Bowman as Father Chenille. According to Varner, audiences are in for a real treat as Hard Road’s production is only the second place in the world to be performing this play. The play hasn’t even been officially published, yet, and is being produced in direct accordance with the author. “Drinking Habits was so successful and well received than when we were presented with this opportunity, we couldn’t pass it up,” said Varner. “It isn’t necessary to have seen the first show to enjoy this one. Audiences are going to love this show and what occurs as the convent tries to put on their play while the sisters secretly start bootlegging wine again.”
Drinking Habits 2 is acceptable for families as it contains no foul language or adult situations. Performance dates are Jan. 21, 22, 23, 29, and 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Jan. 24 at 2:00 p.m. Performances will be held in the Highland Elementary Auditorium, 1800 Lindenthal Ave., Highland, IL 62249. Ticket prices are $10 and can be purchased online (www.hardroad.org), at the door, or in person at the Highland Chamber of Commerce.
Hard Road Theatre Productions is a non-profit theatre organization committed to providing Highland and the surrounding area with high-quality, affordable, live theatre productions.
by Tom Varner | Jun 30, 2015 | Announcements, Press Release, Shows
PROM IS FOR EVERYONE
Hard Road Theatre Productions in association with the Highland Arts Council and sponsored by Staunton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram invite you to attend a prom of the undead as they present the original musical ZOMBIE PROM. Set in the fabulous 1950s, ZOMBIE PROM is the tale of a sweet teenage girl named Toffee and her rebel-without-a-cause boyfriend, Jonny. The two meet at Enrico Fermi High School and fall in love, but Principal Delilah Strict intervenes and persuades Toffee to break up with Jonny for her own good. Tortured by his betrayed love, Johnny drives his motorcycle to a nearby nuclear power plant and flings himself inside a cooling tower. Toffee mourns the loss of her love, but Jonny returns in an altered state, professes his love, and promises to take Toffee to the prom if she’ll have him. As Toffee finds herself torn between being with her love and living a “normal” life, Principal Strict deals with the dilemma and chaos that Johnny’s return brings to the school and threatens to cancel the senior prom.
Directed by David Whitacre, ZOMBIE PROM includes a cast of about 25 students from several different communities including Highland, Greenville, and O’Fallon. Performances for ZOMBIE PROM are July 9th-11th at 7:00 p.m. and on July 12th at 2:00 p.m. All performances will be held at the Highland High School Kennel located at 12760 Troxler Ave., Highland, IL. Tickets are $9 if purchased online and $10 at the door. Online ticket purchases stop 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of the show. Seating is on a first come first serve basis and is limited to 200 people.
Hard Road Theatre Productions is a non-profit theatre organization committed to providing the greater Highland area with high-quality, affordable, live theatre productions. For more information about ZOMBIE PROM or Hard Road Theatre visit the Hard Road website at www.hardroad.org, send an email to cs@hoardroad.org, or call 618-409-6286.
by Tom Varner | Jun 18, 2015 | Press Release, Shows
TAKE A TRIP TO WONDERLAND WITH HARD ROAD THEATRE
Hard Road Theatre Productions in association with the Highland Arts Council and sponsored by Scott Credit Union, invite you to take a trip to Wonderland as they present DISNEY’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND JR. Based off the classic children’s story by Lewis Carroll and adapted from the 1951 Disney movie, the show revolves around a young girl named Alice who follows a talking rabbit down a hole and finds herself in a strange world of grinning felines, magic potions, talking animals, and an angry queen. Alice just wants to return home, but no one seems all that interested in helping her. The show features a mostly new and original soundtrack, but does showcase the classic Disney song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah”.
Directed by Gentry Nessel, the cast for DISNEY’ ALICE IN WONDERLAND includes over fifty students from several different communities including Highland, Greenville, Edwardsville, Collinsville, and O’Fallon. Performances for DISNEY’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND JR. are June 25-27th at 7:00 p.m. and on June 28th at 2:00 p.m. at the Highland Elementary Auditorium, located at 1800 Lindenthal Ave., Highland, IL. Tickets are $9 if purchased online and $10 if purchased at the door.
Hard Road Theatre Productions is a non-profit theatre organization committed to providing the greater Highland area with high-quality, affordable, live theatre productions. For more information about DISNEY’S ALICE IN WONDERLAND JR. or Hard Road Theatre visit the Hard Road website at www.hardroad.org, send an email to tom@hoardroad.org, or call 618-409-6286.
by Tom Varner | Feb 18, 2015 | Announcements, Press Release
Hard Road Theatre in conjunction with the Highland Community Chorus and sponsored by TheBANK of Edwardsville will be presenting a special one-night only production of SOUTH PACIFIC – IN CONCERT on Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 p.m. Based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by James A. Michener and and adapted from the Tony-award winning musical, SOUTH PACIFIC – IN CONCERT has a plot that centers around an American nurse stationed on a South Pacific island during WWII who falls in love with an older expatriate French plantation owner. The show features such popular tunes as “Bali Ha’I”, “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair”, “Some Enchanted Evening”, “There Is Nothing Like a Dame”, “Happy Talk”, and “Honey Bun”. The cast includes Bill Sullivan as Emile de Becque, Breanna Noe as Nellie Forbush, Rob Bowman as Captain Bracket, Chris Weckler as, Gentry Nessel as Bloody Mary, Jonathon Morgan as Lieutenant Cable, and Tom Varner as Luther Billis. The evening will also featured catered hors d’oeuvres and a special tribute and recognition of veterans and the U.S. armed forces. SOUTH PACIFIC – IN CONCERT will be performed at the Highland K.C. Hall located at 12454 State Route 143, Highland, IL 62249. Tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased at the Highland Chamber of Commerce office or online at www.hardroad.org. There is limited seating for this event and ONLINE TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE March 1st. For more information call 618-409-6286 or email evan@hardroad.org.
by Bill | Feb 18, 2013 | Announcements, Press Release
The Highland Area Christian Service Ministry (HACSM) Food Pantry swept the pot from Hard Road Theater’s recent production of The Odd Couple. The benefit performance featuring John Jatcko and Bill Sullivan, and sponsored by First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust, raised $5300 for the organization that helps area residents.
“This wasn’t just the hard work of our Hard Road volunteers,” said Sullivan, who also directed the production. “This is a testament to the heart and soul of Highland area residents. When there is someone or some place in town that needs help, the people in our town respond.”
Jatcko and Sullivan reunited to bring to life the classic duo of Oscar Madison and Felix Unger in Neil Simon’s timeless comedy. This was the second run of the show, which originally opened in January 2002. The show also brought together some of Hard Road’s earliest performers including Tom Varner, Wayne Steiner, and Rob Bowman as the poker-playing, unpredictably-funny buddies of Oscar and Felix, and Gentry Nessel and Meredith Canterberry as the crazy, but endearing Pigeon sisters. New faces were also seen in this production, including Jim Burgett as Speed.
“We had help from so many people and places to make this a success,” said Sullivan. “From the furniture donated by Tin Shed; the materials and manpower to build sets donated by Aviston Lumber, Southwest Construction and Highland Rotary Club; Highland Chamber of Commerce for helping us sell tickets, and many, many more.”
The show ran Feb. 1-3, with all net proceeds going to support the HACSM Food Pantry. HACSM began as an outreach project of the mission committee of a local church aimed to provide a food pantry for area residents in need. As the need increased, so did the facility, which is now housed in a 4500 square foot building located at 900 Chestnut Street in Highland, Illinois. HACSM’s service area includes Highland, Grant Fork, Alhambra, New Douglas, Pierron, St. Jacob, and Marine.
Seeing a delighted audience at the end of a production is usually the icing on the cake for most directors, but Sullivan says the good that has come from this production outweighs even that feeling. “Watching the community come together and support such a good cause is heartwarming,” he said. “The food pantry is doing great work in this community and deserves to be supported.”
Hard Road is still accepting donations to be passed along to HACSM Food Pantry. Anyone interested in making a donation should contact Bill Sullivan at (618) 654-2103 or bill@highlandmachine.com.
