The Imagination Blog

We asked John Mallonee to kick off our “Playhouse Tales” by telling the story of how he came to Hershey Area Playhouse. An excerpt from his tale was in the Winter 2009 issue of Bravo! The Magazine of Hershey Area Playhouse. His complete story is below – enjoy reading it, then share yours. Simply register, then click to add a comment, and let our community know how your journey led you to Hershey Area Playhouse.

My Playhouse Tale
By John Mallonee

I’d like to welcome all of you readers to a personal story about getting involved with the theatre. Hopefully this story shows that it’s possible to turn an interest into an avocation and that you don’t have to be a professional to be a performer.

First, let me introduce myself. My name is John Mallonee and I’ve lived in Hershey for the past 20 years. I grew up locally and became more of a fixture in Hershey after taking a summer job at Hersheypark during my college years. It was there that I met my lovely wife Kelly to whom I’ve been married for over 23 years now. I’m a member of the Hershey Lions Club and for the past two and a half years have been a member of the Hershey Area Playhouse family.

My journey into theatre was a long time coming as I temporarily became involved with the drama club in 9th grade. However, the acting bug didn’t find fertile soil and I wouldn’t be close to the stage for some time to come. My next opportunity to perform for an audience came years later in the strangest of places. While working in an office environment, my area started a tradition of having a Christmas Pageant each year.  We had portrayals of various classics including Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, A Charlie Brown Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and many others. I found out how much of a ham I was as I played many characters in a small lunch room in front of coworkers and some of their children. I even took many turns as a director and producer and have been the holiday coordinator for many years now.

Fast forward to 2002 and an inspiration that got me started on the final stretch to an involvement in community theatre. My father, whom I love and admire, took on a few small roles in The Music Man with the Twin Valley Players. Watching my Dad and seeing my first Broadway show (Beauty and the Beast) really stirred the performing bug in me to the point where I decided to try out for a Hershey Area Playhouse musical.

It was 2004 and the summer show was to be The Wizard of Oz. Director and Hershey Area Playhouse founder Skip Becker had recently talked to our Lions Club about the Playhouse and I took the plunge and tried out. It was my first attempt to land a role in any show and I could tell that many others were regulars. I did the singing and dancing (or something resembling it) and finally did some improvisation for Skip. It went well enough that I got a call back the next day for the role of “The Tin Man”, and as I pictured an emerging dream coming true … I didn’t get the part.

Well, although I had tried not to get my hopes up, I was nonetheless very disappointed. When 2005 rolled around, I took the plunge again with Oliver! and this time … I still didn’t get a part. So in 2006 when I tried out for Cinderella, I wasn’t expecting much. It seems that destiny intervened as this time I got “the call” and found that I had been cast as “The Herald” and my career had begun. It was one of the most exciting personal experiences I’ve ever had and it helped me to realize a thrill that stays with me to this day. A little over two years later, I’ve had the good fortune to act and sing in 5 productions at the Playhouse and look forward to many more.

Getting a breakthrough part in Cinderella gave me continued confidence and desire to try out for other parts. It didn’t take long when I saw one of my childhood favorites scheduled for the Fall of 2006: A Christmas Story. This is certainly an overall family favorite, but it was also a personal one for me. The heartwarming, comical nature of this piece of Americana struck me from the first time I saw the movie, and I knew that I just had to be part of Hershey Area Playhouse’s production.

During the volunteer appreciation event, I tracked down the director, Tom Curry. I knew that I would be out of town for the scheduled auditions, and Tom was gracious enough to give me a personal audition prior to departing. While I was out of town, I got the great news that I had been cast as “Ralph” who was the narrator of the show, and the mature persona of the younger “Ralphie.” It wasn’t until I got started with rehearsals that I realized how big a chunk I had bitten off, as there were very intricate and verbose lines for me to memorize. However, it was also then that I got to work with the wonderful cast and crew, both young and young at heart. I’ve formed some Playhouse friendships which I continue to maintain to this day.

A Christmas Story was to be the last show for Hershey Area Playhouse prior to the new and wonderful venue, as we performed at the old Mikasa store (now The Disney Store) at The Outlets at Hershey. With some loving care from the crew, we transformed the vacant store into the house on Cleveland Street. I relished every night and afternoon of being able to be such a big part of a production with such a great team. I love the feeling of being in our permanent home, but I still reminisce each time I stroll past those windows and think about the lights and the official Red Ryder 200-shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built right into the stock.

So, now you know a little more about me, but more importantly, I hope that I’ve shown that having a dream can be the first step to being a part of local theatre. Even if you don’t have a theatrical background, it’s never too late to take a chance.  I was a mature adult (okay, maybe not quite the right term) before I ever got started and my inspiration and father proved it even more so to me.  So, what are you doing hanging out in the shadows? The spotlight and audience is waiting…

It dawned on my while I was sitting on my couch last night, staring intensely at my new flat screen. Even though we didn’t have LOVE LETTERS rehearsal yesterday, I feel I learned something about directing in that moment. Well, really I REALIZED something about why I love directing. (Emphasis on the “I” and the “love”.) More specifically, of course, I realized why I am loving directing LOVE LETTERS.

Recently I started working at Arcus, a terrific company in Hummelstown. Here I will insert the much needed Arcus Marketing information, due to the fact that I work in Marketing at Arcus.  Ahem.

Arcus is a nationally-recognized staffing, recruiting and direct placement firm. Our team of recruiters is dedicated to helping you grow your business.

There. I’ve done my duty. And happy to do it, too! You see, it is important to give Arcus a nod because Doug Firestone, the CEO, has agreed to Arcus being a Sponsor of the show! (Insert wild applause here. Doug bows. Curtain closes.)

So, back to my life-altering epiphany. The Arcus Apprentices were interviewing me for their first project. Okay, they weren’t JUST interviewing ME. They were interviewing all Arcus employees but REGARDLESS… during MY interview they asked ME two fantastic, eye-opening questions. They also asked me what body part would I make bigger or smaller and why. After giggling, I responded, “I would want my eyes to be bigger so I could look like and anime character. You can really tell what they are thinking. Very expressive.” But that was not the question that opened my eyes, which are a fine size by the way. No, the questions in question were:

1) What are you most passionate about? “Hm,” I said. “What am I most passionate about, huh? I guess I would have to say communication.” (The Apprentices  smile politely.)

2) Describe yourself in one word. (I know, I know. This isn’t a question, per say, but I described it as such for simplicity’s sake.) I replied,”Wow! Er… Ah… Uhm… well… geez…” (The Apprentices stare blankly.) “Uuuuuh… Oh! Yes! I know! Collaboration. I mean, I am a collaborator!”

While I was playing my Wii last night, I realized I have thought about those two words before but never in such simple terms: I am wild about communication and collaboration. Those two little-ish words  is why I am having such a gosh darn great time directing Terry and Brian in LOVE LETTERS. They are superb collaborators and very talented communicators. The show is leaping off the page, off the stage. I could dare say the same thing about Derek and my entire production team. And I dare! Everyone involved with this already beautiful piece of theatre is devoted to creating something together (collaboration) that looks great, sounds great, and means something (communication).

“I am so proud of the show!” I thought. “LOVE LETTERS is gonna be great!” Then I rewarded myself with another round of Guitar Hero.

The pressure is starting to rise. As the month of January moves into its latter half, I realize we are now less than a month away from Opening Night. Yikes!

I can’t continue without acknowledging a huge boost we all received recently by way a wonderful article in The Sun. Aura Hill, a reporter from the paper, and Nathan Merkel, a photographer, came to the theater to interview us for what was supposed to be an “article” about the show. However, what was ultimately printed was more than I could have imagined - a full-page, color-photo montage of our rehearsal, and a half-page, beautifully written history of our production.

Terry and I saw the paper the night it came out. We stopped by a local convenience store to grab a copy. It was snowing and the temperature was in the teens, but I heroically ran into the store so that my wife could remain cozy, warm, and listening to Dave Matthews. When I returned to the car - my core body temperature in the single digits - we turned the overhead light on and flipped through the paper. When we saw the photos, we just sat there. “Wow!” was all we could say. It was beautiful. (Any Hollywood production would die for this kind of publicity.) It was so nice in fact, that I had to run back into the store to buy the remaining copies.

Nathan’s photos truly captured the feeling in theater that night. One photo in particular, taken from the control booth at the top of the theater, showed what a wonderful space we have at the Playhouse. It’s a modern facility, yet it is cozy and extremely intimate. The sight lines are wonderful - there truly is not a bad seat in the house.

It was getting late so Terry read me the accompanying article out loud as we drove home. After each paragraph I kept saying “Wow!” and she kept saying “Let me finish!” I let her finish.

Aura did a fantastic job of telling our story. It’s funny when you read about yourself because you know your own life story. When there are errors, you know it right away. (I once did an article with a major city newspaper only to find it peppered with errors. Errors which, I would later find out, were cut and pasted from an unofficial “fansite”.) But this article was perfect. To be honest, I had a feeling it would be. We were only few minutes into the interview and I could tell that Aura was really listening.  She asked thoughtful questions, and followed up our answers with new questions. She didn’t just run through a list. It also didn’t hurt that she was a very nice person. Terry and I just liked her from the start, and it was our pleasure to talk with her.

It’s probably clear that the article meant a lot to us - for many reasons. Sure, we need and appreciate all the attention we can get. We want people to come to the show. But the Playhouse is about more than that. It’s the community’s hub for the Arts. It’s inclusive. It’s there for everyone, and that message needs to get out.

In one of the photos in The Sun article, you see a group of folks standing on the stage having a discussion about the set design. There, in the middle of the pack, is a friend of ours, Amy. Several years ago, we met Amy through a business contact. Since then we’ve gotten to know her, but, again, our relationship was based on business. One day she told me that she was interested in doing something creative with her time, and she mentioned an interest in design. I suggested to her that she might consider volunteering to do set design somewhere. Ironically, it was a just a few weeks later that Terry and I got involved with “Love Letters”. I called her and said, “The time is now.” I told her about the show, and told her I’d be happy to give her name to the theater if they needed help. Weeks went by, and I hadn’t talk to her. But the night The Sun was at the theater, there was Amy, notebook in hand, emerging from a production meeting. Terry and I were thrilled to see her. She is now a part of the team, and to me, that’s what community theater is all about.

The “marathon” rehearsal is over, and I think it was time well spent. Terry and I, Derek Dunham (marketing guru and assistant Director), and Stuart Landon (the Director) all hunkered down this past weekend for a five hour rehearsal. Our goal was to finish blocking the show. We succeeded in doing that - helped in large part by caffeine, cherry brownies, and an assortment of Hershey chocolates.

As I mentioned in a previous post, there seems to be a point in the rehearsal process where things get exponentially better. Usually, it’s when everyone has learned their lines and is free to relax and play. This happened for us on Saturday. Well, really Monday.

Monday night’s rehearsal was great. We ran the first act with just a few minor stumbles. It was nice to feel the blocking becoming familiar, as well as the text. Also, a production meeting preceded our rehearsal which gave Terry and I a chance to meet the people who will be handling the technical side of the show. No surprise, everyone was wonderful.

Also, a few folks stayed around to watch our rehearsal. In such an intimate space, a few bodies in the seats really makes a difference. I think Terry and I both felt excited to have someone there, but also a bit nervous. Nervous in the sense that we want to do a good job, and have everyone pleased with the end result. But at this point we’re still finding our way. However, once we got rolling, we really had a good time. I left the theater feeling really elated. I think that’s a sign that thinks are really working. Or that I should switch to decaf.

Brian

I’d like to share a little story that was relayed to me today from an old friend in Chicago. About 13 years ago, when I was starting my career in the Windy City,  I had the good fortune to be cast in a play called “And Neither Have I Wings To Fly”. The show was an enormous success - so much so that we formed a theater company from it.

One night, towards the end of the run, an acquaintance of one of my cast mates brought a group of troubled teens she’d been working with to see the show. We met briefly with them afterwards and that was that.

Well, it turns out that the woman who brought those kids to the show was contacted recently by one of the boys - now grown up and raising a family - who wanted to reach out to her, all these years later, to thank her for being such a powerful force in his life. In his correspondence he asked if she remembered the night she’d taken them to see the play because that night had meant so much to him, and had launched a love of plays and the arts that he still has today. He said that he has never forgotten that night, and the people involved in it.

I wanted to share that story because it’s sweet. But it’s also important to remember that when we participate in the arts we create experiences. Kids, and even some adults, in the audience may be experiencing live theater for the first time. And when they leave the theater we may not think that we’ve had an effect on them. But for some, like the boy in Chicago, the effect is enormous and lasts a lifetime.

Now to change gears for a moment:

Despite the icy conditions tonight we managed to have a brief photo shoot for the cover of the Playhouse’s magazine “Bravo!” As always, Michael Feldser volunteered his time and his camera to get the shots we needed. His wife Louise was on hand as well to make sure that the lens cap was off. (Thanks again, Michael and Louise!)

We also got to see the finalized poster for “Love Letters”. It looks great, and is now in the hands of the printer. So pay extra attention when you are meandering around the Hershey area over the next few weeks - you may just see one. And when you do, point at it and shout, “Love Letters at Hershey Area Playhouse is when? February 12 through the 22nd? I hear that show is awesome! I’m am definitely not missing that! I’m gonna run home right now and log-on to HersheyAreaPlayhouse.com and order my tickets!” (Or words to that effect.)

Brian

Happy New Year!

Unfortunately, I don’t have much news to report since my last post. We’ve had to cancel our rehearsals as a result of unforeseen travel issues and other things during the holidays. However, we are going to make up for it with the theatrical equivalent of an “all-nighter”. We’ve planned a marathon rehearsal for next week.

At this point we still need to block the second half of the show. As I mentioned before, “Love Letters” is a unique play for many reasons. For one thing, the actors hold their scripts - it requires no memorization. I bring that up because if you’ve ever done a play you probably know that the rehearsal process intensifies exponentially when everyone is “off book” (i.e. has their lines memorized). Once everyone knows what they are supposed to say the real fun of rehearsal can begin. Before that, when everyone it tethered to the script, the creative process is somewhat restrained. But once you let go of the script, you, as an actor, can really stretch and create your character. Likewise, in our production, I think that once we have the show blocked, and we have a framework from which to work, things will really start to happen.

I’ll report back when it does.

Brian