The

WATERTOWN PLAYERS

Production of

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S

“STATE FAIR”

Director: W. F. JANNKE III

Assistant Director: SUE TREPTE

Vocal Director: ANNE PENFIELD

Choreographer: ANNETTE STREGE

Set Designers and Technical Directors: WENDY HIBBARD, DALE VAN HOLTEN

Costumes: CHRISTINE LALLY

 

STARRING:

 

CHARACTER                                             PLAYED BY

 

ABEL FRAKE                                                                MATT EMERSON

A farmer in Iowa and the head of the household.  He owns Blueboy, the prize-winning porker

 

GUS, THE FRAKE’S HIRED MAN                                   DALE VAN HOLTEN

          The Frake’s Hired Man -- a hard worker, but a bit of a tippler

 

MARGY FRAKE                                                             BERNADETTE GEIB

        Abel’s daughter.  A bit of dreamer, who is hoping for more romance in life. 

   At least more than Harry, her current suitor, can provide her with

 

MELISSA FRAKE                                                          LISA STEFFL

        Abel’s better half.  She is the voice of reason and possesses a killer mince-meat recipe

 

WAYNE FRAKE                                                             JODIE HALL

          Abel’s son.  He is also looking for romance and adventure and the chance to beat the Hoop-La man

   at the Fair who took advantage of him the year before

 

DAVE MILLER                                                              JIM STEFFL

          The local storekeeper, cynic, curmudgeon and best friend of Abel Frake

 

ELEANOR, WAYNE’S GIRLFRIEND                               CHARLOTTE GROTH

          Wayne’s intended, until she told him she was going off to school to study nursing

 

HARRY, MARGY’S BOYFRIEND                                     CALEB WOHLUST

          Margy’s boyfriend.  A man of little imagination, with a passion for modern farming methods 

 

THE FAIR ANNOUNCER                                                FRED “TINY” ELLIS

 

THE HOOP-LA BARKER                                                JIM STEFFL

          A tough, world-weary, seen-it-all sort, who is out to separate the suckers

   from their cash until Wayne and Emily Arden ruin his plans

 

EMILY ARDEN                                                              WENDY HIBBARD

          A singer and dancer of some renown.  She has seen it all and keeps her heart to herself, but she is

   not too jaded to fall (albeit temporarily) for the charms of small town hick Wayne Frake.

 

THE ASTOUNDING STRALENKO                                   BRYAN QUINN

 

VIVIAN, A COOCH DANCER                                          KATHERINE TUINSTRA

          A cooch dancer who has seen it all and has an eye for Pat Gilbert

 

JEANNE, A COOCH DANCER                                        BETHANY MUELLER

          A cooch dancer--like Vivian she has been around the block a few times, but she still manages to

   bring a flutter to the hearts of farmers and small town boys with her serpentine dance moves.

 

PAT GILBERT                                                               WILL WILEY

          A hard-bitten newspaper reporter who has seen it all, but still manages to have his head turned by Margy Frake

 

CHARLIE                                                                      STEVE ELLIS

          A newspaper photographer and friend and confidant of Pat Gilbert’s

 

LEM, A FARMER                                                           JOHN TREPTE

 

CLAY, A FARMER                                                         FRED “TINY” ELLIS

 

HANK MUNSON, A FARMER                                         DALE VAN HOLTEN

 

THE CHIEF OF POLICE                                                 JOHN TREPTE

 

VIOLET, HIS DAUGHTER                                              JESSIE TUINSTRA

          The Chief’s 12 year old daughter who has her head turned by Wayne Frake.

 

THE FAIRTONES                                                          JESSICA HALL

KATHEIRNE TUINSTRA

BETHANY MUELLER

 

JUDGE HEPPENSTAHL                                                 HAROLD VAN OMMERN

          One of the judges at the mince-meat competition.  He has a weakness for Melissa’s spiked mince-meat.

 

MRS. EDWIN METCALF                                                JULIE ELLIS

          Previous winner of the blue ribbon for mince-meat

 

UNCLE SAM                                                                 CALEB WOHLUST

 

MALE JUDGE                                                               BRYAN QUINN

 

FEMALE JUDGE                                                           JESSICA HALL

 

TWO ROUSTABOUTS                                                   BRYAN QUINN

JIM STEFFL

 

SHOOTING GALLERY VENDOR                                    BRYAN QUINN

 

BALLOON SELLER                                                       JESSICA HALL

 

BARTENDER                                                                 STEVE ELLIS

 

CONCESSION SELLER                                                 LEE LOGING

 

MRS. BOXHORN                                                           MARIE VAN LIESHOUT

 

CHORUS                                                                      JULIA TREPTE

HANNAH TUINSTRA

LAUREN DALZIN

CONNOR DALZIN

EMMA VAN OMMERN

MOLLY HALVERSON

HANNAH MORSE