Brush Creek is pleased to announce that we will be opening our 2022 season (after being “dark” for two years) with “The Bat.”

Auditions for this delightful classic mystery will be

1 pm  on Sunday, January 23 
6 pm on Monday, January 24.

Rehearsals will begin February 7, and the production will open on Friday, March 18 and run through Sunday, April 3.

BCP Veteran Norman Gouveia will be directing the show, and he is anxious to get this new production in front of Brush Creek audiences. Beginners and experienced actors are encouraged to try out — given the need to protect all our volunteers and audience members, we do ask that all members of the cast and crew provide verification that they have received a COVID-19 vaccination and a booster if eligible to receive one.

If you have questions about the production, you can reach Norman at normanjr1@msn.com.

Did the classic mystery, The Bat, inspire a superhero?

The Bat is a 1920 three-act play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood that was based on Rinehart’s 1908 novel, The Circular Staircase. The story combines elements of mystery and comedy as Cornelia Van Gorder and her guests spend a stormy night at her rented summer home, searching for stolen money they believe is hidden in the house, while they are stalked by a masked criminal known as “the Bat.”

The Bat was a critical and commercial success, running for 867 performances in New York and 327 performances in London. The play was revived twice on Broadway, in 1937 and 1953. It spawned several adaptations, including a 1926 novel and three film adaptations were produced in 1926, 1930, and 1959.

The play and its adaptations inspired other comedy-mysteries with similar settings, and they are said to have influenced the creation of the comic-book superhero Batman.

The cast of characters includes 10 adults of various ages, with marvelous roles for both males and females. Brush Creek encourages actors and would-be actors to give the show a try — and for the rest of you, mark your calendars for our March 18 opening!

After spending most of 2020 and 2021 “dark,” BCP is making plans to reopen our stage in 2022. BCP President Heidi Parsons convened the Brush Creek general membership meeting virtually on Sunday, November 28.

At the meeting, the BCP Board shared tentative plans for the 2022 season — the Board hope to start our season with The Bat in early Spring, followed by the annual children/young adult show, The Brothers Grimm Tale of Snow White, in late Spring/early Summer. We plan a melodrama over the Summer and perhaps another production during the Fall. We will be rounding the season off with a Holiday Variety Show in December.

Because BCP owns its building outright and was able to decrease (but not eliminate) its ongoing expenditures by letting the stage “go dark” — and because of continuing donations by friends of the theater, as well as a grant received from the Marion County Cultural Trust — Treasurer Michael Wood was able to report that BCP remains in reasonable financial shape, with more than $1,000 in Operating Funds and more than $6,000 in Capital Funds. That means that we should be able to take the financial risks necessary to start the season in 2022, relying upon continued support from audiences, members, and friends to cover our ongoing costs.

The membership elected the four officers for next year, whose terms will begin January 1, 2022. Linda Zellner was elected President, Sharon Jensen-Messman was elected Vice President, Norman Gouveia was elected Secretary, and Michael Wood was elected Treasurer. Norman and Michael will be returning in the same positions they hold today, and both Linda and Sharon are long-time Board members who are serving as at-large members in 2021.

To all BCP Members and Friends:

In order to comply with distancing requirements and to ensure the highest level of protection for our valued members, friends, and volunteers — many of whom face elevated risks from the pandemic for one reason or another — the Brush Creek Board plans to hold our fall membership meeting as an entirely virtual meeting.

This will be the annual Brush Creek Playhouse general membership meeting, required by our Bylaws. The primary agenda will be to take reports from the Board about the theater’s status in 2020 and about tentative plans for 2021, as well as to elect new officers — President (Linda Zellner is not eligible for a third term), Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer — for 2021. The virtual meeting will convene at 6 pm and run no longer than 1 hour (the meeting will be preceded by a BCP Board meeting from 5:30 to 6, to which all are welcome). All BCP members and friends are invited — only members will be able to vote.

The Zoom link to register is shown below — we are asking attendees to register so that we have an accurate record of attendance, but everyone is welcome to register and attend without restriction.

Zoom Meeting Details:

The meeting begins at 5:30; membership meeting begins at 6 pm) on Sunday, September 20.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcuCvrz0vEtzquTH_LyRzm9IiDQ6FRtAA

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Brush Creek Playhouse: 2020 Season

Brush Creek Playhouse was forced by the COVID-19 emergency to cancel our 2020 season (following the first two weeks of The True Tale of the Sleeping Beauty). We made this decision reluctantly, but it was necessary both to comply with the state’s mandates and to ensure that our volunteers and audience members remain safe and healthy.

We have tentatively planned a three-show season for 2021, beginning with the children’s show in late Spring, rather than in Winter. We hope that we will be able to operate as planned and return to a full schedule in 2022.

As we have continued to evaluate the overall situation regarding COVID-19, the Brush Creek Board reluctantly decided to cancel — or at least postpone — the final weekend of performances for The True Tale of the Sleeping Beauty.  We do hope to reschedule the performances when the situation stabilizes — so that more audience members can appreciate the hard work these young actors have put into their production!

Anyone who purchased tickets in advance should contact Michael Wood at mdwelpis@comcast.net or (503)508-3682 to arrange for a refund or for a credit to attend a future performance here at Brush Creek Playhouse.