February 25th-27th the Kettle Moraine Players production of Almost, Maine participated in the 2011 Wisconsin State Community Theater Festival at St. Norbert's College in DePere, WI. The festival is the first step in the National Theater Festival called AACTFest (American Association of Community Theater Festival), which is held biannually and culminates at the National Finals in Rochester, NY on June 20th-26th.
Community theaters from around Wisconsin participated in the State Festival, and two were selected to advance to the regional level of competition: Kettle Moraine Players and La Crosse Community Theater. Both companies go to Columbus, OH on April 28th-May 1st for the Region 3 Festival to compete against eight other shows from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. One of the ten shows in the regional competition will be selected to advance to the National Finals in Rochester, NY on June 20th-26th, competing against the eleven other regional winners from across the United States.
In addition to winning advancement to the regional competition, Kettle Moraine Players received four other awards. The company won the "Backstage Award" as the most professional company. Jodi Garvey won "Best Supporting Actress" for her role of 'Rhonda'. Thomas Bakken won "Best Supporting Actor" for his role of 'Pete'. John Brandl won an award for "Best Set Design."
February 27th-28th the first act of Kettle Moraine Players production of Lovers: Winners – Losers participated in the 2009 Wisconsin State Community Theater Festival at the River Arts Center in Prairie du Sac, WI. The festival is the first step in the National Theater Festival called AACTFest (American Association of Community Theater Festival), which is held biannually and culminates at the National Finals in Tacoma, WA on June 23rd-27th.
Community theaters from around Wisconsin participated in the State Festival, and two were selected to advance to the regional level of competition: Kettle Moraine Players and Beaver Dam Area Community Theater. Both companies go to South Bend, IN on April 17th-19th for the Region 3 Festival to compete against eight other shows from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. One of the ten shows in the regional competition will be selected to advance to the National Finals in Tacoma, WA on June 23rd-27th, competing against the eleven other regional winners from across the United States.
In addition to winning advancement to the regional competition, Kettle Moraine Players received three other awards. Molly Connell and Mason Salm both received awards for “Excellence in Acting – Youth Group.” Director John Brandl also won an award for "Outstanding Set and Lighting Design."
The cast and crew of Kettle Moraine Players Lovers:
Winners – Losers displaying the 2009 Wisconsin Association of Community
Theater Festival award plaque on March 1st. Left to right, Row 1: Josh
Brandl, Tanya Monet-Bakken, Noel Paswaters, Rachel Wahl, and director
John Brandl; Row 2: Alan Venturini, Mason Salm, Megan Raether, John Lennartz
and Molly Connell.
We deeply regret the passing of Leo W. Lang (1915-2007). Leo was the superintendent of Campbellsport School District for 32 years and a great supporter of the arts. What follows is an account of the impact Leo had on the community by building what is now known as Lang Auditorium.
In 1965 the school board determined that they needed to have a bond issue for additions to the school. Leo insisted that the additions include a new auditorium so the band, chorus & actors had a better place to perform. There was opposition. Only the largest schools had performance venues for the arts. Campbellsport was a small school in a rural farming area. It would take a lot of convincing to get it approved. But Leo was up to the task and the bond issue passed. In the fall of 1967, the high school staged its first play in what is now Lang Auditorium. The play was Dear Ruth, a comedy by Norman Krasna and directed by Helen Pelischek.
In the fall of 1969, something very unusual happened. Because the high school was doing plays, and not a musical, Roseann Twohig, director of the St. Matthew's CYO program, and Vince Holubowicz, 8th grade teacher at St. Matthew's School, decided it would be great for the CYO to do a musical each spring. Maybe it would make a little money but more importantly, the kids would get another chance to be in front of an audience. Their first production, Bye Bye Birdie, was staged in the spring of 1970 with Holubowicz directing. The annual show continued but following the 1979 production, Holubowicz moved on to a position at a different school and John Brandl took over as director. Brandl had no experience directing, but with some help from high school director Helen Pelischek, encouragement from Leo Lang, and the help and support of his wife Rose (daughter of Roseann Twohig), the CYO Show continued to thrive. In 1997, Brandl stepped down as director and his wife, Rose, took over. The CYO Show continues today and will stage its 39th production, 42nd Street, in April, 2008.
In the mid-1980's, the venue was used in February each year by the Campbellsport Lions Club. Helen Pelischek, the high school director, was married to a Lion and she directed a play as a Lions fundraiser, using people from the community in the cast. It was the first bit of community theatre in Campbellsport and it continued for about 5 years.
In 1995, Hollie Heisler and Jennifer Brandl, best friends, graduated from Campbellsport High School. They had both been in shows at the high school and the CYO Show. Their time in these shows built a passion in them for the theatre. The summer after their freshman year of college they decided something was missing in their lives and that something was theatre. They got busy and got organized and founded Campbellsport Community Theater. CCT staged its first production, You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, in the summer of 1996. CCT productions continue today. They completed their 12th production, Li'l Abner, in August.
In 2005, John Brandl and Alan Venturini, whom Brandl had directed in CYO Shows 20 years earlier, decided there was a need for non-musicals in the community. They recruited other players and in February, 2006, produced, directed, and acted in Arsenic & Old Lace as a Lions Club fundraiser. In February, 2007, they produced and directed another Lions fundraiser, the Wisconsin premiere of Murdered To Death. They are now organizing under the name Kettle Moraine Players as a non-stock, non-profit theatre company which will use Lang Auditorium as its primary venue. They will produce You Can't Take It With You in Lang Auditorium in February, 2008. That production will be dedicated to Leo Lang.
When Leo Lang built the auditorium in 1966, he built it as a facility that would be a good venue for many years and purposes. It has been that. When Lang retired he was replaced by Joe Bertone. During Bertone's tenure, he and the school board named the venue "Lang Auditorium." Later, the facility was showing its age. It needed some work. Bertone initiated a plan to update it. In 1997 a state of the art lighting system was installed. In 1998 a state of the art sound system was installed. Bertone retired and J.P. Campion took over. He painted the natural maple stage black, replaced all the curtains, installed new carpet and painted the walls and ceiling. It was cosmetically updated to what you expect to see in a theatre today. During the past year Dan Olson, who succeeded Campion, replaced all the seating. Completely updated, Lang Auditorium will be a good venue for many more years and a fitting tribute to the man who created it.
When Leo Lang built the auditorium in 1966, he had no way of knowing how much that one decision would impact so many lives. He did not have the statistics or data that we have today telling us how much better students are educated when the arts are part of their education. But we're certain he believed that they were. We also think he knew that if a good venue was created, people with a passion for the arts, not just in the school but also from the community, would step forward and use the venue.
We know now what would not have happened. The CYO Show would not have happened. John & Rose Brandl would not be directing plays. The Lions Club would not have had plays. Hollie Heisler & Jennifer Brandl would not have founded Campbellsport Community Theatre. John Brandl & Alan Venturini would have never met and Kettle Moraine Players would not have been founded. Most importantly, hundreds of students would not have had the opportunity to get on stage in front of people and experience things that would help them for the rest of their lives.
It's likely a coincidence and we're certain it crossed no one's mind, but on November 9th, the Campbellsport High School drama students, under the direction of Tanya Monet-Bakken presented a performance of the one act play Do Not Go Gentle. They won the district competition and did an outstanding job with the play. The play was about a lady who died and her children and grandchildren, estranged from her for some time because they thought her a bit crazy, returned to her home to prepare it for sale and discovered that there was artwork of every type, some beautiful, some horrific, painted all over the walls. Then they met a young man who snuck into the house and learned that he could not read until, at age 14 he met their grandmother. The painting on the walls was done by him as part of the lessons she gave him. She used the arts to help him learn to read, communicate and express himself. That play marked the 40th anniversary of productions in Lang Auditorium and on that day Leo Lang passed away.
Over the past 40 years, Lang Auditorium has had more than 100,000 spectators, over 40,000 for concerts and over 60,000 for plays. In 2008 it will be the site of at least 4 concerts and 6 plays. Over 4,000 people will watch those performances and approximately, $10,000 will be raised for charity and education. All of this happened and will continue to happen because 40 years ago one man battled against the odds, overcame opposition and built an auditorium that he believed would benefit his community.
Leo W. Lang
June 8, 1915 - November 9, 2007