8/27/2014
SOUTH HOLLAND, IL–The PAC Rats Theatre Company of South Suburban College will present Moon Over Buffalo, Ken Ludwig’s madcap backstage comedy. Performances will take place in the Kindig Performing Arts Center on the Main Campus on September 19, 20 and 26 at 8:00 p.m., September 27 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and September 28 at 2:00 p.m.
It’s 1953 and fading stars George and Charlotte Hay (Paul Braun of Lansing and Heather Young of Burnham) are on tour in Buffalo, NY with a repertory consisting of Cyrano de Bergerac and Noel Coward’s Private Lives. On the brink of a disastrous split-up caused by George’s dalliance with a young ingenue (Ashley Orendorff of Thornton), they receive word that they might just have one last shot at stardom: Frank Capra is coming to town to see their matinee, and if likes what he sees, he might cast them in his movie remake of The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Unfortunately for George and Charlotte, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Enabled by Charlotte’s deaf old stage manager mother, who hates every bone in George’s body (Betty Owens of Glenwood), a case of mistaken identity causes hilarious uncertainty about which play they’re actually performing.
Richard (Martell Jefferson of South Holland), Charlotte’s would-be suitor, makes an appearance and tries to woo her away from George. Meanwhile, the Hays’ temperamental daughter Rosalind (Cathy Hundt of Thornton) splits time between fiancé Howard (Kevin Hathaway of Park Forest) and ex-fiancé Paul (Charlie Furtek of Lansing), who works as the company’s stage manager.
The hopeful actors sprint through the tangle of confusion to produce a woefully misbegotten mixture of two different plays in their hoped-for presentation piece, and in the play’s climactic scene, manage to set everything right by still more series of coincidences and mishaps.
The play is directed by Lansing resident Sandra Wagner. Set design is by Dean Scalzitti of Hegewisch. Lighting design and fight choreography are by Laura Tiemens of South Holland. The costume designer is JoAnna Tassin of Park Forest, with Melody Jones of Calumet City as her assistant. Angela Martin of Midlothian is the stage manager. June Wagner of Lansing is designing the props for the production and Jordan Swierczyna of Robbins is the sound designer.
Tickets are just $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 55 or better, $6 for students. Call the 24/7 box office voicemail line at (708) 210-5741. You may also reserve tickets by e-mail at boxoffice@ssc.edu. South Suburban College student and employee discounts, as well as group rates are also available.
South Suburban College is located at 15800 S. State Street in South Holland, Illinois, between Sibley Boulevard and 159th Street. The campus is convenient to Routes 94, 80, 57, and 294. Free, ample, well-lit parking is available.