BLT invests time, talent in 'Other People's Money'
Butler Little Theatre is gearing up for a Wall Street-style takeover in preparing for the next offering, “Other People's Money” by Jerry Sterner, to open on Jan. 19.
Under the direction of Don Shearer and producers Amy Cannard and Stefan Lingenfelter, the drama explores the battle between capitalists and realists.
The character of Lawrence “Larry the Liquidator” Garfinkle is played by Bob Meals of Butler.
“He is a New York corporate takeover artist who loves 'money more than the things you can buy with it, and (he) loves the stuff you can buy with it,'” said Meals, who is enjoying playing the character because he's flashy, outsized, and larger than life.
“Who doesn't like to get to pretend to be that? He's one of the realest (and me an English teacher!) fictional characters I've ever seen. Also, I don't often get to play the bad guy,” he added.
One of the biggest challenges for Meals is portraying that meanness.
“Garfinkle could be seen as a monster — bullying weaker, more ethical people who believe in something more. He is also profane, sexist and lacking any sense of propriety. He thinks politeness is a waste of effort,” Meals explained.
Meals said he wanted to be a part of the show because of the choice of director. “Don Shearer was a student of mine years ago. I thought it would be interesting to flip roles. It's been great fun working with Don again,” Meals said.
Playing opposite Meals is Rik Medic of Penn Township, who portrays Bill Coles, the president of the company experiencing a hostile takeover.
“Coles has a lot to lose because he has worked for 12 years for New England Wire and Cable, and in two years he is supposed to take over the company,” Medic explained, noting that the show is told from his character's point of view.
“Coles is a very realistic character stuck in a terrible situation. I enjoy trying to make him a believable character for the audience,” he said.
Medic, a first-grade teacher, has a daunting task for this show.
“It's challenging to sound like a knowledgeable and convincing businessman while talking about business strategies that I've never heard of before,” he shared.
Medic said he feels the relevance of the show is its strength. “The things that happen in this play are realistic and have affected people all over, especially in the Pittsburgh area,” Medic said.
The director, Don Shearer of Butler, is a math teacher at the Commonwealth Charter Academy.
“This play has beautifully constructed characters, especially the main protagonist and antagonist characters, who will divide the audience on who they think is right and wrong in the end,” Shearer said.
Shearer is quick to note there are adult themes and mature language in the production. It's the timelessness of the piece that makes it fitting, he said.
“This play is amazingly relevant to the current world for having been written in the '80s. The overarching theme of Wall Street greed versus local community impacts hit home with climates in financial and political sectors,” Shearer said.
Amy Cannard of Butler is one of the producers for the show.
“Although continually active in local theaters, this is my first time back as producer in more than 30 years. I'm very happy to support and work with a new director. He is full of energy and excitement and brings it all to the table to encourage his cast and staff,” said Cannard.
WHO: Butler Little TheatreWHAT: “Other People’s Money” by Jerry SternerWHEN: Jan. 19 to 27 at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and ThursdayWHERE: BLT, One Howard St.TICKETS: $13 reserved. Call 724-287-6781 or select and reserve seats online at bltgroup.org. Limited supply available at door day of show.
