BLT opens with farce 'Vampire Reflects'
The Butler Little Theatre opens its season with the comedy, “A Vampire Reflects” by Frank Semerano.
It's anyone's guess when a vampire, a secret military experiment, bats and a war criminal on the lam are thrown together.
The show is being directed by Rikki Henderson-Stupka and produced by Dan McCarty.
The part of the Count is played by Robert Snodgrass Jr. of Butler.
“Count Zescu is an inept vampire,” said Snodgrass, who admits to wrestling a bit with the Romanian accent required of a vampire.
He said he knew when he read the play for the selection committee that it would be a fun show for the audience.
His partner in crime, or in coffin, is the character Mattie, played by Emily Fellenz, 16, of Brady Township.
Emily returns to the BLT stage four years after appearing in the group's production of “Snow White.”
The 11th grade Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School student finds herself in the role of “a foreign exchange student that the Count brought in to make him dinners and clean his house,” she said. “Instead she becomes obsessed with the Count and is convinced he loves her, too. She's very clueless, but determined, and extremely maternal.”
She said her biggest challenge with Mattie is the flirtatiousness the part requires.
“It intimidated me, but in the end I was really happy for the challenge. During this production I've learned that it's always good to challenge yourself,” she said. “This is the first role I've ever taken up that takes me out of my comfort zone, and it was definitely the right choice.”
The role of the play's mad scientist is played by Thom Hilliard of Butler.
“Dr. Gunter is most likely the worst former Nazi mad scientist ever,” said Hilliard, who came to the show after it had been cast.
He is busy catching up and enjoying polishing his accents. He said of the show, “(The audience) can expect a little bit of zis, a little bit of zat undt a grreat deal of craziness — from all of ze characters!”
Thom Bennett of Slippery Rock Township returns to the stage for his role of Col. Puddlepont, commander of the military base near the Count's home.
“The biggest challenge is learning all of the lines at my age,” he said.
“I am enjoying the experience working with old friends from my past, Bob and Cec Snodgrass,” he added.
Cecilia Snodgrass plays Lenore Puddlepont, Col. Puddlepont's wife.
The show is set in the 1950s and also features Alison Carey and Amy Evans in the cast of zany characters who breathe life into this more hilarious than horrifying vampire farce.
<B>WHO: </B>Butler Little Theatre<B>WHAT: </B>“A Vampire Reflects”<B>WHEN: </B>Oct. 5 to 13, curtain at 8:15 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday<B>WHERE:</B> One Howard St.<B>TICKETS:</B> $10, available by calling 724-287-6781 from 7 to 9 p.m. weekdays and during performances<B>INFO:</B> www.bltgroup.org
