WaCPAC’s ‘Check Please!’ trilogy set for WCA stage

The Wayne County Performing Arts Council’s upcoming production of “Check Please!” will open May 12 at Wayne Center for the Arts in Wooster.

“Check Please!,” a trilogy of one-act comedies by Jonathan Rand, will be performed May 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. and May 21 at 2 p.m. General admission is $15. Tickets are available on the WaCPAC website and at the door, and concessions will be available for purchase during intermission.

The play portrays a series of first dates gone wrong for “Guy” and “Girl.” Because of the nature of the play’s structure, there are three different directors, one for each of the one-act comedies that weave together to form the trilogy. The directors are Brian Luck, Jennifer Darling-Mellott and Sutherland Singenstreu.

Jenette Karger, WaCPAC board president, said the local theater company is always interested in new relationships with directors.

“Jennifer Darling-Mellott approached WaCPAC after coming to see our fall show, asking if she could propose directing ‘Check Please!,’” Karger said. “So we were happy to begin a new working relationship and support her vision for our spring play. It’s a fun comedy, offering both actors and audience members a fabulous time.”

The trilogy gives multiple directors a chance to showcase their talents in one evening.

“You can put them all together to make one cohesive story, which is what we’re doing, but they were originally intended to be standalone short plays,” Luck said. “WaCPAC decided to have one director for each act, which is a fun way of doing it. It gets more people involved, and it allows our actors to experience three different directing styles.”

The cast consists of 12 adults and two children to fill a total of 36 roles including Camron Love as Guy and Caitlyn Howard as Girl.

Also in the cast are April Aspiras (playing Kim), Ryan Takko (Hank, Barry and Louis), Diann Gorsuch (Melanie, Ruth and Brooke), Peter Gonzalez (Ken, Tod, Garrett and Chase), Lydia Tirakis (Phoebe, Linda, Julia, Jackie and Celeste), Tim Breiner (Mark and Server), Sandy Streit (Pearl, Donna and Cleo), Linda Karger (Sophie and Mimi), Roger Stinchcomb (Brandon, Matt, Lyle and Paul), Braydon DuVall (Dewey, Alex, Jones and Dan), Abby Webel (Sarah and Annie) and Owen Murphy (Server).

“I wanted to be in this show mostly because I love acting but also because I love making people laugh and this show was the perfect opportunity to maybe help someone forget about the stress of work or the stress of everyday life,” Gonzalez said.

Karger will take on her first onstage role in 22 years while Gorsuch said she loves the creativity of theater and the new friends she makes, along with making people happy and making them laugh, a thought shared by Breiner.

Auditions for WaCPAC shows are posted on WaCPAC’s Facebook page. “We love to see our regulars come out and also enjoy meeting new talent from all around the area,” Karger said.

“I’d love to see more young adults and College of Wooster students get involved,” Luck said. “There’s so much theater happening in Wooster, and I’d love to see young people take advantage of the opportunities.”

WaCPAC is a nonprofit organization. The income from each show is used to cover the production expenses, and any additional profit is used to support ongoing expenses. Volunteers and financial donations are always welcome. For more information email wacpactheater@gmail.com.

This summer WaCPAC’s youth show will be Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka, Jr.” The musical will be performed June 16-17 and June 23, 24 and 25 at Fisher Auditorium in Wooster.

Find WaCPAC online at www.wacpac.org and on Facebook and Instagram.