playbill vip

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Welcome! I’m so glad that you have decided to join us for a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone. 

I have been a fan of this show for quite some time.  As a new member of the creative team at VYT, I was thrilled to take on this show.  I feel like it gives some great opportunities to let young performers take on “over the top” characters.  As I said to them many times, “None of the people in this show are normal.”  In our current state, it felt great to slip into the world of this production.  It provides ways to explore comic timing, vocal expression, and stereotypes.  

This Senior Cast production was an opportunity to “pivot” while trying to stay true to the VYT mission- to give any child an opportunity to experience live theatre.  For awhile there, we didn’t know whether or not it would be live.  We  moved from 1 cast to 2 casts.  There were many discussions about safety, protocols, and quality. We did auditions via video.  We rehearsed in masks, sometimes on Zoom, and we made it work.  You will see this resilience shine through in these performances.  I watched these cast members figure out how to give it their best, even when the odds were against them, even when they had Zoom fatigue, even when they needed to be socially distanced and still connecting.

I want to say thank you to the VYT Board, especially Traeln Hoover, Megan McKee, as well as Executive Director Melissa Kneer for welcoming me here.  I appreciate their support, and their willingness to problem solve and dig in when things could not be normal.  I would also like to thank Stephanie Johnson, Sherri Sutter, Amy Davidge, Ranger Puterbaugh for their tireless efforts in making this all happen.  Theatre is collaborative, and this show is a reflection of their hard work.  

Lastly, I want to mention that writer Bob Martin explained The Drowsy Chaperone in a 2007 interview as simply  “parody and perspective”.  I hope you enjoy the show!

Gina Handy Minyard