The Webster Theatre Guild (WTG), our town’s very own community theater group, turns an incredible 90 years old this year, and is celebrating the occasion by bringing a high-energy comedy to the stage which will fill the theater with a soulful sound (and lots of laughs).
This coming Friday, Oct. 9, the Theatre Guild will raise the curtain on Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy, presented in six performances through Oct. 17.
The show is based on the 1992 movie (starring Whoopie Goldberg) and hit Broadway musical, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. The story follows Deloris, a nightclub singer who witnesses a crime and is placed in protective custody in a convent. She ends up teaching the convent’s initially struggling choir, and, in the process, changes the lives of the nuns and herself.
Sister Act hits the stage with the force of a disco ball struck by divine inspiration. Deloris, a bold and big-hearted nightclub singer, lands in a convent for her own protection and winds up transforming a tuneless choir into a soulful powerhouse. Her energy shakes the dust off every pew as she teaches the nuns to sing with joy, courage, and a little sparkling attitude.
Sister Act is being directed by J. Simmons, who’s marking a bit of history with the Guild himself. Simmons’ connection to theater began early. Even at 4 years old, he was working professionally in commercials and in regional theaters. But the spark which really shaped his ultimate career path was when, at the age of 12, he was cast in the Webster Theatre Guild’s production of Annie. What started as a childhood introduction to the stage quickly became a lasting passion.
Today, Simmons is a highly respected director, actor, fight choreographer and private acting coach. He works regularly with Blackfriars Theater and Geva Theater, serves as drama instructor for the Rochester Broadway Theater League, and is a theatrical consultant and mentor for the University of Rochester International Theatre Program. But, even with all those impressive credits to his name, the Webster Theatre Guild holds a special place in his heart.
He especially likes being involved in the Guild’s milestone years (apparently). In 2011, he directed the Guild’s 75th anniversary show, Urinetown, then continued to direct every year through the Guild’s 80th anniversary production, The Music Man.
And now he’s back.
“I thought it was apropos to come back for the 90th, having done the 75th and 80th,” he said. “I wanted to give back the love that I feel for this community and group of actors.”
And he knows how important it is for this group of actors to have community theater in their lives. After all, it was this relatively modest production company which sparked his own career.
He said,
If you look around Rochester, there are so many people who are on Broadway and doing different things that have ties to community theater. This is where they got their chance to connect with what they thought was important and now they’ve made a whole career out of it. We have to have this outlet for the community, for people to come, share stories. The theater is one of the best classrooms.
So let’s get out and support these actors who’ve been working so hard to bring live theater to our back doors.
Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy will take the stage on
Friday Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 10 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Friday Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. (ASL interpretation at this performance) and 7 p.m.
Shows will be held at Bishop Kearney High School, 125 Kings Hwy S.
Tickets are $25, and can be purchased online here. They’ll also be available at the door unless they sell out.
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A brief history
The Webster Theatre Guild dates back to 1936, and ever since its inception, it’s been more than just a theater group; it’s been a vital part of our community, not only providing aspiring actors an outlet to pursue their passion for performing, but also supporting the Webster community by providing annual scholarships to graduating high-school seniors.
While the Guild has been operating continuously for about 90 years (that’s more than 153 productions), its character has changed substantially over that time.
It was founded in 1936 by Erva Wright Smith and the Rev. John Schott, then pastor of Webster Presbyterian Church. In its earliest days, it was known for producing one-act plays, performed at various locations around the village, and the productions sometimes were staged to benefit community groups like the Webster Public Library and Sons of the American Legion. So even back then, the Guild was dedicated to serving the community.
The Guild remained active through World War II, and one-act plays were still part of the Guild’s main identity. That changed in 1954 when the Guild produced its first musical, Speak of the Devil. It was in 1958 when the guild started its now-familiar tradition of annual musicals.
If you’d like to see a whole slew more historical photos, click here.
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