LIMA — Sarah Glover-Crawford has acted and directed shows at Encore Theatre for the past three years, but this year will be her first opportunity as a producer. To make her role more challenging, she will also be performing on stage, playing the role of Pamela in “Fox on the Fairway.”
According to Glover-Crawford, the greatest challenge in her new role as the producer has been wearing many hats.
“As a producer, you are in charge of making sure all the elements of the show come together, like overseeing the production team that manages the lighting, set design and construction, props, and costuming, and also advertising the show,” she said.
She said she relied heavily on the expertise of other Encore producers who have assisted her succeed during this challenging and steep learning curve. She is also thankful to have worked with Jeff Kerr, the show’s director, who is widely knowledgeable about farces from the period.
“The play is an homage to the farces of the 1930s and 1940s, so the story is structured like a typical farce from that period. It’s a silly romp and a good, fun time. Farces are art that move you through laughter,” Glover-Crawford said. “Our audiences have always loved farces. Everybody loves especially during stressful times to just go to the theatre and laugh.”
“Fox on the Fairway” will be on stage at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday both this weekend and next weekend at Encore Theatre, 991 N. Shore Drive, Lima.
Tickets will be $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for students, and $8 for children ages 10 and under. It’s the season finale for Encore Theatre’s production year.
“It’s a comedy about two rival country clubs who have a yearly tournament, and there is a rivalry between the two leaders of the clubs. One of the clubs loses their star player, and they find an unexpected savant who is very good at golf. But he has all sorts of comedic complications that create the farcical aspects of the play,” Glover-Crawford said.
The characters include Bingham (portrayed by Brian Emerick), Pamela (Glover-Crawford), Dickie (Mark Thomas), Muriel (Stacee Brown), Justin (Wes Allen) and Louise (Abby Delong).
“We encourage any and all to come audition for the shows. You don’t really need any experience, you just need to be willing to get up on stage and have a lot of fun,” Glover-Crawford said.
The show is being done in honor of Christopher Butturff, a long-standing Encore director. Butturff had originally selected the play and planned to direct it, but he passed away in 2021.
“Chris was involved with Encore for decades,” Glover-Crawford said. “He had a very strong finger on the pulse of what will make Lima laugh. I trust his intuition and taste and am proud to be carrying forward his legacy by producing his last show.”
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