More than 50 shows generate nearly $200K for Holland Theatre
Windmill Productions staged one of its first community theater productions, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, nearly 10 years ago with a cast of six members and area businesses pitching in financially to help pay the royalties for the performance.
With no extra funds in the budget for costumes or the set design, the cast members created or donated their costumes and a simple set constructed by volunteers helped to carry out the memorable performance at the Holland Theatre, Windmill Productions members Linda McGillivray, Kris Swisher and Suzanne Dennis recalled last week.
Now a decade later, the organization that operates in association with the Holland Theatre still has a deep-seated community and volunteer support at heart. It has staged more than 50 shows and has generated a profit of nearly $200,000 to benefit the ongoing restoration efforts at the unique historic theater.
Scores of local youths also have participated and honed their talents in the annual children’s productions by Windmill Productions, many to sold-out audiences.
A number of adult actors from Logan County and the surrounding areas have been able to share their talents on stage, including individuals with professional degrees in various art forms and music. Some of their noteworthy shows have included Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, featuring elaborate set designs involving buildings castles and walls.
“We’ve had such a natural buy-in from our audiences – their friends and family and neighbors are in the shows,” said Dennis, who has served in director roles utilizing her choreography and musical background. “What is more exciting than watching your loved ones perform on the stage and see their hard work and talents come to life?”
“Considering the sheer volume of productions and number of people involved, Windmill Productions has made a profound contribution in Logan County during the last 10 years – enriching the lives of those in the cast and in the audience,” Holland Theatre Managing Director Chris Westhoff said.
A celebratory show to mark the 10-year anniversary was previously planned for this summer, featuring 30 to 40 past performers to highlight former favorite productions, but that event has been placed on hold until 2021. Because of the COVID-19 concerns and restrictions, the Holland Theatre would have been able to host only 15 percent of capacity for such an event.
However, Windmill Productions representatives want the community to know they are eager to resume in-person rehearsals and performances again.
“We are planning to come back full-force once we can safely do so,” said MacGillivray, longtime director and one of the founding Windmill Productions members. “It is difficult to not be staging performances right now, especially after the Holland Theatre’s renovations have just been completed and the space looks so beautiful. It will be very exciting to entertain audiences once again.”
Despite the restrictions on in-person shows, Windmill Productions is planning to commemorate the 10th anniversary with a virtual comedic performance entitled, Bad Auditions, featuring between eight to 13 local individuals, to be released this fall on a date to be announced.
Prior to COVID-19, the last show staged by Windmill Productions this year was the children’s production Mary Poppins Jr. in February. This was the organization’s first cast to utilize all of the theater’s new amenities – including a professional and spacious green room in the once dark and dank basement – following the $1.6 million renovation and restoration project last year.
During the Holland Theatre’s closing during much of 2019 for the extensive project, Windmill Productions got creative in staging performances in other spaces, including Gilligan’s Island, The Musical, at Brown Park; 12 Angry Jurors at the Logan County Courthouse; and My Way, A Frank Sinatra Tribute, at Bella Vino Events & Wine Room.
Throughout its 10 years, the theatrical group has selected its various productions based on several factors, including having a variety of shows for a given season and casting and directorial abilities and interests. For every season, the goal is to stage: at least one play for adults; a middle school children’s musical; a bigger musical featuring adults and some high school students; and a second smaller musical featuring adults.
In addition, a commitment to quality, continuing education and sharpening of skills has been a common theme. More than 15 directors and representatives from the group have received first-class training in New York City in recent years at the Broadway Teachers Workshop, attending sessions on conducting auditions, choreography, set design, music direction, prop making, stage management, effective directing and acting.
During its early years, Windmill Productions also sponsored children during the summertime to attend Ohio Northern University’s music camp. Since then, the organization has hosted children’s theater workshops each summer through Missoula Children’s Theatre and more recently through Compass Creative Dramatics.
Among some of the most popular of the Windmill Production’s shows have included the middle school children’s musicals, such as Aladdin Jr., Peter Pan Jr., My Son Pinocchio Jr., High School Musical Jr. and Elf Jr. The Lion King Jr. featured some of the most elaborate costumes by the theater group and drew a then-record of 1,523 people to the theater during its weekend run of shows in February 2017, as previously reported in the Examiner.
“It is inspiring to think about the generation of children who have been impacted – both through participating in the children’s theater and those school children who attend the field trips each year to watch the children’s production,” Westhoff said.
“It’s a wonderful thing for the kids to have the chance to perform on the stage in a real theater,” Swisher said.
MacGillivray and Dennis noted the friendships formed between students from other school districts as well, as the productions have featured pupils from all over Logan County, along with students from several other counties as well.
“When the kids move on to participate in productions at their high schools, we have seen them supporting each other in the audience at those shows as well,” Dennis said.
Once auditions resume for Windmill Productions, any interested individuals are invited to try out, regardless of prior experience. Windmill Productions is a member of the Ohio Community Theatre Association and additional information is available at www.thehollandtheatre.org.