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Towngate Actor Spotlight: Arlene Merryman in “The Cripple of Inishmaan”

One of most amazing aspects of community theater is that volunteer actors give their talent and time so that audiences can be entertained, moved and inspired. Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre is fortunate to have a large number of these talented people who share their creative skills. Some of these actors are new to the stage, entering the realm of acting with a fresh face and vigor. Others are veterans who have honed their skills and bring a polished craft to their performances. Arlene Merryman is just such a veteran, having acted on the stage at Towngate Theatre for more than 45 years.

A TOWNGATE VETERAN

Born in Bellaire, Ohio, Arlene was a school teacher there for 35 years. She first acted at Towngate in the 1972 performance of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”

Since then, Arlene has performed in 40 productions at Towngate. Some of her favorite performances at Towngate have been in “Steel Magnolias,” “Private Lives” and “The Beauty Queen of Leenane.” Arlene said that acting at Towngate has been a large part of her life.

“Towngate holds many wonderful memories for me,” she said. “Directors like Towngate founder and friend, Hal O’Leary, Claude Colvin, David Judy, and others shaped me into the actress I am today. Before Towngate, I had only been in musicals, but I learned to be an actress at Towngate.”

HER RETURN TO TOWNGATE

A current resident of Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh, Arlene returns to the Towngate in her first performance here since 2010. She is playing Mammy in the upcoming Towngate Theatre production of “The Cripple of Inishmaan.”

There are multiple reasons she wanted to be a part of this production.
“It’s a chance to do another McDonagh play and work again with veterans Dee Gregg, P.D. Gregg and Vince Marshall, with whom I worked in ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane,’” she said.

“I loved McDonagh the playwright before he became fashionable as McDonagh the director and screenwriter. I’ve seen all of his plays in New York or Ireland. While I was in Ireland touring with the PICT Classic Theatre production of ‘Major Barbara,’ I took a trip to the Aran Islands.”

Arlene said that audiences are certain to like “The Cripple of Inishmaan” as much as she does.

“It’s an incredibly funny script with wonderful characters and a perfect balance of comedy and tragedy,” she said. “Not to mention it has an incredible cast with old friends and talented new ones.”

Eric Dutton and Arlene Merryman rehearse a scene from “The Cripple of Inishmaan.”

When she is not performing, Arlene said she likes to travel “with my soul mate and our faithful dog, Toby.”

“I also like spending time with my two daughters and four granddaughters in Cincinnati and Athens, and sharing all my adventures on Facebook. Isn’t that what seniors do?”

ABOUT THE PLAY

On the drab island of Inishmaan, off the coast of Ireland, a physically disabled young boy, Billy, is eager to leave. When a Hollywood film crew arrives, Billy sees his chance to escape. He goes with the film crew back to the United States, only to learn that it is not everything he dreamed it would be.

GET TICKETS AND SEE THE SHOW

Towngate Theater presents “The Cripple of Inishmaan” by Martin McDonagh March 16-18 & 23-24. Curtain is at 8pm Fridays and Saturdays. A 3pm matinee takes place Sunday, March 18.

Admission is $12.50/$11 OI members. Purchase tickets for this show or any Towngate show in advance at www.oionline.com, by calling 304-242-7700, or at the door, if available.

JOIN US FOR A PUB NIGHT AFTER THE SHOW

The Friends of Towngate present two “Pub Nights” in conjunction with Towngate’s production of The Cripple of Inishmaan.

Join us in The Gallery at Towngate immediately following the March 16 and March 23 performances, from approximately 10pm to midnight.

Enjoy Irish food provided by Ye Olde Alpha, beer provided by Carenbauer Distributing and Wheeling Brewing Company and live Celtic music. Gallowglass and The Troubadour with Karissa Martin will perform on March 16 and Matt Smith and The Troubadour will perform on March 23.

Get your Irish on and support Towngate Theatre at one of these popular Pub Nights at Towngate. Admission is $25 per person and does NOT include show ticket. Purchase online, call 304-242-7700 or contact a member of the Friends of Towngate. Space is limited at each event.

Why I Love Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”

By Mario Muscar

I love movies–the escape, the beauty, and the magic they provide and exude. I like going to the theater and seeing them on the big screen or watching them at home cuddled up on the couch. The Academy Awards (which just happened this past Sunday) is like the Super Bowl for me. I like rooting for my favorites and seeing what happens.

I have my favorite directors and moviemakers. Tarantino, Anderson, Kubrick. These people have made films that inspire and entertain me. I love the films of Italian ¬¬neorealistic/surrealistic director Federico Fellini so much that my son’s middle name is Federico. And another director that is in my list of the greatest filmmakers ever is Alfred Hitchcock. While many people go with “The Birds” or “Psycho” as Hitchcock’s best movie, I believe that his masterpiece is the 1958 classic, “Vertigo.” And it is certainly my favorite.

From the opening title sequence with the dizzying swirls that suck us into the vortex of the film to the unexpected ending, “Vertigo” hits me in all the right spots. Jimmy Stewart’s character, ex-police detective Scottie Ferguson, goes on a journey of infatuation, obsession and deviant psychological behavior that asks us the question “What is real and where does truth lie?”

The movie is also visually stunning. San Francisco provides the backdrop and many classic San Francisco locations are used to flesh out the plot. Kim Novak, in dual roles as Madeleine/Judy, goes through a striking transformation in this film, and the costuming is a big part of that. And the use of color is something that one could teach an entire film course on.

One thing that always sticks with me in “Vertigo” is a sequence where Scottie is following Madeleine in his car. There is shot after shot of him just driving. Hitchcock is often thought of for his big, high energy moments. The shower scene in “Psycho.” The attack of the birds in “The Birds”. But this scene in “Vertigo” with Scottie following Madeleine is striking. How Hitchcock frames the sequence and the serenity of the camera positions truly highlight the obsession of Scottie as he follows her everywhere she goes. And Bernard Herrmann’s score adds to the moment and the entire film.

SEE IT ON THE BIG SCREEN

Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre and Wheeling Film Society are giving us the opportunity to see a free screening of “Vertigo” this Friday, March 9 at 7:30pm. I think everyone should do themselves a favor and go see this amazing movie on the big screen at Towngate with some popcorn and a beverage.

*The dinner prior to the film is sold out.  But, you can still come and enjoy the film. No reservations are necessary. Seating is first come, first served. Admission to the film is free.