Historic Fayette Theater to close 2024 with a flourish | Arts & Entertainment

For its fall production, the Historic Fayette Theater aims to introduce you to town gossips Audrey and Beryl, Mayor Clatterhand and his better half, and the Ladies Auxiliary for Better Foliage as they invade the Noah County Fair.

Those characters and others comprise the cast for the comedy “All’s Fair,” which will run Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13 at the Fayetteville theater at 115 S. Court St. Showtimes on Oct. 4, 5, 11 and 12 will be 7:30 p.m., and show times on Oct. 6 and 13 will be 2 p.m.

The action in the play, written by Pat Cook, is centered on the Noah County Fair in Flat Rock, Texas.

“There’s a bunch of different characters, and they’re crazy,” says director Cindy White. A cast of 18, mostly adults, will deliver the antics.

White relishes the coming comedy offering. “The hardest thing to direct is a musical, because of all the music and the choreography on top of the acting and the blocking,” White said. “Musicals are the most difficult and challenging.

“Comedies are just super fun. I love directing them just because I think comedic timing is funny in itself. I really enjoy getting pauses where they need to be, and just the the delivery of the lines. So, it’s fun to direct.”

In annual planning, the theater board attempts to balance the various types of productions it offers the public, and comedies usually occupy the fall slot, White said. “This one I had read last year, and it plays a little bit off ‘The Hitchin’ Post,’ which we did last fall. So, it’s kind of a nice follow-up to that one.”

“What fills the theater are families and people with kids,” she added. “So, the family-friendly musical comedies tend to be what our community likes to watch, although we like to offer a diverse selection of plays and shows.”

With the October play, “the personalities of the characters are just so unique,” White noted. “There’s a little plot twist towards the middle of the second act that’s interesting to find out. And it’s just funny to see people on our stage take on different personalities than what they have done in the past, or what I even expected them to do.”

“It’s really fun to see everyone use their best Texas accents and being off-the-wall crazy.”

The “All’s Fair” cast includes:

• Mayor Caesar Clatterhand — Wes Reid

• Fiona Clatterhand — Carrie Reid

• Lula Morris — Tiara Brown

• Doris Jane Shuntlemeyer — Meghann Long

• Hap Shuntlemeyer — Gary Reynolds

• Tyrone Darsy — Mark Richardson

• Audrey Hinkle — Joanna Murray

• Beryl Lundarrow — Vicki Cook

• Tourist — Gary Reynolds

• Tommy Rogers — Micah Fedotoff

• Gloria Pinkham — Madison Farrish and Jordyn Floyd

• Cyrus Holcomb — Chad Lagos

• Nelda McElroy — Brianna Scott

• Margaret June Muncie — Jessica Light

• Mom — Missy Strong

• Virgil — Gary Reynolds

• Kaylynn — Madison Farrish and Taylor Pugh

• Blue Shuntlemeyer — Sylas Lagos

• Iola Jackstraw — Missy Strong

• Skeeter Blatch — John Sprong

• Eldon Fontanelle — John Sprong

• Cora Dondelinger — Brianna Scott and Taylor Pugh

• Voice of Luraleen — Rory Haynie

• Barker — Nathan Bloomfield

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children 12-and-under. Call 304-574-4655 or visit fayettetheater.com to purchase them.

Promotional material labels the production as a “riotous but loving look at country life.”

“It’s going to be a really, really fun show for fall,” White said. “I think the whole family will enjoy it.

“It’s a great cast that features veterans and people brand new to the stage.”

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Before “All’s Fair” debuts, the theater will host Alex Richardson’s concept play, “These Hills,” this Saturday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.

A native singer/songwriter, Richardson has developed “a concert/play that she has written herself about living and growing up in Appalachia,” said White. “It’s really great. The talent is really amazing.”

Richardson is directing the musical exploration of small-town Appalachia, but she won’t perform herself, said White. “She’s got her hands all over it.”

On the Saturday of Bridge Day weekend, Oct. 19, the theater will host a return appearance of an improv group from Cleveland, “Scriptless in Seattle.” White says the touring comedy show is “along the lines of ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ They come into the theater and just make it up. It’s a different show every single time they do it.”

“Lots of people that are traveling through for Bridge Day come and see it,” White said. “Last year, we had a big group of people I’d never seen in the theater before, which is kind of fun.

“The tourists and the locals come together for a really fun evening.”

The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

The theater is also in the planning stages for Christmas events, which will include an all-children’s production on the main stage based on “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” as well as a musical revue featuring “local talent bringing Christmas songs to life,” said White. “To have a full schedule through the end of the year is exciting.”

Those companion Christmas shows will begin on the Friday after Thanksgiving and run for three weekends.

White also noted that the HFT’s second annual masquerade gala, silent auctions and raffles held in early September was “super successful” and raised about $10,000 for the theater. “We are so appreciative of the community support and the sponsorships,” she said. The 2024 event sold out, and plans are already underway for the 2025 show.