HCT original cast will reunite for one-weekend-only fundraiser
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 12:02 PM CST
Special to Henderson Daily News
In 1999, Henderson Civic Theatre did something it had never done before and has never done since – it extended the run of a play an extra weekend.
The play was Shirley Lauro’s “A Piece of My Heart.” It is the story of six women who volunteered to serve in Vietnam and what happened to them and their lives when they came home.
Now, the original cast is reuniting for a staged reading of the play in a special one-weekend-only fundraiser for the theater.
All of the original cast, that is, but one.
Unfortunately, one cast member will not be able to return to East Texas to join the reunion, so the theater will be holding a special audition at 6 p.m. Friday to fill the part of “LeeAnn,” an Amerasian nurse who thought she was going to be stationed in Hawaii where “everyone looks like” her and instead wound up in the jungles of Viet Nam.
The production is scheduled March 26 and 27 at the Opera House in downtown Henderson and will only meet for rehearsals the week of the show. Since it is a staged reading, it will not be necessary to memorize the script, although a thorough familiarization will be necessary.
Trinity Wheeler was the young director of the original production and is taking a break from his tour with the Broadshow show “Rent” to return to Henderson to coordinate the reunion show.
“The cast was exceptional and a strong bond was formed between us while working on the project,” Wheeler said. “To this day I have never forgotten the times we shared together.”
The play was such a memorable experience for the entire cast, they jumped at the chance to reunite.
“’A Piece of My Heart’ was the most challenging play for me personally,” said Henderson’s Michealle Green, who played Whitney, an upper-class college graduate who volunteered as a Donut Dolly in the war zone. “From the emotional standpoint, each of us truly felt the tumultuous lives of our individual characters. Also, we were on stage the entire play – by the end of the play we were emotionally and physically drained. I graduated from high school and went to college during the Vietnam War. I had classmates who served, as well as those who protested. I can’t think of a better time to present this play again, especially since we are in a time of war. We can honor our past, present, and future women and men in the military.”
Jonathan Nash now lives in Waxahachie but is eager to drive to Henderson to reproduce a show that had a major impact on his life. He was the only male in the production, playing all of the men who moved through the lives of the six women.
“’A Piece of My Heart’ was a turning point in my theatre career. The American Man portrayed all the diverse men of the war. As I studied and researched, I became more of the actor that I had always wanted to be. If it were not for ‘Heart,’ my heart would have not been in the continued pursuit of the stage,” Nash says now. “As I reflect back to the first performance, I felt many emotions and as I reread the script, those emotions came rolling back. I look forward to reuniting the memories I have from the first showing.”
Jan Pennal is a pharmacist in Henderson and is scheduling a week of vacation so she can take part in the show.
“Being involved at the theater has always left me with a keen sense of what camaraderie really means,” Pennal said. “In 1999, combining the ‘team spirit’ camaraderie, the dedication of all those involved and the content of this very powerful drama, ‘A Piece of My Heart’ was the most rewarding, emotional and satisfying production I had ever been involved with. I came away with a better understanding and a thankful heart for what the men and women who volunteer their service to our country, past and present, sacrifice for all of us. To be involved again with the same cast members some 10 years later to read again, recreate, reminiscence, and reflect (through more mature eyes and hearts) will be an absolute pleasure!”
Other returning original cast members include Tileda Moore of Shreveport, Alexa Duke and Vicki Sexton, both of Henderson.
Wheeler has prepared an informal audition for 6 p.m. Friday. A few of the other cast members will be there to read with those auditioning and no prepared monologues are necessary. For more information, call (903) 780-0799, or (903) 649-1684.
