Mar 28, 2008
Easton
Readers Theater comes to town this Saturday
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by Laura Modlin
Correspondent
What do a justice of the peace, a full-time mom, a businessman, a drummer and a shamanic practitioner have in common?
They have all been bitten by the acting bug.
Eastonites Kit Briner, the justice, Claire Wilkes, the mother, Stephen St. Raymond, the businessman, and Jane Burns, the shamanic practitioner, along with drummer Dennis Jackson of Trumbull, will all be performing in this Saturday’s installment of the Easton Arts Council’s popular Readers Theater series. This year’s show will be at 7 p.m. in the library’s community room at 691 Morehouse Road. There will be a reception following the show. Admission is free.
This year’s show is “The Substance of Fire,” a full-length play written by Jon Robin Baltz. The play centers on Isaac Geldhart, a childhood survivor of the Holocaust who later found fame and fortune in New York City as publisher of historically important work. He now has to fight the hostile takeover of his company by his children.
The play is “grittier” than performances in previous years. It contains material and language that is not suitable for children.
Readers Theater productions are staged readings. This means the actors carry their scripts. But the actors do not sit on stools and read. Readers Theater shows are fully staged productions and include costumes, props and lighting.
Mr. Briner is playing the role of Isaac and is producing the play. He started the Readers Theater series in 1996 and has produced, directed and acted in all the previous shows.
Mr. Briner made his show biz debut at the age of 10 when he was featured in a bullwhip act with a traveling circus in his hometown of Muncie, Ind. He was heavily involved in theater in high school and college and has an extensive resume of credits in professional and amateur film and theater productions.
Mr. Briner officiates for wedding ceremonies and has lived in Easton with wife Geri Gould for 28 years. He has two children from a previous marriage — Mark and Lacy.
Ms. Wilkes is playing Isaac’s daughter, Sarah. She has been doing theater since she was “a tyke in school.” She moved to New York City in the late 80s to attend Barnard College and stayed in the city for several years after graduation performing in commercials, indie films and off-off-Broadway theater productions.
She has lived in Easton with her husband, Bill, since 2001. She is a full-time mom to their two sons, Trevor, 4, and Colin, 2.
“Readers Theater gives me a chance to do something I really enjoy... and to feel connected to the community,” she said.
Mr. St. Raymond is playing Aaron, one of Isaac’s two sons. A neighbor of his was in Readers Theater five years ago and Mr. St. Raymond went to see him perform. The next year he tried acting in the show and was hooked.
“I really do enjoy it,” he said. “I know I can’t make a living at it, but it’s fun being someone else for a while. I enjoy getting into the roles.”
Mr. St. Raymond has lived in Easton with wife Melanie for eight years. They have two children, Katie, 15, a freshman at Joel Barlow High School, and Stephen Jr., 11, a Helen Keller Middle School sixth grader. Mr. St. Raymond owns a high-end stereo systems store in Westport.
Mr. Jackson is playing Isaac’s other son, Martin.
He was approached by Mr. Briner over a year ago about trying his hand at Readers Theater. Mr. Jackson had never acted but thought it sounded like a challenge he would like to tackle. He made his acting debut in last year’s show playing a drummer who makes music using other people’s discarded junk.
“I took to it,” said Mr. Jackson. “I had so much fun last year, why wouldn’t I do it [again] this year.”
Mr. Jackson is building his own recording studio. He also does carpentry at Sacred Heart University. He lives with wife Tammy and their two children, Sean, 15, and Samantha, 11.
Ms. Burns is playing Marge, a social worker. She heard about Readers Theater 10 years ago and was curious about attempting the acting process. Once she tried it she was hooked. The storytelling aspect of theater is particularly appealing to Ms. Burns, a shaman and a writer.
“Shamans are storytellers,” she said. “Stories carry a healing component — just as all arts are healing.”
Ms. Burns has lived in Easton 20 years. She resides with her son Seth, 17, a Barlow student.
When Mr. Briner decided to take on the hefty task of playing the lead in this year’s production he wanted someone he trusted to take over the directing reins. Enter stage left: His wife.
Ms. Gould has acted in all the past Readers Theater productions. She has directed full-scale productions elsewhere but this is her first time at the helm of Readers Theater. Her background in theater includes studying theater arts in school and performing for many years with the Town Players Little Theater in Newtown.
She hopes this year’s audience will enjoy the experience of the dramatic production.
“Although the play has a serious theme, there is some humor to be found in each of the actor’s characterizations,” Ms. Gould said.
Ms. Gould works as a teacher and a movie projectionist. She has lived in Easton for most of her life and has three children from a previous marriage, Douglas, Randy and Amy.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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