“Exit the Body” opens at Little Theatre July 31

The mystery farce “Exit the Body”, by Fred Carmichael, opens July 31 at the Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, with performances continuing through Aug. 9.

When a mystery writer rents a quiet place in the New England countryside, she finds herself involved in sinister activities. A body she finds in the closet promptly disappears only to be succeeded by another. Mix in a wise-cracking secretary, the housekeeper and her crooked boyfriend, plus a man suffering from amnesia, and mystery and comedy reach a high peak. No one is really who they seem to be. There are plenty of laughs and lots of surprises in this fast paced show!

The cast includes:

LAURIE LAWRENCE as Crane Hammond, mystery novelist
KAREN POULSE as Kate Bixley, Hammond’s sarcastic secretary
META SCHOLAN as Lillian a friend of Miss Hammond
ALYSSA JOELLE MORRIS as Jenny the housekeeper -  or is she?
BRIAN FITZGIBBONS as Randolph, Jenny’s boyfriend, a thief
MELINDA TEDESCHI as Helen O’Toole, a real estate agent or is she?
LARRIE TIFFANY as Vernon Cookley the local sheriff
LEE LUPTON as Richard Hammond, Crane’s husband
MICHEAL FUNARO as Lyle Rogers, Lillian’s new husband
CODY GIGOLD as Philip Smith, a man with amnesia, who is he really?

For ticket information, call the box office at 386-423-1246.

Photographs by Sandi Carroll. No photographs can be reproduced, used for resale, redistribution, or commercial purposes without the express written consent of  Sandi Carroll.

Celebrate “Christmas in July” at Art Walk

Art Walk on Flagler Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, will be celebrating “Christmas in July” from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 25. This will be a perfect time for art lovers to get a jump on their holiday shopping. It will be a festive day to take a fascinating stroll along Flagler Avenue while enjoying the wonderful art on display in galleries, under canopies, on porches and in courtyards.

Visitors will have the opportunity to commission an artist to create a unique work of art or to find that perfect gift for someone special. The popular event features painting, jewelry, ceramics, glass blowing, sculpture, fabric arts, entertainment, refreshments at several galleries, and a special prize drawing, presented by the Gallery Group of Flagler Avenue.

Sponsoring galleries are Galleria di Vetro, 310 Flagler; Jewelry of Joy, 307 Flagler; Palms Up Pottery, 413 Flagler; and Ta Da Gallery, 113 Flagler.

Many of the galleries and merchants along the avenue will be serving holiday candy and cookies and will be decorated for “Christmas” in July, so be sure and stop by.

The Gallery Group is issuing a “call for artists” for upcoming Art Walks. Visiting artists’ works are judged on “originality, skill, workmanship and uniqueness” each month. Prizes include ribbons and cash awards: first place, $100; second place, $75; and third place, $50.

Congratulations to the June Art Walk winners: first, Robert Spellmen, Deltona, oil on board; second, Mike Unrue, New Smyrna Beach, photo with colored pencil; and third, Ed Welch, New Smyrna Beach, watercolor.

Art Walk themes for the rest of the year are: August, “Surf’s Up”; September, “All That Jazz” (in conjunction with the annual New Smyrna Beach Jazz Festival); October, “Fantasy Works Halloween Spooktacular”; November, “Christmas Village”; and December, “Special Christmas Celebration.” For more information about Art Walk, or to request an artist’s, musician or street performer application, please call 386-428-1770, or visit www.flaglergallerygroup.com.

And don’t forget that the NSB Water Taxi now stops at the west end of Flagler Avenue, at the Grill at Riverview every two hours starting at 12:30 p.m. The taxi also makes stops at Riverside Park and the Marin Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach, as well as two locations in Ponce Inlet. For details, call 386-428-4828 or visit www.nsbtaxi.com.

Little Theatre honors actors at Hammy Awards Night

Keith and Karen Poulson as "Desi and Lucy"

Recently, the Little Theatre of New Smyrna Beach held its annual Hammy Award Night hosted by the comedy team of Karen and Keith Poulsen who did their best Lucy and Desi impersonations at the beginning of the event.

And, the winners of the Hammy Awards for the 2008-2009 season are…

Best Costume – Ruth Stammen and Rose Dingas - Driviing Miss Daisy
Golden Prop – Patti Earl and Terry Dudinsky - Leading Ladies
Best Set Design – John Stenko - Murder Is A Game
Best Sound Design – Bill Cook - Driving Miss Daisy
Best Sound Operator – Bill Cook - Driving Miss Daisy
Best Light Design – John Stenko – Driving Miss Daisy
Best Light Operator - Bill Roehrborn – Driving Miss Daisy

Bill Cook receives the Best Sound award

Shelly Wawrzonek won Best Actress and Best Accent awards

Dottie Hughes won Best Actress in a Small Role (in Christmas Belles) and was honored for directing "Driving Miss Daisy"

Liz Davis won Most Versatile Actress

Jane Taylor, Best Actress, Drama (Driving Miss Daisy)

Mike Funara won best actor in a supporting role, musical

Best Accent, Female – Shelly Wawrzonek – Hide & Shriek
Best Accent, Male – Dan Blazi - Hide & Shriek
Best Actress in a Small Role, Comedy - Dottie Hughes - Christmas Belles
Best Actor in a Small Role, Comedy – Brian Fitzgibbons – Leading Ladies
Best Actress in a Small Role, Musical – Danielle Grau – Red Hot & Cole
Best Actor in a Small Role, Musical – Mark Plinska – Red Hot & Cole
Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Comedy – Danielle Grau – Out Of Order
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy – Brian Fitzgibbons – Out Of Order
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Comedy – Don Campbell – And The Winner Is
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Drama – Brian Fitzgibbons – Driving Miss Daisy
Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Musical – Paige Elizabeth – Red Hot & Cole
Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Musical – Mike Funaro – Red Hot & Cole
Best Newcomer Actress – Violet Stoll
Best Newcomer, Actor – Mike Funaro
Sexpot, Female – Sarah de la Hoz – And The Winner Is
Sexpot, Male – Chris Nelson – Out Of Order
Meanest Character – Terry Dudinsky - Christmas Belles
Golden Whip – Diane Parent
Best Actress, Musical – Lauretta Lawrence - Red Hot & Cole
Best Actor, Musical – Brian Fitzgibbons – Red Hot & Cole
Best Actress, Drama – Jane Taylor – Driving Miss Daisy
Best Actor, Drama – Lawrence Benjamin – Driving Miss Daisy
Best Actress, Comedy – Shelly Wawrzonek – Hide & Shriek
Best Actor, Comedy – David Lowe – Out Of Order
Most Versatile Actress – Liz Davis
Most Versatile Actor – Zach Goodrich

Walk Like A Man was reprised from a scene from "Out of Order" for the Hammy Awards. David Lowe (left) won Best Actor, comedy; and Brian Fitzgibbons (right) won Best Actor, musical; Best Small Role, comedy; Best Supporting, drama; and Best Supporting, comedy Keith Poulson (center) was co-host of the Hammy Awards.

Honored for directing the 2008-2009 season plays are…

Ted Pack -  Hide & Shriek, Harriet Winokur - Murder Is A Game,
Nancy McCormick - Christmas Belles, John Stenko – Out Of Order and Red Hot & Cole, Jenny Sejansky - Leading Ladies, Dottie Hughes - Driving Miss Daisy, and Brian Fitzgibbons - And The Winner Is

All photographs are available for purchase. Text and photographs are subject to copyright protection. No photographs can be reproduced, used for resale, redistribution, or commercial purposes without the express written consent of Sandi Carroll.