Category: Play

THANK YOU from the Boeing Boeing cast and crew!

Assistant Director
Gallery of pictures from the Boeing Boeing cast and crew

Boeing Boeing has closed, and the flight has taken off. However, we are immensely grateful to the community for your support! We had amazing crowds for our summer comedy of the 2024 season.

In meeting and conversing with the patrons of the show, we had some inquiries that we wanted to address!

1) How can I get involved in an ASPI show? When is your next audition opportunity?

Seussical the Musical is our next production, opening in December. Auditions for Seussical are on August 27th or 28th at the theater. Visit our website to learn more about what to prepare! If you’d prefer to help behind the scenes instead of auditioning, we’d love to have you! We also have non-show-related volunteering opportunities available. For more information, please contact us at theater.aspi@gmail.com or call us at 920-826-5852!

2) How can I support ASPI financially?

ASPI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that depends on community support, both through volunteers and financial contributions. We have various funds available for donations, each offering Spotlight Sponsor benefits based on the level of donation. Some ongoing campaigns include our “Light the Way” Capital Campaign and the Hollie Surber Memorial Scholarship fund. To donate today or to learn more about our campaigns and Spotlight Sponsor membership benefits visit our website.

3) When do Seussical the Musical tickets go on sale?

Tickets for the general public will go on sale on October 5th. Prior to that, presale tickets will be available to our Spotlight Sponsors and Season Ticket holders starting on September 5th. If you’re interested in securing presale tickets, you can become a Spotlight Sponsor by clicking on the donation link below. This will be a popular show, so make sure to mark your calendars!

4) What is your 2025 season?

We are currently in the process of selecting our shows for the next season! The big reveal will happen in October, so please follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay updated. Season tickets for 2025 will also be available for purchase in October. We are thrilled about what’s to come!

If you have any other questions not addressed here, please don’t hesitate to contact us via email at theater.aspi@gmail.com or by calling our box office at 920-826-5852. We are looking forward to speaking with you!

A Letter from the Director of “Boeing Boeing”…

Assistant Director
Wayne Strei - Director of "Boeing Boeing"

When the ASPI board first contacted me about returning to the company to direct a show called Boeing Boeing, I had to admit I had heard of it but had never seen a production or the movie. Now as we prepare to open our production of this extremely popular script I am so happy to have been offered this crazy French farce from the early 1960s. I must admit the most telling part of this whole experience for me is that I am the only member of the cast and production personnel who was alive when it was first produced in 1962. That was fun to learn!

We have chosen to present the script as it was first performed over sixty years ago, when our norms for sexism and many other “isms” were very different than today in the 2020s. This show was first produced when The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Beverly Hillbillies were on television, well before All in the Family and others hit the airwaves. As always when watching a comedic farce, you will be asked to suspend your belief in reality on occasion and just go with the flow.

By the way, if you understand my references to the television shows in the preceding paragraph it is possible that you were also alive, or soon to be alive, in the early 1960s. I hope your memories of that era aren’t quite as frantic or bizarre as this wonderful show, but I hope everyone enjoys our crazy play. It’s been a lot of fun preparing this production to entertain you.

Wayne Strei

Director

Meet the Director of “Boeing Boeing”

Assistant Director
Wayne Strei - Director of "Boeing Boeing"

Boeing Boeing: A Director Spotlight

An American playboy in Paris with three different flight attendant fiances…None of which knows about the other!  What could go wrong? ASPI’s upcoming summer production, Boeing Boeing, is guaranteed to be nonstop laughs!

Boeing Boeing is a popular French farce set in the sixties. A farce is a comedy that is highly exaggerated with situations that seem highly improbable. The 1965 film of the same name stars Tony Curtis as the leading man juggling three different girlfriends, Bernard.  

Boeing Boeing is Mr. Wayne Strei’s followup to his ASPI directorial debut of A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (2021). To learn more about Mr. Strei’s theater experience and journey, please check out his previous director spotlight!

Mr. Strei shared that this production has been a nice departure from the large cast musicals he has directed in the past few years. With only six characters in a non-musical production, the cast has been able to get to know each other quickly and easily!

Since it’s a popular French farce set in the sixties (before all the cast members were even born), the cast has worked diligently on finding all the nuances in a very dense script, and then presenting that script with energy and timing. 

Mr. Strei shared that it has been very enjoyable working with an experienced cast to create this show!

Get your tickets NOW! Showtimes are June 6-9 and 13-16. Tickets can be purchased at abramsspotlightproductions.com. Call the Box Office at (920) 826-5852 with any questions.

Mike Eserkaln

Chaotic, Confusing, Mayhem! : A Director Spotlight

Assistant Director
Mike Eserkaln - Director of Lustful Youth

This June, Abrams Spotlight Productions, Inc. is excited to present an original play written and directed by the one and only Mike Eserkaln!

Mike has graced the ASPI stage in the productions of Oliver and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. His first experience directing a previously published play was the 2022 production of The Foreigner. He is also currently an advisory member of the ASPI board. 

Director is not the only talent on his resume! Mike is an artist of various media: painting, digital, photography, improvisation, and writing. You can check out his work at www.eserkaln.com and/or at www.Patreon.com/Eserkaln.

With 38 years of theater experience, many of which spent doing improvisational comedy and original scripts, Lustful Youth: A Comedy is particularly meaningful. It is the first play that Mike ever had produced! And interestingly, it can now be considered a period play. Cue the nostalgia! This upcoming production will also be Mike’s fourth iteration directing this play, and he is very much looking forward to seeing the way that the cast takes to the script and makes it their own!

Having worked with the cast and crew before, Mike is excited to see them portraying different characters. They are all very talented people and their dedication to the production is already coming through at rehearsals. 

Chaotic confusing mayhem!  Three words describing the production from the writer and director himself. He believes audiences will enjoy the situation that Walt, the main protagonist, finds himself in, and the way that he and his imagination navigate the world they end up creating.

The original inspiration for the play began as a writing exercise, writing just plot with no character development.  It was originally called “Plot”, and then he started writing dialogue between two characters and that developed into the rest of the story.

For the aspiring writers and playwrights, here is advice from Mike: “Stop thinking about writing a play and just write the play.  Stop thinking, stop planning, stop excusing, just write it.”

Catch Lustful Youth, an original play by Mike Eserkaln, June 8-10 & 15-17 at 7pm and June 11 and 18 at 1pm. Tickets are on sale NOW! Purchase yours for one of the eight performances at abramsspotlightproductions.com. Please call the Box Office at (920) 826-5852 with any questions.

theater masks on a wooden floor

Cheers to 20 Years: ASPI Proudly Presents its 20th Season

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From its origins in the Abrams Town Hall, to the 2007 purchase of the church on Maple Street, ASPI is entering into its 20th season strong!

Ali Carlson, ASPI Board Secretary, remembers her first encounter with the theater and its impact in her life. Her story is like the stories told by so many other volunteers who found a second home at the theater.

“I remember walking into the theater for my first production, Seussical: The Musical. Coming from a theater background and family, I didn’t know what to expect. I was new to the community, having just moved to Little Suamico with my husband. That first show got me HOOKED! I was welcomed with open arms and never knew that this theater community could really feel like family, but also, I was able to fill my artistic cup! I still am able to fill my artistic cup! Performing, directing, and theater have always been an important part of my life, and it truly is my mission and joy to continue to bring theater to my local, rural community! So proud to be a part of ASPI and hope it continues for another 20 years!”

Brigette Finger, Board Member, tells about her experience at ASPI: “In many small towns, the local schools aren’t large enough to produce their own musicals. ASPI is so important for youth who are interested in theater, as it provides them with an opportunity to get involved and spread their wings. Anytime you join a nonprofit, you meet people who are passionate about similar things, but I believe community theater goes one level deeper. The people here at ASPI are indeed passionate about theater, but they are also welcoming, kind, dedicated, inspired and fiercely loyal. They are encouraging of all who walk in the doors of the Nancy Byng Community Theater.”

ASPI is so thankful for all of its supporters, actors, and crew. Whether you have been a supporter from the very beginning or are new to the family, your support has carried us through the highs and lows.

Despite such unprecedented challenges as the canceling of the production My Fair Lady in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, ASPI returned to the stage in September 2021 with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, an After Dark Production.

The year 2022 brought us three sensational productions: Beauty and the Beast Jr., The Foreigner, and White Christmas, and we have no intention of slowing down!

The 2023 season will include:

  • Gypsy – March 16, 17, 18, 19 and March 23, 24, 25, 26
  • Lustful Youth (an original play written by Mike Eserkaln) – June 8, 9, 10, 11 and June 15, 16, 17, 18
  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Jr. – November 30, December 1, 2, 3 and December 7, 8, 9, 10

The 20th season will not only bring new productions, but the theater also has an exciting new goal! By the end of 2023, ASPI has the goal of having 100 NEW Spotlight Sponsors. There are four different levels of Spotlight Sponsors with different levels of perks:

  • Silver Spotlight: $100 – $249
  • Gold Spotlight: $250 – $499
  • Platinum Spotlight: $500 and up
  • NEW! Corporate Sponsorships are available beginning at $950 per show

Plus, it is a tax-deductible donation! You can visit https://abramsspotlightproductions.com/ to set up your donation or call the Box Office at (920) 826-5852 to discuss the program that best fits you.

It is so exciting that ASPI has been successful in offering professional grade productions to Oconto County, and we are hopeful that ASPI will continue to be a staple of local theater in our community for many years to come! We also hope that the 20th season will bring new faces, patrons, and talent to the theater! Whatever your skill, ASPI has a place for you! As a nonprofit theater run completely on patronage and donations, we always need community support to keep the doors open. So, let’s keep the fantastic productions coming!

Bill Koehne, Board President, said: “ASPI isn’t just performances and shows, it’s about building a sense of community for everyone involved. Building relationships, fostering friendships, and supporting one another may not be the obvious mission of a theater organization, but it’s an important element of ASPI.”

Be sure to follow Abrams Spotlight Productions on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube so that you never miss an update!

Note: You can read more about the theater’s history, in the past blog post, “Before there were spotlights and solos… there were homilies and hymns!”

Gypsy - A Musical Fable

Gypsy: A Musical Fable

Packerland Websites

Come on out to audition for our spring production… Gypsy! This production is directed by Ali Carlson.

Come prepared with 24-32 bars of a song, preferably from a musical. You will also learn a short choreography routine.

This musical calls for male and female roles, age 8 years or older. No experience necessary… all are welcome!

Rehearsals will start first week in January and will be mainly on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday evenings

Questions… contact us at theater.aspi@gmail.com or 920-826-5852.

Gypsy will be presented March 16, 17, 18, 19 and March 23, 24, 25, 26.

TICKETS ON SALE JANUARY 16th

Become a Season ticket holder or a Spotlight Sponsor to secure your seats before the general public!

A little about the show:

Regarded by many theatre professionals as the finest musical ever created, “Gypsy” is the ultimate tale of an ambitious stage mother fighting for her daughters’ success – while secretly yearning for her own. Set all across America in the 1920s and 30s, when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born, Arthur Laurents’ landmark show explores the world of two-bit show business with brass, humor, heart, and sophistication.

The celebrated score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim boasts one glorious hit after another, including: “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” “Let Me Entertain You,” “Some People,” “If Momma Was Married,” “You Gotta Get A Gimmick,” and “Together Wherever We Go.”

Gypsy is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC

Mike Eserkaln, director of the upcoming production “The Foreigner”

Make ‘Em Laugh: A Director Spotlight

Packerland Websites

Drum roll please… ASPI is excited to introduce Mike Eserkaln, director of the upcoming production “The Foreigner”. You may have seen Mr. Eserkaln on the stage in ASPI’s production of “Oliver”, and most recently in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”.

Outside of the theater, Mike is an artist of various media: painting, digital, photography, improvisation, and writing. His work can be found at www.eserkaln.com or www.Patreon.com/Eserkaln.

Mike comes to ASPI with 38 years of theater experience, including improvisational comedy. While “The Foreigner” is his first experience directing a previously published play, he has directed countless original scripts. “The Foreigner” was actually the first show that got him involved in theater.

Mike describes the play as doing a wonderful job of building the absurdity to a crazy climax. He has been looking forward to watching this show over and over again in rehearsals as all the cast and crew’s faces hurt from laughing. He can’t wait for an audience to experience that too! Audiences can be assured that this comedy will leave you in stitches!

Speaking of cast, Mike shares that the cast fit their roles quite naturally, and you would never guess that the youngest cast member is only 15 years old!

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with most of the cast before, so I knew what I was going to get with them. This is the first time I’ve been directing most of them, and of course they are already exceeding my expectations,” shares Mike.

“The Foreigner” will be presented June 16-19 and 23-26. Buy your tickets NOW. Tickets are available online at www.abramstheater.com. Any questions? Contact the Box Office at (920) 826-5852.

white christmas - snow and trees

White Christmas

Packerland Websites

December 1, 2, 3, 4 and December 8, 9, 10, 11

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas is a timeless tale of joy and goodwill about a song-and-dance team putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and falling for a stunning sister act in the process. Full of dancing, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written. 

The dazzling score features “Blue Skies” and of course the unforgettable title song, “White Christmas.” Give everyone the gift they’re dreaming of with this merry and bright holiday musical. 

the foreigner logo

The Foreigner

Packerland Websites

June 16, 17, 18, 19 and June 23, 24, 25 & 26

The Foreigner is a fun, two-act comedy by American playwright Larry Shue. The story takes place in a fishing lodge in rural Tilghman County, Georgia where two Englishmen arrive as guests.

When people at the lodge try to talk to Charlie, however, he remains silent and claims to not understand English. Taking the explanation that he’s a non-English speaker as fact, the lodge’s guests quickly begin revealing their secrets, and Charlie soon discovers scandals amongst some of the residents of the lodge, along with a few other hilarious escapades.

My Fair Lady

Postponed – My Fair Lady

Packerland Websites

Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc. has postponed the upcoming musical “My Fair Lady” and the Spotlight Wedding Show. Future dates for the shows are being reviewed.

The postponement is in support of the well-being of the theater-going public and those who work on the productions, subject to ongoing assessment by county and state health authorities. ASPI takes the health and safety of our patrons, staff and community seriously.

ASPI customers with tickets to “My Fair Lady” will be contacted via phone or email with further information. 

Please note that ASPI is a volunteer organization with many moving parts. Our volunteers spend countless hours rehearsing, working behind-the-scenes, and doing maintenance and groundskeeping. The community theater’s income is based upon ticket sales, advertising sponsorships, and donations.

Donations to the theater are appreciated, especially now with the postponement of the shows. ASPI will need to reinvest in its promotional materials and cover other unexpected costs. You can help out by clicking here.

We look forward to bringing the spotlight back to the community theater when the coronavirus is in check.