The Group - A History - 1964 to present
James K. Ward
In the late fall of 1964, when the curtain fell on the first Red Stocking Follies in Lakewood, Ohio, a funny thing happened. A number of the cast members found they had a heck of a good time. And, when the dust settled, their "show biz" memories of performing before huge audiences in Lakewood's Civic Auditorium, plus working with a live orchestra, hearing applause and enjoying numerous cast parties set them on a road where there was no turning back. . .for it was the spark that was fanned into an organization called The Group.
The Follies, a fundraiser for the Lakewood YWCA, played on November 21 and 22. There were four more that followed, all presented in the Civic Auditorium; in 1965, 1967, 1970 and 1972. All were benefit performances. The shows were produced by Jerome H. Cargill Productions, 140 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. They were a package deal, with Cargill providing scripts, music, costumes and a director. Participating members of the YWCA were kept busy with sets, flats, getting an orchestra, programs, tickets and publicity.
On a cold February Sunday in 1965, a number of "show biz" veterans fresh from the Follies met at the home of Carl and Dorothy Behl to relive their experiences, and to discuss the possibility of putting on their own show. Seated around the fireplace were Bob and Helen Corns, Bob and Natalie Welty, Ron and Kathy Rickard, Jim and Vivienne Ward, George and Ann Anderson, Roger and Pat Lovejoy.
History confirms that the assembled that day had decided to do a show, and by the following June, did write, produce and present the four-act musical variety show "Tunes 'n' Times" with additional talent recruited from the Follies. 46 people were involved in the production. It was directed by George Anderson assisted by Arthur Moore. Music Director was Marian Marshall; the orchestra, made up of Harding Jr. High students, was under the direction of Bob Rice. Choral Director was Faith Ardussi; in charge of costumes Genevieve Lamp and Maggie Helm. Set design was by Russ Willeman, and working with the dancers were Kathy and Ron Rickard. Make-up was by Chris Vincent, and bookholders were Trudy Spanenger, Ann Saah and Bonnie Lamp. Writers were George Anderson, Helen T. Corns, Ron Rickard, Vivienne Ward, Iris Grigson, Dorothy Maher, J. Fred Parr and Jim Ward. Establishing a long-held tradition, the show opened with the song "Hello Folksies, We've Songs and Jokesies," and closed with the tune, "So Long for a While." The audience seemed to enjoy the performances, and that was all the encouragement they needed. The die was cast.
In their formative years, 1965 - 1984, The Group produced and presented 19 annual shows. Of this number, two were Broadway shows; "Wonderful Town" in 1969 and "Guys and Dolls" in 1971. As these were book shows, with scripts and music already written, they flew in the face of an unwritten Group rule, that only originally written shows would be allowed. Somehow they slipped through the net.
The 1975 show "Group Therapy" ran for two weekends, with performances Thursday-Saturday, April 10-12 and April 17-19. The first weekend, the beneficiary was the Kiwanis Club of Lakewood; the second, the Lakewood YWCA. It was at this point that The Group came full circle: instead of the Red Stockings Follies, it was The Group providing the production, with the major portion of the proceeds donated to the YWCA. To reflect the change in weekend performances, separate program covers as well as sets of tickets had to be printed. This show clearly represented the enthusiasm, creativity and commitment found within The Group. A total of 67 people held speaking, dancing and singing roles, with many doubling in technical, creative and other backstage and business responsibilities. 23 production personnel, incluidng the orchestra, brought the grand total to 90 people involved in the show. The 1975 show was also the onlyone that ever received a review. Arthur Spaeth, former Cleveland News columnist, then writing as a drama critic for the Sun Post said he was "Mother Goosed," and thought the first act spoof on nursery rhymes was terrific.
During that period, all of the productions were presented in the Lakewood High School Tryout Theater, with the exception of the year 1976, when the show "Revoltin' Developments" had a two weekend run (March 26-27 and April 2-3) in the Lakewood Civic Auditorium. The production was billed as Lakewood's key event in the observance of our country's Bicentennial celebration. It was written and produced by The Group, and received the total backing of the community, from Mayor Robert Lawther, the City Council, the Lakewood Jaycees, the Kiwanis Club of Lakewood, the Lakewood Board of Education and town citizens. In promoting the show, Carl Behl, president of Cleveland's Pitt Studios, had a special hand-printed invitation created and sent to President Gerald Ford. He graciously declined the invitation, sending a letter in return, which read in part:
". . . As we lay the cornerstone of America's Third Century, I
am most happy to
commend the Mayor, city officials and the citizens of Lakewood, Ohio on
their
Bicentennial activities which include "Revoltin' Developments"
and the construction
of the Freedom Plaza in Lakewood Park. Efforts such as these are
helping to
make our great national celebration a memorable and meaningful one for
all."
(signed) Gerald R. Ford
The show was well-received, and garnered wide publicity in the Lakewood Sun Post, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Cleveland Press. Show proceeds went toward the construction of a permanent flag plaza which now stands in Lakewood Park.
In 1977, The Group returned to the stage of the Tryout Theater; but in 1981, a new era began, with the Lakewood Civic Auditorium the site of all future productions.
A little-known fact about the early years of The Group was the generous giving of time and resources by members to participate in small shows requested by civic, fraternal and school organizations. Between May 1966 and November 1977, different members of the organization produced and performed in 31 of these productions, all of which required most of the elements of a major show. They ran the gamut from elementary, junior high and high school PTA functions to church and civic organization lunches. At Christmas time in 1973 and 1974, they performed for audiences of C.A.R. (Cleveland Area Retarded Persons), and were warmly received. Those participating said later that it was a very emotional experience.
Silent, self-produced movies became a part of The Group's productions. In their fifth show, "Three Acts to Grind," presented April 2-4, 1970, a grainy black and white opus was produced as an integral part of the second act of a British murder mystery spoof, "A Proper Cup of Tea." The scene opened with live action. A murder had occurred, and a phone call was made to Scotland Yard. At that point, the stage lights were dimmed, and the film began, showing the inspector answering the phone. At the film's end, the stage lights came up on the live entrance of the inspector and his aide.
The second film was a Laurel and Hardy takeoff, "Shooting Par," a story of "The Boys" playing miniature golf. It was written as part of the show "Revoltin' Developments," and was shot at two locations in March 1976. The first, on a blustery cold day, was at the Silver Tee Driving Range in Westlake, Ohio; the second was behind Lakewood City Hall. Mayor Lawther played a role in the film. A Lakewood Sun Post article noted that "The usually meticulously clad Mayor plays the part of Shifty Louie, selling 'hot' golf clubs to Stan and Ollie." Their movies were not limited to the shows. "Temptation in a Sawmill" and "The Little Old Winemaker" were two other homegrown productions done just for the fun of it.
Special effects were a forte of The Group. In the 1980 show, "Wholly Moses, or Up a Crooked River," an illusion of a giant passenger jet came in for a smooth landing on the stage of the Tryout Theater. "It can't be done" was not a part of The Group's philosophy. It was perhaps part of the magic of an organization which seemed to be held together by a mysterious combination of chemistry and creativity, with a pinch of love sprinkled in for good measure.
As in any organization, The Group found it had to buckle down, and through the show production period, generally September through April, they held their necessary meetings. Between the years 1965-1967, various members would volunteer for the jobs necessary to the production of the show. Beginning in 1968, an annual slate of officers was elected to lead the organization, and in 1969 a set of by-laws were written and put in place.
As The Group had no theater of its own, negotiations with the Lakewood Board of Education had to be made following the annual show, to book the Tryout Theater, and later the Civic Auditorium, for the next year's production; show dates were often determined by their availability. Rehearsal space was always at a premium, and in late winter and early spring, Group members could be found practicing dance routines, skits and choral numbers in the halls of Lakewood area churches and in members' homes.
For 25 years, The Group had as its primary beneficiary the Kiwanis Club of Lakewood, and donated a portion of show proceeds to that organization. The Group was, and is, a non-profit organization, each year retaining only enough of show revenues to mount the next year's production.
Since its inception, over 400 people have appeared onstage in Group productions, and countless others have assisted in technical positions. All jobs, whether writeres, actors, director, choreography, business manager, set construction, publicity, promotion, costume design and production, stage props or make-up, are filled by Group members.
The Group continues to entertain Lakewood audiences with their annual productions, and looks forward to continuing to be a vital segment of the entertainment and civic picture of Cleveland's West Shore area.