Those searching for a bit of local comedy next month should look no further than EastLine Productions, which will be performing Enter Laughing by J
oseph Stein the first two weekends in April at the Wantagh-based theater, followed by a special appearance at the Sea Cliff Yacht Club on April 30. The show features two Glen Cove residents with a passion for community theater.
Mary Grace Donaldson will be taking on the role of Angela Marlowe in the upcoming play, directed by Daniel C. Higgins and based on the early years of the life of writer/director/actor Carl Reiner. Enter Laughing is a coming of age story of a young man, David Kolowitz (played by Garden City resident Joe Boccia), who aspires to become an actor, much to the disappointment of his parents who have more practical plans for their son’s future. He faces the dilemma of squashing his dreams forever in order to please his parents or taking a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove to everyone—especially himself—that he is worthy of pursuing a career in the entertainment profession. Karin Weibert of Massapequa PLAYS Miss B, a bookkeeper for La Tesh Hats.
“Miss B is a sexy but savvy woman, who while dating her boss, whom she hopes will propose, finds great amusement in flirting with the younger lead, David,” said Weibert. “I love the era this play is set in. My character reminds me of the glamourous ladies of the silver screen. As always in theatre, I get to work with old friends and make new.”
Donaldson, 27, has been performing since age 3 and is very excited about her role.
“I really love playing character parts and tend to go for the funny roles,” said Donaldson. “The girls who are nice and sweet are not roles I want to play. This character is the definition of over the top.”
While in high school at Portledge School in Locust Valley, Donaldson was involved in the school play every year and also took acting lessons. She loves community theater and has been with EastLine since its inception in 2012. In addition to acting for the company, she is also the house manager for EastLine and is in charge of the print media promotions.
Glen Cove resident Tim O’Rourke, one of the founding owners of East Line and producer of this show, is also acting in Enter Laughing, playing the part of Morris.
He said was a part of an active group of community theater members who initially stepped in to rescue a failing children’s musical theater school, Broadway Bound, based in Montauk. The company then decided to do year-round community theater and is in its fourth season of bringing in “rare shows.”
“We put on 10 shows a year and they run the gamut, from mysteries, thrillers and dramas to comedies and Shakespeare,” said O’Rourke, a village court judge for Roslyn and past commodore of the Sea Cliff Yacht Club.
He said they have been building up an audience base over the years and that about half of the cast of every show consists of actors new to the company.
Rehearsals for Enter Laughing began in February and the 14-member cast dedicates about two to three hours per day during the week for rehearsals.
In addition to the two weekends in April, EastLine Productions will take the play “on the road” to the Sea Cliff Yacht Club for an April 30 performance, which is open to the public.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students. Call 516-749-5047, www.eastlineproductions.com or email eastlinetheatre@gmail.com for tickets. Performances will be held on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2, at 8 p.m., Sunday, April 3, at 2:30 p.m., Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 10, at 2:30 p.m.
—Additional reporting by Jennifer Fauci
