Drama Club

Welcome to the home of the Sweetgrass Drama Club
 
Please watch for details of our upcoming productions.
 
 
We always welcome new members. Annual dues are $12. Meetings are held every third Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Learning Center. Come join us! 

We put on two productions each year, one in the spring and one in the fall.  All Sweetgrass residents are invited to join.  We are always looking for folks to join us on and off stage.
 
There are many off-stage roles that are essential to our productions:  Directors, Stage Managers, Stage Crew, Tech Crew (lights and sound), House Crew (Hospitality), costumes, stage set décor, props, prompters, and many more.  It's a fun way to get involved.
 
The Reader's Theater
The Drama Club has a new outreach program, The Reader's Theater. This innovative program, chaired by Peggy Norman, brings fine arts into local grade schools. Committee performers read age-appropriate stories to students without the use of costumes, props, or staging. All of the presentations have received accolades from both students and administrators alike.
 
Following COVID, we were able to restart this program in 2022.

Club Info

2025 Board:
Holly Vitemb, President
Raymond Sass, Vice President
Sandra Barkerding, Treasurer
Barbara Sobkowiak, Secretary
Karen Palacios, Director-at-Large
    
Committees:
Historian: Barbara Sobkowiak
 
Annual dues are $12
 
Early History:
In 2012, as Del Webb's Sweetgrass community began to grow, a small group interested in theater started to form. Those early thespians included Andrea and Lane Braver, Cindy Hess, Leo Julian, Kathy Siegel, Jan VerVoort, and Teri Wathen.
 
The first production for the "Stars of Sweetgrass" was 'All in a Day's Work' by Jon Kommes. It was performed in April 2012 at the Sales Pavillion. 
 
We were chartered in 2013.
 
Memorial Table:
Drama Club founding member and first president, Andrea Braver, passed away Thursday, March 5, 2015, after a five-month fight with acute myeloid leukemia. 
 
Andrea was a special friend to all of us, and we all miss her.  The Drama Club will forever cherish the memory of her energy, enthusiasm, and support of everyone.  On Saturday, April 30, 2016 we dedicated this pillar in honor of Andrea. It was to be used in all of our performances.
 
 
In 2017, due to the fragile nature of the pillar, we replaced it with this small table and moved Andrea's plaque. Additional plaques have been added honoring other passed members.
 

2025

Photos of (Spring Production):

2024

Photos of (Spring Production):
 
Photos of (Fall Production):

2023

Our Spring 2023 production was a Double-Feature Night of Comedy. Please select the links below for photos of "The Last Day at W.O.R.K.", "Cafe Murder", and our "Tech and More".
 
Drama Club Spring 2023 show - W.O.R.K.
 
Drama Club Spring 2023 show - Cafe Murder
 
Drama Club Spring 2023 show - Tech and More
 
Photos of A Christmas Carol (Fall Show):

Play Photos - Fall 2021

After the first phase of COVID the Drama Club returned to its monthly meetings in April 2021.
 
For our first production following/during COVID we had An Evening of Three One-Act Comedies, on November 19 and 20, 2021. Evening shows on Friday and Saturday with a Saturday matinee with captioning by Communication Access Realtime Translation.
 
The first play was Noah directed by Barbara Reynolds.
Following intermission the second play was Frank’s 75th Christmas directed by Dean Jones.
The third play was The Committee directed by Kathy Siegel.
 
Producer:  Sandra Barkerding
Set Design and Execution:  Mary Meier-Roche
Technical Manager:  John Bobbitt
Tech Crew:  Doug Acker, Cindy Hess
Choreographers:  Lee Anne and Gary Smith
Stage Managers:  Barbara Sobkowiak, Phyllis Ransom
Stage Crew:  Mary Meier-Roche, Conrad Sobkowiak
Moving and Hauling:  Charlie Graci, Marty Steed, Dean Jones, Bruce Peterson
Play Photographs:  Kathy Siegel
 
House Manager:  Connie Fletcher-Powell
Asst. House Managers:  Lee Anne Smith, Glenda Simmons
House Staff:  Sandria Askin, Patti Fletcher, Janet Goodell, Judy Graci, Lynne Handwerk, Lou Hart, Elaine Lavine, Mike Lutz, Peggy Norman, Richard Norman, Charlie Roach, Lee Roach, Phyllis Stravitsch, Mary Ann Sturdivant, Judy Thomas, Cheryl White
 
Photos of plays, select:
Noah
Frank's 75th Christmas
The Committee
 

CAST Theater

June, 2023, Club President Bruce Peterson played the role of Father White in "The Butler Did It." '
 
Summer 2021, Drama Club's Sandy Barkerding and Barbara Reynolds starred in Rosenberg's CAST Theater production of "The Face on the Barroom Floor" by Tim Kelly.  This was CAST's annual melodrama complete with awwwing for the heroine and booing at the villain while throwing popcorn!  Always lots of fun.  Congratulations Sandy and Barbara!   (www.casttheatrical.com)