Looking back
The last time Burkman and Lockwood appeared as a couple was in the Dayton Theatre Guild’s 1990 production of “Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune,” the two-character play by Terrence McNally.
“Geoff Burkman and I had never worked together before, so there was a brief period of adjustment,” remembers McBride. “Since there were only the two characters on stage for the entire play, and it opened with the couple in bed having just made love, we needed to get comfortable with each other right away!”
Fortunately, she says, acting with Burkman was fun. “He has a great sense of humor and is pretty easy-going; in fact, I was more nervous than he in the opening scene,” she remembers. “We had a successful run and I believe we were pretty convincing as the waitress and the short-order cook that Terrence McNally’s script called for.”
Burkman remembers the production as a crossroads experience in his life. “I knew without question afterward that ‘doing theater’ was something I could never stop doing and that bringing a character to life for an expectant audience was a powerful, rewarding calling,” says the actor who has been performing and directing ever since. “The collusion, camaraderie and community of theater makes it all the better.”
Burkman, who starred in the Dayton Theatre Guild production of “The Subject Was Roses,” directed Dayton Playhouse’s national premier of “George A Romero’s Night of the Living Dead Live,” and the FutureFest 2015 production of “Smoke,” recently appeared in the Guild’s production of “Heartbreak House.”
He believes “Greetings!” has “that same sort of heart” as “Frankie & Johnny.” “It has that same sort of triumph of love against adversity as each player reveals weaknesses and finds strength,” he says.
McBride says it’s wonderful to be acting again with Burkman and to be directed by Jim Lockhart, who also directed her last play, “The Octette Bridge Just 25 years ago, Jane McBride and Geoff Burkman shared the stage in “Frankie & Johnny at the Clair de Lune” for the Dayton Theatre Guild on Salem Avenue. Club.”
“After my husband died in 2014, I had no desire to do anything — least of all theatre,” she says. “But when Jim told me about ‘Greetings!’ I knew the time was right. Playing opposite Geoff again feels so natural, and our whole cast just fits! I’m having a wonderful time!”
Burkman says the production — and his reunion performance with McBride — embodies the joy of acting and community theater. “To say that she’s very giving onstage is understatement — now, if only I can keep up with her!”
Others involved
“Greetings!” playwright Tom Dudzick also authored “Over the Tavern” and “Miracle on South Division Street.”
Other members of the Brookville cast are Casey Dillon as Andy, Maggie Carroll as Randi, and David Halloween as Mickey.
Lockwood has directed for Brookville twice before: the Vietnam drama “A Piece of My Heart” in 2005 and the Neil Simon comedy “The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue” in 2007.
The Brookville theater started with a few friends and 100 charter members. It traces its roots back to 1986 when shows were performed in a barn at Golden Gate Park that came from the Slyder farm. Thanks to Ruth Slyder, a new facility was built in 1993. Supported by the City of Brookville and surrounding community, the playhouse currently stages five productions a year from January to December.
To learn more, visit brook villecommunitytheatre.com