An Interview with Cathy Simpson

Cathy Simpson discusses her history with People's Light, her thoughts about GOSSAMER, and her character in the play.  Check it out!

Stories of Engagement

Jill Margraff
Owner/Creative Director, Margraffix
I have been working with People’s Light and Theatre since 1998, creating graphics, brochures and advertising materials, branding productions with art and show titles, and designing, building and maintaining the website.  My experience with this company has always been positive, and the design work that they have allowed me to produce is some of the best in the regional theatre community.  I have always believed that the quality of this design work reflected the quality of the theatre, in both its work ethic and what is produced, both onstage and within the community.

This is why I have enjoyed working with People’s Light for so long. Their productions are some of the best in the region.  Their commitment to the community through educational programs is unmatched, and the company itself is dedicated to upholding this standard.  I have also worked with several other theatre companies, both producing and presenting, and I can say that none of the companies have the same type of commitment to excellence that People’s Light has been able to uphold over the years.  The theatre has been able to maintain a strong vision that works.  It is an honor to be associated with them as they have set the standard for many years.

Jeep Pyne

Director of Design

My daughter Alexis has attended classes and Summerstage for four years.  During that time she has expressed her involvement in and love for theatre to several of her friends.  Three of them have enrolled in regular classes, as well as in Summerstage.  There are now a few more shortly to join the ranks.  The mother of one of the new students is an elementary school librarian in the Unionville School System and has told me that sometimes the runners-up to the Caldacott and Newberry Award-winning books are as interesting and popular with her students as the winners.  She is compiling a list for us.  It will be interesting to see how this list compares with our own.  She also does an exercise with her students, where they take the inner book jacket blurb and adapt it from narrative to dialogue to help the students assess their interest in the book and its potential for stage adaptation. 

An Interview with Alda Cortese

Alda Cortese, who plays Rose Mary Woods in STRETCH (A FANTASIA), discusses what she thinks about her character, the script, and more.

An Interview with Daniella Topol

We spoke to Daniella Topol, director of STRETCH (A FANTASIA), about her inspiration for directing the play, the difference in generations among cast members, and more.  Check it out!

Get to Know our Managing Director Grace Grillet!

Our very own Grace Grillet, Managing Director of People's Light, was featured in County Lines Magazine - check out the article!

An Interview with Steve Umberger

King Lear director Steve Umberger tells us about working on one of William Shakespeare's greatest works.

An Interview with Graham Smith

Actor Graham Smith, who plays the title role in King Lear, discusses his history with director Steve Umberger, and what it's like to be Lear.

An Interview with Mary Elizabeth Scallen

People's Light Artistic Associate Mary Elizabeth Scallen talks about her beginnings with the Theatre, and her role in King Lear.

A Day in the Life - Joe O'Brien, KING LEAR

And next up we have Joe O'Brien, an Ensemble member in King Lear. This is Joe's second production with People's Light--he filled in for Jeffrey Coon as Prince Aiden of Sargasso for a week during last season's Cinderella. Welcome back, Joe! Now let's see those photos...

Props from King Lear--some dangerous-looking knives!

For those of you who have never had Puffins Peanut Butter Cereal, it is delicious.

A nice view of PLTC's 2 feet of snow, from Joe's room at the Farmhouse. That's the garden of Places! Bistro below.

Cast members (from left to right) Peter DeLaurier (Kent), Graham Smith (Lear) and Mark Lazar (Fool) during rehearsal. At the table to the right we have Stage Management Interns Mike Chittenden and Mary Pizzullo, and Stage Manager (and wife of Graham) Audrey Brown.

A King Lear book that has been seen being passed around by many of the cast members.


We don't have a production photo of Joe yet, so here's his headshot so that you can put a face to the name!

A Day in the Life - Kevin Bergen, KING LEAR

This time around we asked Kevin Bergen, who is playing Edmund in King Lear, to take some photos to show what he sees in a normal day. Let's take a look!

Cast member Susan McKey (Regan) in the dressing room.

Cast members Andrew Kane (Burgundy), Ahren Potratz (Oswald), David Blatt (Ensemble) and Joe O'Brien (Ensemble).

Kevin's FaceBook page.

Graham Smith (Lear, left), and Stephen Novelli (Gloucester, right) in the dressing room.

The view from onstage--cast members (from right to left) Kim Carson (Cordelia), Graham Smith (King Lear), Mark Lazar (Fool), Lenny Haas (Cornwall), Ahren Potratz (Oswald) and Michael Stewart Allen (Albany).

Rehearsal room.

Kevin Bergen himself, and in the background, Christopher Patrick Mullen (Edmund's brother, Edgar).


Kevin as Sydney Carton in last season's A Tale of Two Cities.