Talisman Players, Kutztown, present “Fiddler on the Roof” at Schaeffer Auditorium of Kutztown University from Sept. 23 to 25.
Tom Nardone “borrowed” the name ‘Talisman’ from Gannon University in Erie where he was one of their “Talisman Players”, to eventually create The Talisman Players’ Community Theatre of Staten Island, New York. That successful community theater lasted for more than 30 years.
When he and his wife Carol left New York to follow their daughter Christine Storch and her family to Lehigh Valley; an idea to start a new “Talisman” community theater in Kutztown developed with Christine and her dad. They began with a small but very interested group at Trinity Lutheran Church on Main Street where Pastor Keith Rohrbach and the church welcomed them.
Key people surfaced and they presented a “Nativity” play in December of 2014. It was followed by a melodrama entitled “Dora the Beautiful Dishwasher” in February 2015, “Our Town” in May 2015, a Jr. Talisman production of “Farces” in August 2015, a “Murder Mystery” in November 2015 and then “Arsenic and Old Lace” in February 2016.
After only two years the group has grown from 10 people to auditions for “Fiddler on the Roof ” which numbered more than 80!
The cast is multi-aged, multi-ethnic and multi-talented. Christine Nardone Storch who is directing is “thrilled and amazed” at the level of talent and enthusiasm that has embraced this production.
Tom Nardone will recreate the lead role of ‘Tevye”, joined by Sue Mangold as his wife Golde.
The cast and crew include several professors, staff and students from the University as well as residents from Kutztown and it’s surrounding areas.
For more information, follow at https://www.facebook.com/TalismanPlayers/.