directed by Mark J. Dibble
written by Chris Mackowski
 

September 29-October 1, 2000

April 7, 2001 (revival at the Pennsylvania Association 
of Community Theatres Festival)

Bellydance is the story of a husband and wife and a whole lot of miscommunication. The audience meets the couple as they are about to divorce. What follows is a backwards glance at what brought them to that point.

Recognized by the Theatre Association of New York State with Merit Awards for Sound Design and Lighting

 The Setting  |  The Cast  |  The Crew  |  From the Director  |  Special Thanks  |  Return to Main Page

Thomasine F. Crawford (Mara) has been acting in community theater productions for the past 20 years. She has worked with Olean Community Theatre (OCT), Cattaraugus County Living Arts and St. Bonaventure University. Most recently she played Vera in Mame and has been a Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret. Other productions include Something’s Afoot, Arsenic and Old Lace, Dracula, Rumors, Vanities, George Washington Slept Here, and Godspell. In her real life, Thomasine has her own graphic design and communications business, Moonlight Designs. She is also an adjunct communications instructor with Jamestown Community College.

Daryl E. Johnson (Peter) studied grauate level theatre at the California Institute of the Arts and is an alum of the first theatre school at the Chautauqua Institutuion. A former president of OCT, Daryl has helped out on a number of theatrical productions over the last few years, locally and on the west coast. His greatest productions to date are his two children, Austin and Aubrie, made possible by the generous and uplifting spirit of his coproducer, Lynn. Daryl and Lynn want you to know they moved to Holland, NY, in 1998 so their children might attend the Aurora Waldorf School in West Falls, NY, where every child is an honored student. Receive a child with gratitude; educate her with love; let her go forth in freedom.

Meredith Van Scoy (Nina), originally of Limestone, NY, is a junior English major at  St. Bonaventure University. She has been involved in many OCT and BLT productions including, West Side Story, Hello Dolly! (Minnie Fay), The Fantasticks (Luisa), Nunsense (Sr. Leo), Cabaret (Kit Kat Girl, choreographer), and Picnic (Madge). She has worked as a performer at The Struthers Library Theatre in Warren, PA, as a technician at the Bristol Valley Theatre in Naples, NY, and is a member of The Legacy Dance Company. Meredith plans to go to graduate school and major in musical theatre. Many thanks to family, friends, and teachers for their love, support, and encouragement.

Cristin Winegard (Nina/Revival) makes her first appearance with BLT in Bellydance, although she has been involved in theatrical productions in western New York. By day, she teaches elementary school.

(In the Photo: The original cast of Bellydance. Clockwise from back right: Mark J. Dibble, Tammy Crawford, Daryl Johnson, Meredith Van Scoy, and Chris Mackowski)

Director Mark J. Dibble has had a role in area high school, college, and community theatre for over 25 years. He started as a theatre student at Pitt-Bradford, then went on to found Olean Community Theatre and, later, serve as artistic director at Wellsville High School for 11 years. He has also been active with the Theatre Association of New York State. All told, Mark’s theatrical hand has touched more than 175 shows as director, designer, technical director, and/or actor. His next project is Grease for the Players of Allegany County. When he’s not doing theatre, Mark is an Olean-area real estate broker with Pepper & Crandall.

Playwright Chris Mackowski is an assistant professor of journalism and mass communication at St. Bonaventure University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, Inc., and he serves on the board of directors of Bradford Little Theatre. Previous writing credits include Monty by the Sea, Summer’s Way, Illumination, and an adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau. He and his wife, Heidi, have with two children, Stephanie and Jackson.

Sound		Pottsy
Lights		Stephanie Duncan
Stage Hand		Lacy Gilbert
Properties		Betty Spindler
Box Office		Betsy Matz
Lobby Display		Julie Dykstra
Crew (Revival)		Andee Cole

Artwork by Dan Wintermantel of Studio 4 East
Poster and Program printing by Ferguson Printing
Lobby photography by Glenn Melvin

Greetings and welcome to the theatre!

Although I would not call this production a "theatrical event," I would suggest that this show will be a first for many of us.

Chris and I have been working on this show for well over a year. He’d been working on a show about a Civil War hero when, he told me, he had to take a break to write another show that "just came out of me." I was flattered that he asked me to read this new piece, but I was not prepared for what he gave me. He initially described a show about a married couple, the other woman and the divorce that ensued. My initial response was a wary and lukewarm "Um, okay." The notion, I admit, struck me as a little trite. I had no desire to do a show about a subject that is so well-explored in print, movies, TV and everyday life. How do you say anything fresh about it? Nonetheless, I began to read the script to see what "just came out" of him.

The script blew me away. It tells the story chronologically backwards. How cool, how different…how nuts? I was so intrigued at how this would work and how it would come across to the audience that I accepted the show immediately. I wanted to be involved from the beginning of the script-development process.

What you are about to witness is a story of two sets of lives: a husband, a wife, and a bellydancing instructor. It’s a tale of love, art, and dysfunctional communication. You’ll come in at the end of the story, the final scene. From there, you’ll rewind back in time. It’s not a tale of "What happens" but "How it happens." Listen closely and join us as we review the pieces of a story and examine why little things become bigger things and how the Fates and the lack of communication can make such a difference in our lives.

Thanks for letting us share this story with you

MJD

(In the Photo: The cast and crew of the revivial. Clockwise from back right: Director Mark Dibble, Daryl Johnson, Playwright Chris Mackowski, Tammy Crawford, Crissy Winegard, Andee Cole, and Pottsy.)