Interview: Aliza Bardfield And Matt Golden of SEPTEMBER AT OYSTER MILL at Oyster Mill Playhouse

Oyster Mill Playhouse recently announced the cancelation of their September production of Nunsense. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, the board determined that the best course of action would be to table Nunsense for now and to fill the September schedule with a variety of performances featuring a host of talented local actors. Aliza Bardfield and Matt Golden spoke with BroadwayWorld about this change in programming.

BWW: First, tell us a little about yourself and your role at Oyster Mill Playhouse.

Bardfield: I’m Aliza Bardfield, the Production Coordinator for the theatre. My role entails working with the Board of Directors, the public, and our volunteers to make sure all the shows run smoothly and that we create a fabulous season of entertainment year after year. It also means I need to be able to shift gears rather quickly to take on anything that needs done to help run the shows and, in turn, run the theatre.

Golden: I am Matt Golden. I am an actor and board member at Oyster Mill Playhouse and help manage the social media for the theatre.

BWW: It’s remarkable how quickly the theatre was able to pivot to the new September program. How did it all come together so quickly?

Bardfield: As soon as we realized that we weren’t going to bring Nunsense to the stage, a meeting took place with the Board President, the PR team, and the Production Coordinator to start brainstorming ideas. We wanted to be sure to have something taking place in September, but it also meant we had the challenge of gaining rights for shows, paying for those rights, auditions, and so forth in a very short time frame. Luckily, there is a fabulous network of theatrical folks in the area, and we were able to pull in a lot of talent to help us out.

BWW: How did the team at Oyster Mill decide what to do in place of Nunsense?

Bardfield: Since we’re moving into the Autumnal season, we decided to go with the idea of ushering in the spooky time of the year. Matt Golden helped to really create the first two weekends of entertainment by contacting Liz Curtis, as she is fabulous at running improv shows. Liz was able to pull in a troupe that she works with for the evening of Saturday, September 9th. From there we had the idea of one act plays as well as staged readings with a spooky theme; we split up the weekends so that one would be the one acts, while the other would be the staged readings. We wanted to do shows that could be solid but that would also allow actors to not have to invest every waking hour since it was short notice.

The beauty of how it all came together was just how many people were excited to be involved. We have a wonderful group of talented local performers who have appeared throughout the area with various theatres all coming together at Oyster Mill Playhouse over these few weekends with a common interest and a common goal—supporting local theatre and creating a wonderful theatrical experience.

BWW: Briefly tell us what performances are happening each weekend in September, and let our readers know the details regarding tickets for these shows.

Bardfield: For one night only, Saturday, September 9th, we have a night of Improv. This is a “Pay What You Want” at the door event and it starts at 7:30 pm.

The next weekend we have a Sinister Shorts, featuring “The Monkey’s Paw,” “Goodbye, Miss Lizzie Borden,” and two Poe readings. Friday and Saturday, September 15th and 16th, the show is at 7:30 pm, and there’s a 2:00 pm matinee on Sunday, September 17th. This is also “Pay What You Want” at the door.

The weekend of September 22nd-24th, we have “Voices from Spoon River” as a staged reading. The fictional town of Spoon River is brought to life by its former residents who are now all spirits speaking from the grave as they tell you about their lives, as well as their deaths. Friday and Saturday, September 22nd and 23rd, the show is at 7:30 pm, and there’s a 2:00 pm matinee on Sunday, September 24th. This is also “Pay What You Want” at the door.

There’s no reserved seating for any of these shows, and all tickets can be purchased at the door.

Lastly, The Golden Gays are back for one performance only on Saturday, September 30th with another musical comedy extravaganza. Tickets for this may be purchased on our website at www.oystermillplayhouse.com

BWW: Aliza, you’re directing Voices from Spoon River. What was it about this piece that spoke to you? What can audiences expect when they come to see this performance?

Bardfield: What’s wonderful about the Spoon River Anthology is that it’s all these various characters, many of whom are intertwined with one another, yet they are all separate. It’s a microcosm of life itself, yet all the speakers have passed away and are speaking from the grave. It’s unique, it’s spooky, it’s beautiful, it’s eerie, and it’s a great challenge for actors to create a character in a very short amount of time while working to hold the attention of the audience. I loved the idea, the simplicity, and the challenge of the piece, and I’ve wanted to bring some of these characters to the stage for a while now. This was the perfect opportunity. As far as what patrons can expect to see, they should be prepared for a myriad of emotions when listening to the tales told by the residents of the Spoon River cemetery. There are some sad moments but also a surprising number of humorous moments as well. Every character is different, and every actor does a fabulous job of giving each character a unique voice. The whole piece will have a fluidity, moving you from one moment to the next.

BWW: Matt, tell us about Once Upon a Midnight Dreary: A Night of Sinister Shorts—how did you choose the stories that will make up this performance? What will audiences experience if they come to this show?

Golden: Once Upon a Midnight Dreary is a series of four short horror stories - two classic tales from Edgar Allan Poe, “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the supernatural story of “The Monkey’s Paw”, and the real-life horror of Lizzie Borden.  I picked four stories that were well known and accessible to audiences. People know these stories and are drawn to them. I had this idea because I’m a huge horror fan and love to see scary stories told on the stage. The Lizzie Borden one act we’re producing was first written in 1948 and has very rarely been performed since it was published. I stumbled upon the script when researching horror one acts and thought it was a fun spin on the real-life murder case.

BWW: Tell us a little about the Improv show featuring HAIR and The Golden Gays murder mystery.

Golden: HAIR stands for Harrisburg Area Improv Radicals and is captained by Liz Curtis. She is a good friend of mine and of Oyster Mill Playhouse and a fantastic improviser.  You’ll be in for a night of fun with that crew. The Golden Gays murder mystery musical is a take on the fan favorite episode “The Case of the Libertine Belle” where Blanche is accused of killing her would be lover.  The Golden Gays have performed at OMP several times now and always put on a hilarious, engaging and sold-out show.  Get your tickets while they last!

BWW: Oyster Mill has one more show for the 2023 season—Run for your Wife. Tell us a little about this show and why our readers should come see it.

Bardfield: “Run for Your Wife” is a hysterical and classic British farce. A lot of confusion and a lot of doors. Mistaken identities, sexual innuendos, running here and there, sight gags and more are packed into this comedy. Audiences will enjoy an evening of fun and laughter!

BWW: Oyster Mill recently announced their 2024 season. For those who were looking forward to the comedy of Nunsense, what shows should they be looking forward to in the 2024 season?

Bardfield: We have a LOT of comedy and mystery for the 2024 season, since this is what we’ve sort of become known for in the area when it comes to community theatre. It’s what’s been requested, and it’s what we do well. We’re starting off with the classic Agatha Christie “And Then There Were None” and bookending this with the season closer “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940”. In between we have the comedies “Boeing Boeing”, “Hay Fever”, and “The 39 Steps”.

BWW: Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Bardfield: I know there were some questions about Nunsense and why it was cancelled. There were just a lot of circumstances beyond our control that all converged to make it something that wasn’t meant to happen right here and now. That doesn’t mean it’s gone forever, and we’ll try again at some future date. It also means that we now have an opportunity to pivot and use our creative energies to put on a variety of fabulous productions that allow a myriad of actors to get involved. All in all, it’s a win for everyone—the public, the theatre, and the actors. It seems like this is what’s meant to be, and I’m very excited for all the shows we have coming up.

For more information, visit www.oystermillplayhouse.com.

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