DUNMORE — Act Out Theatre Group LLC is taking on two of Amera’s most notorious outlaws in the musical “Bonnie and Clyde.”
At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America’s most renowned folk heroes and Texas law enforcement’s worst nightmares.
The cast features actors from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties in alternating roles: Nichole Conrad (Dallas) and Molly Butler (Dunmore) portray Bonnie; Rocco Pugliese (Wilkes Barre Township) and John Toussaint Jr. (Dallas) portray Clyde; Chris Berbano (Plains Township) alternates the roles of Ted and Buck with Pugliese and Toussaint respectively; and Alana Simrell (Taylor) and Maia Bagusky (Hanover Township) portray Blanche. The cast also features Sarah Rose Pugliese (Wilkes Barre Township), Andrew Simmers (Kingston), Frank Carey (Dunmore), Lily Marie Smith (Blakely), Donovan Mccaskill (West Pittston), Emily Carey (Dunmore), Milana Snyder (Madison Township), Caelan Baden (Taylor), Jarod Engle (Wilkes-Barre), and Marina Rinkunas (Clarks Summit).
Dallas residents Nichole Conrad and John Toussaint Jr. are among the cast and play the titular roles.
“Bonnie is by far the most complex character I’ve played,” Conrad said. “Her range of emotions are very wide and they switch at the drop of a hat. I’ve also never portrayed a character that was a real person and not just a fictional character in a fictional story.”
Toussaint said he continually focuses on the character development that cast did prior to blocking the show and pulls from it to become his character.
“The extensive amount of character development we do is refreshing, because in community theater, character development is often overlooked,” Toussaint said. “But with Clyde, I feel very invested in him and feel able to portray him and who he is as a complex character because of the character development we do.”
Jennifer Hunter, also of Dallas, serves at the production’s music director.
“The music is a combination of blues, gospel, and rockabilly that sets the mood for each scene, helps to define the dubious likability of the characters, and expresses the complex emotions of the now iconic characters,” Hunter said.
Both Conrad and Toussaint find different aspects about their characters challenging.
Conrad sees the most challenging components as understanding the time period and conveying the complex personality of Bonnie. Bonnie’s murderous and dark side stands in contrast to her own personality.
Toussaint also see his role as a challenge, but one that he is up to.
“Clyde is a much more serious role than I have played in the past, and it is also a much heavier and more mentally taxing role than others I have played,” he said. “Clyde is also a high tenor role, which is out of my comfort zone, but it’s an awesome challenge!”
Hunter says those attending the show may, quite easily, fall in love with the music.
“This show features a very talented cast and awesome live band that bring Bonnie and Clyde’s story of love, adventure, and crime to life,” she explained. “Fair warning to the audience…all of the songs are extremely addictive, causing the listener to still be humming them days later.”
“Bonnie and Clyde” runs on the Act Out Theatre Group stage (150 E. Grove St., Dunmore) from May 17 to May 26 with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students/seniors at the door. Tickets reserved or purchased in advance are $10 for Student/Senior and $15 for Adults. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.actouttheatre.com. Parental discretion is advised for children under the age of 12. Live gun shot effects will be used during the production.
