Patuxent Playhouse is in the ‘The Moment’

Friday, July 25, 2008

Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DICKSON MERCER The 30-person cast of ‘‘The Moment” includes participants from five area high schools. E-Mail This Article | Print This Story   If you go Patuxent Playhouse’s production of ‘‘The Moment,” a musical written and directed by Ken Garvin, opens at 8 p.m. July 25 and continues through Aug. 2. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. There will be an additional performance at 2 p.m. Aug. 2. Tickets are $15. The play is at St. John Vianney Family Life Center, 105 Vianney Lane, Prince Frederick. Call 410-326-2871. Go to www.patuxentplayhouse.com

He has written 15 songs for ‘‘The Moment,” his story about peer pressure on the ‘‘young and not-so-young.”

The Patuxent Playhouse production opens on July 25 and continues for a second weekend at St. John Vianney Family Life Center. It tells the story of Aaron (Matt Garrett), a teenager, and his dad, Charlie (Jack Reynolds). Both are trying to achieve their goals in spite of the many people trying to distract them.

In one scene, for instance, Charlie is put under pressure by his co-workers to get drunk and drown the disappointment of not getting a promotion. At the same time, Aaron gets the hook from his classmates to drink at a party. Although neither one wants to succumb to the pressure, they both wind up stumbling off the stage. The scenes occur simultaneously, and the motion of the two overlaps on the stage.

The 30-person cast includes a mix of adults as well as students from Great Mills, Chopticon, Lackey, Calvert and Patuxent high schools and from the College of Southern Maryland.

Justin Myles, who plays Hanson, is home in Mechanicsville for the summer after traveling all over the country with the Off-Broadway production of ‘‘Stomp.” His mother, Gracie Myles, who runs Gracie’s Guys and Gals Dance Studio, is in charge of choreography.

‘‘I always told him never get too big that you can’t come back home and help your mom out,” Myles said during a break from rehearsal, ‘‘and he does. Any time he’s around he always wants to offer his support.”

Geri Reynolds, who founded Patuxent Playhouse in 1989, is directing and playing Hattie.

It’s a high-energy wholesome production full of everything from gospel, jazz, blues and hip-hop to tap dancing on tables. The narrative offers plenty of entertaining acrobatics and some heart-to-heart moments as well. Dionne Gause, meanwhile, who plays Ms. Emma, can be counted among those who offer a particularly riveting vocal presence.

Garvin’s Patuxent Playhouse credits include ‘‘Trust in the Lord,” ‘‘Husbands and Wives Revisited” and ‘‘The Project,” his first musical.

‘‘I have my, for lack of a better term, calling when it comes to theater,” Garvin said, who also plays Gitlo. ‘‘I try to get out something that I think is uplifting and mainly try to write something that touches people’s lives.”