'Guys and Dolls' is theatre veteran's 28th local show

PLYMOUTH — At its best, community theater provides an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to step outside their regular lives to join a collaborative artistic performance for their friends and neighbors. It’s an experience that continues to excite Trish Lindberg, who has been leading one of the region’s most successful amateur theater companies since 1995.

Lindberg’s latest show, a production of the 1950 Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls,” is currently being staged at The Flying Monkey, with performances through Jan. 22. The show is sponsored by The Flying Monkey and Plymouth State University.

28 productions and counting

Lindberg, who is directing her 28th Educational Theatre Collaborative production in “Guys and Dolls,” started ETC along with Dan Perkins, PSU professor emeritus, after leading another community theater organization in New London. With ETC, she said she saw the opportunity to explore the art form in a way that brought generations of the community together on one stage.

A high-water mark for ETC came in 2013, when the organization won the Moss Hart Award, given by the New England Theatre Conference for productions that are “affirmative of human courage and dignity,” have high artistic merits, and which find a creative way to present a play. ETC won for “Marking the Moment,” co-written by Lindberg and the late Manuel Marquez-Sterling, in honor of Plymouth State’s 250th anniversary.

There were 125 people in that show, Lindberg said, which was possible when ETC could use PSU’s Silver Center for productions. Scheduling conflicts have resulted in a shift to the more moderately sized Flying Monkey, owned by The Common Man, which seats audiences of about 400. “Guys and Dolls” has a cast of 44.

This won’t be Lindberg’s last production with ETC, though she is beginning to think about that transition. Over the years, she estimates that she has worked with at least 2,000 local actors. In that same span of time, she has seen the scene blossom.

“Many more quality community theaters have come about,” Lindberg said. “I think it’s exciting that many more opportunities have come about for people.”

Lindberg’s hallmark in a busier market is elevating the experience for both audience and actor.

“I have tried, as a producer, to bring more and more quality to the production,” she said, referring to elements such as lighting, music and  choreography, “so that the talent on stage is supported by professional theatre artists. ... We are collaborating to create quality artistic experiences for the community.”

The best of us

“Guys and Dolls” will be the second ETC show as music director for Harmony Marky, who also has performed onstage for Lindberg. That’s after attending “lots” of her shows, Marky said.

There’s a feeling that community theater productions provide for her, Marky said, that keep her coming back for more.

“It feels like being around a group of your friends, who, all in one moment, have high energy, are super positive and creative, and you are working within that high energy and positivity, building something that didn’t exist before,” Marky said.

In this case, Marky gets to lead a musical score she said she loves.

“It’s got a lot of jazz themes, it’s got something that everyone can grab onto,” she said.

The show’s characters all seem believable, and remind Marky of people she knows in real life.

“It’s a lot of fun to watch it take shape,” Marky said, adding that it’s also a privilege to watch Lindberg in her element.

“We come together as a community. She is the glue that pulls us together,” Marky said. “She knows what to say, when to say it. She is incredibly loving, makes people feel like they belong here,” whether they are professionally trained or novices. “Everyone knows their importance, and that’s due to Trish.”

Amy Weston is playing Miss Adelaide, her fourth role with ETC. Her character is a romantic, someone who continues to have faith in her man despite an engagement that has stretched on for 14 years. Some actors play her as a “dope,” Weston said, but she sees Adelaide as optimistic.

“I’ve definitely been there before,” Weston said.

Weston performs with other local theaters, and said Lindberg’s shows bring a professional level of intention to community productions, and that she has begun to see them as a highlight of her year.

“It’s just a community of people that really care,” Weston said. “After the holidays, when you really need something to look forward to, ETC is that bright spot.”

“Guys and Dolls” is considered by some to be the perfect musical, Lindberg said, due to its music, characters and a snappy script that “clips right along.”

“What a privilege it is to work with such an amazing cast and crew to create Guys and Dolls,” Lindberg said. “I love being able to work with actors to create art for the community.”