A fundraiser is set for Saturday. The costs associated with bringing the production staff and cast of nineteen youth performers will exceed $20,000.
Hear the interview below.
The biannual festival will be held in Des Moines, Iowa in June 2025. Central Park Players will perform an abridged version of Runaway Princess by Kate Reinders (“High School Musical the Musical: The Series,” Wicked, Gypsy, Something Rotten!) and Tony Award-nominee Paul Gordon (Jane Eyre, Daddy Long Legs, Emma)
Amber Ponce, president of the board of directors for Central Park Players, is tasked with organizing the fundraising and logistics of the group’s participation in YouthFest. “We are elated at the opportunity that our selection for YouthFest will provide to our area youth. For many, this may be their only performance in front of a national audience,” said Ponce.
“At YouthFest, our team must go from bare stage to bare stage in 60 minutes. This requires meticulous planning and practice to set up, perform, and clear the stage in that time frame. Our production team had their work cut out for them to trim this musical to less than half its original run time while ensuring the cohesiveness of the plot. We are excited to see the growth and development of our participants as we work on this performance,” said Ponce.
According to the Community Theatre Association of Michigan (CTAM), Central Park Players is the first group from Michigan to be selected for YouthFest. Youth performers will also attend workshops and educational events as part of their participation.
February 8 Fundraiser
The costs associated with bringing the production staff and cast of nineteen youth performers will exceed $20,000. Central Park Players has announced a fundraiser on February 8, 2025 at Central Park Place. Attendees will enjoy an evening of entertainment that includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres, music and the play LOVE/SICK.
“It is important to us that our local performers could participate regardless of their economic situation. Our goal is to turn to our community to help fund this one-in-a-lifetime opportunity so that no out-of-pocket expenses are incurred by the performers,” said Ponce.
Central Park Players board member Riley Van Ess is making his directorial debut with LOVE/SICK. William MacDonald, a frequent actor on the CPP stage, will be assistant director. The cast includes Riley Van Ess, Julia Uganski, Seth Kauderer, Faith Fancher, Andrew Uthe, Audrey Walker, Dustin Day and Aurora Shewmake.
John Cariani’s LOVE/SICK is a collection of nine slightly twisted and comedic short plays selected by CPP for the Valentines Day season. “LOVE/SICK explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, it is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone,” said Van Ess.
Central Park Players is selling tickets to the fundraiser for $50 at https://cpp.ludus.com. Local businesses are encouraged to donate items to Central Park Players for the silent auction. Donors may contact Amber Ponce at amber@centralparkplayers.org or by phone at (616) 229-0530.
Donations to Central Park Players for the AACT YouthFest fund may be mailed to PO Box 564, Grand Haven, MI 49417 or made online at https://centralparkplayers.org/youthfest2025.
About Runaway Princess
Reinders and co-writer Paul Gordon say, “Runaway Princess is the story of a ‘perfect princess’ who runs away to find her fairy godmother, and along the way she makes some fairy tale friends, learns real-life lessons, and starts to become her true, perfectly imperfect self.”
Neighboring Muskegon Civic Theatre staged the world premiere of Runaway Princess in August 2023 at the Frauenthal Center’s Beardsley Theater. Several actors from the original cast will join additional performers from past Central Park Players productions to perform a shortened version of the musical. YouthFest performers must be in high school or younger in the current school year. The production will be led by three cast members of MCT’s premiere who are too old to reprise their roles. Central Park Players board members Christian Fletcher and Cece Davis will direct and music direct; Rory Ponce will assistant direct, stage manage and choreograph the production.
“Gordon and I wrote this musical with young performers in mind. I am familiar with several members of the board of directors, two of whom were in the cast of the premiere of Runaway Princess. I am confident that they could bring this production to ACCT YouthFest and show the audiences something new and exciting–that was specifically created for young performers as compared to something adapted for them,” said Reinders.
The Runaway Princess YouthFest cast ranges in age from 11 to 18 years old. Performers include DJ Bell, Zozz Chalupa, Catherine Conrad, Darion Fearnley, Kaleena Fredrick, Joel Kondrat, Lennon Lassanske, Stella Lassanske, Sebastien Navis, Eden Navis, Mia Nardi, Lyric Ponce, Marissa Roll, Priscilla Roma, Morgan Sahr, Saida Sagnia, Ashley Tesmer, and Zoey White.
About Central Park Players
Central Park Players is a community theatre organization dedicated to providing high quality performances at affordable prices to Grand Haven and the Tri-Cities area since 1959. Annually, the volunteer-run organization performs 4 regular season productions in addition to a family theatre musical and various social and educational events.
Learn more at centralparkplayers.org.
LOVE/SICK (CARIANI) is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com).
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