Clearwater Dinner Theatre is just a few weeks away, and this year the show has a new director, Andrew Kinzer.

 

Kinzer is a graduate of St. Cloud State University where he was a theatre major with emphasis on theatre tech and design. It is his first time directing.

 

“I’ve done some back stage stuff in the past, but this is my first time directing a big show,” says Kinzer. “Donna (Stai) said they were looking for a director for this year. I mentioned I had taken some directing classes in the past and would be curious to try my hand at it.”

 

Kinzer had a small role in last year’s production of Scrambled.

 

As director he chose this year’s play, Fools, by Neil Simon.

 

“I looked at a couple of shows. I was thinking about another one, Almost Maine, which is a series of 10 to 12 little love story sketches combined into one show,” he says. “But I’ve always like Fools. It’s about a small town. It’s funny, it’s got some wit and a good message.”

 

The show has only 10 characters, so the small stage at Driftwood Event Center is a good fit for the production.

 

“It’ll be nice to be up-close and personal with the audience,” says Kinzer.

 

Kinzer held open auditions beginning in early January.

 

“We gathered everybody in the room and let them pick up a script and read a scene while everyone watched in a circle,” he says.

 

The cast is complete now, and rehearsals continue twice, and sometimes three times a week.

 

“I think it’s going well. I’m happy with where everybody is,” he says. “We need to get a little better on the lines. The stage is in progress. But it’s coming along.”

As they have been every year since the first dinner theatre production in 2005, the Clearwater Cast of Characters will be ready for opening night.

 

This year’s show schedule covers three weekends: Friday and Saturday March 22 & 23, March 29 & 30 and April 5 & 6.

 

Tickets are $30 per person, which includes dinner catered by Cutting Edge  from the Travel Plaza.

 

For reservations and dinner choices, call 320-290-1899.