Cirillo Summer Theatre
Since 1968
A Special Letter
"Dear Ms. Vinick,
A week ago I spent a wonderful evening in the presence of Tevye, the dairyman, his wife Golde and family, and a cast of gifted actors, each of whom contributed immeasurably to the glow of the evening. Mr. deJongh has a beautiful voice and WAS the milkman. His body language and facial expressions were not his own, but of Tevye himself. In fact, as I met the gentleman after the show, I first looked around for Tevye. Golde, too, came alive as the lady of the house, the mother, the wife with a flow from within that obliterated the girl I met after the show. A wonderful pair indeed.
Added to this, the music director knew his subject, the music, to a fault, and watching him felt as if he were living the spectacle on stage alongside the actors. In fact, he was having a great time himself, his smile, his communication with the musicians a delight to witness. I was impressed with the cohesive ness of the ensemble, and the connection to Mr. Joe Durfee, obviously one of respect and insight.
Thank you and all the participants for providing an unexpected, enchanting gift that took me out of the auditorium to the little town, "out there," and its very uncommon citizens.
The set was very fitting, and lovely. Mr. Samonds had his finger on the pulse of the production. It was all absolutely wonderful. Thank you.
Most sincerely,
Gertrude T. " (last name withheld by webmaster)
Note from Director: I would be remiss if I did not mention the other halves of the music and set design teams to which Ms. Gertrude T. refers. Deb Curylo did a wonderful job in vocal direction so that the cast sang with feeling and exuberance. We were also fortunate to have the talents of Paul Hamel in design/construction.
