5 Reasons To Go See BTG's Production Of 'Guys And Dolls' This Weekend (2024)

The Beverly Theatre Guild kicks off its 61st season with Damon Runyon's 'Guys and Dolls' Oct. 20 to Oct. 22 at Morgan Park Academy.

Posted Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 3:22 pm CT|Updated Thu, Oct 19, 2023 at 12:33 pm CT

Here are five reasons why you should see this show.

First, the Beverly Theater Guild has a stellar reputation.

The original Beverly Theatre Guild (BTG) started in 1929, making it the oldest community theater group still operating in Chicago. BTG has been around for this long for one important reason: the people involved are very, very good at what they do.

In the early 1960s, the BTG, which operated out of Ridge Park in Chicago’s Beverly community for its first thirty years, split into two groups. The existing group kept the original name and dates its seasons since that time.

BTG consistently earns positive reviews for its productions; in fact, a newspaper archives search did not turn up any negative reviews at all. Considering BTG has staged over two hundred productions, that is impressive.

According to Wayne Wendell, BTG president, who has been involved with the group for over thirty years, BTG is “community theater with professional level productions.”

“It’s been instilled in us from the very beginning days to do it right or go home,” said Wendell.

Actors come from all over the metropolitan area, even from out of state, to be in BTG productions. They have professional level talent, and many have professional level experience, but most of them have chosen other career paths for making a living. They nurture their creative sides through volunteering in community theater, and for them, it is a labor of love, not a labor of money.

BTG always uses a live orchestra for its musicals, unlike even many professional theaters that use recorded music. There is nothing like live music for a song and dance number.

Sharon Mason, music director for BTG for ten years, said that the BTG musicians “are really talented.” This nine-piece orchestra creates the sound of an orchestra twice its size by adapting the music and having the musicians switch between multiple instruments in the pit.

The actual theater where a community group performs is an important part of the experience for theatergoers. BTG’s home is the Baer Theater, located at 2153 West 111th Street on the campus of the Morgan Park Academy. With 425 seats, the theater is large enough for the excitement of a live show but small enough that all of the seats are good seats.

According to Mason, who is also BTG business manager, in recent years they won grants for new sound and lighting equipment, keeping the theater up to date with the technology needed for a quality event.

The second reason to see this show is that "Guys and Dolls" is a golden classic.

"Guys and Dolls" premiered on Broadway and won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1950, and in 1955 was made into a movie. It’s the good-natured story of gamblers Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson coming to terms with love and reality through their respective relationships with singer/dancer Miss Adelaide and anti-vice crusader Sergeant Sarah Brown.

Along the way, the audience meets a colorful cast of characters and enjoys lively song and dance numbers.

John Gronkowski, who played Sky Masterson in a non-BTG performance in 1970 right out of high school and is now returning to the stage after a fifty-year hiatus to play an anti-vice crusader in some scenes and a drunk on the street in another scene in this BTG production, pointed out the play has a subtitle – “A Musical Fable of Broadway.”

“This is not stark realism. It’s supposed to be a little over the top, a little exaggerated, and that’s why it’s a good show, it holds up really well,” said Gronkowski.

The cast is putting their hearts and souls into their performances.

Said Mason, “They're all energy. The enthusiasm is really high for this show, and they're doing just a great, great job.”

Jen Lenihan, who has been involved with BTG for twenty years, plays Miss Adelaide, and joins with eight other actresses on stage, called the “hot box girls,” for lively song and dance numbers. She also has the most costume changes of all the cast.

“This is the biggest part I’ve played with the group, and I've got eleven costume changes, and every costume has a hat and gloves and a necklace and bracelets and earrings and shoes and a dress and a fur, so there's a lot going on. When I'm not on stage, I'm backstage changing clothes, and that's a show in itself, just trying to put all these things on,” laughed Lenihan.

The third reason you should see this show is that you owe yourself a treat.

This is a fun way to give yourself a little respite from the cares of the real world. Two hours of enjoyment and laughter is a memorable way to share an experience with a family member or friend.

“When the audience comes in for that performance, they will never have the exact same experience again. And that, of course, is the beauty of live theater,” said Mason.

Added Wendell, “It’s great to go to the theater and leave the real world behind for a while. We want the audience to leave humming a tune from the show, and two days later, still be humming that tune.”

Research studies completed during the pandemic showed that beyond entertainment, attending live theater performances has positive psychological benefits. An article in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology reported that the story-telling that goes on within a play allows us to explore different perspectives we might not encounter in our own lives. Research showed that group experiences are more intense than solitary ones, so there is something special about live theater.

The fourth reason to see this show is that it supports community efforts.

That is your neighbor and your niece up there on that stage.

Tony Zawila, the Box Office Manager for BTG, points out that “there is ‘unity’ in ‘community.’” There are very few true cultural organizations in neighborhoods, therefore the ones that do exist should be nurtured and encouraged.

Community theaters offer many positive benefits. They promote creativity, teamwork, and freedom of expression. They bring attention and revenue to the community which also helps local restaurants and businesses.

BTG works to keep costs down by applying for grants to cover many expenses. The savings are passed on to the ticket-buyers. The top price for a ticket for "Guys and Dolls" is $25, and parking is free.

An evening downtown for a live performance is certainly a special event, but the price of tickets and parking makes it one that most people cannot afford too often. Community productions offer considerable cost advantages and much more convenience.

The final reason you should enjoy "Guys and Dolls" this weekend is that you just may decide to get involved in community theater yourself.

Community theater empowers people and encourages them to grow. The theater group becomes like a second family to its members, which is often mentioned by the BTG members as a main reason they stay involved.

Rose Murphy, who plays one of the “hot box girls,” is a third generation BTG member, following in the footsteps of her grandparents and parents. She has been in several other BTG productions.

“I grew up with the Beverly Theater Guild; they are like my aunts and uncles. My parents met through BTG. My mom was a hot box girl and now I’m a hot box girl, and my mom is doing costumes and my dad's playing in the orchestra,” said Murphy.

BTG members come from many different backgrounds. Mason teaches music in the Chicago Public Schools system. Lenihan works in a lawyer’s office and Murphy at a domestic violence agency. Zawila has a religious vocation. Gronkowski had a career in photography.

They also wear many different hats in BTG. When not performing, the members often also work behind the scenes. Lenihan won the Distinguished Service Award from BTG last year for managing the reorganization of the costume collection. Zawila won the President’s Award for performing numerous invaluable tasks.

BTG members do not have to be performers. Working behind the scenes and in the front of the house are critical roles to keep the group running. From building sets to ushering at the events, there are opportunities for anyone who wants to get involved.

“We’re always looking for volunteers,” said Wendell.

“It's beautiful to see people find a theater and love it and just blossom and stick with it,” added Murphy.

Performances will be on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $27 for adults; seniors, active military and BTG members $25; and $20 for students. Purchase tickets online at BTGTix or by calling 773-BTG-TIXS (773-284-8497). Tickets can be picked up starting one hour before show time at will-call.Purchase your tickets by calling 773-BTG-TIXS (773-284-8497).

It is not a hit-or-miss guess to attend a BTG show. It is always a hit.