The cast and crew of One Stoplight Town, smile with the stage of the Wieting. With their set behind them, and the performance on their mind, the cast is ready for the green light! PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Once again legs will be broken at the Wieting Theater, as this year’s stellar cast of the community play aspire for greatness. From Tom, the handyman, to The Green Bean Queen, to Bob, the grocer and cantankerous town crank, this little fictional town that revolves around a red stoplight may have some feeling right at home.

Rehearsing since early May, this is the first time “One Stoplight Town” by Tracy Wells is being put on by Mary Fasse-Shaw and the community players. It was the title that first caught Fasse-Shaw’s eye when picking this summer’s production.

“I picked it because I thought the community would really like it. We have one stoplight in town. The play has All.. or mostly all of the “small town characters ” that we all know and love– and probably “know,” she said.

“One Stoplight Town” is the story of a little lovable town and the stoplight that sits at its center witnessing the events of the unique lives of the town’s many citizens. From love and laughter to arguments and crime, a lot happens in this small town with the red traffic light bearing witness to it all. Drag races, and weddings, alike, there is never a slow day in this one stoplight town.

From the curtains rise, the familiarity of the play is rampant as the stoplight in question bears a striking resemblance to the beloved cherry red traffic monitor that sits on the cross-section of Broadway and High Street. Fasse-Shaw mentioned the construction of the stoplight as she talked about the challenges that faced the show’s production.

Crew members for the show, all gather around the wonderfully crafted stoplight. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

“The challenge with a big cast is trying to get everyone there at the same time. Technically, the stoplight took a little work,” she said. “The tech director, Ellen Moran, and her husband, Andy, have worked hard on making a functional stoplight. The other challenge is positioning the LED projector.”

The play is perfect for Tama-Toledo on multiple levels, including the fact that it has a large cast which allows more local actors to participate.

“It is a good fit for the community because of the stoplight parallel, the variety of small-town characters, the humor, and wise wisdom that is shared. It should be a crowd pleaser,” Fasse-Shaw said.

As rehearsals continue till the big opening day, lighting cues will be practiced, and lines will be run, as the actors prepare. The director will yell out instructions to the cast, like to Jon Huebner who plays grocer Bob, who gets soaked in water in one scene, Fasse-Shaw will yell, “Huebner, wet yourself.”

This set of local actors and crew are working hard to make their fictional one stoplight town as real as ours, so, make sure to go see their production. See The Green Bean Queen, and The Handyman, and The Town Grump, the character may be somebody you recognize, your friend, your neighbor, you never know who you’re going to see around the stoplight.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

This local production of Tracy Wells’s “One Stoplight Town” will have showings on July 10, 11, and 12, starting at 7:30, from the Wieting Theater.