Returning Well-Known Cast for Tin Shop Theatre’s Production Let Him Sleep ‘Til It’s Time For His Funeral

by Rebecka Hoyt, Editor & Photographer

Lots of laughs will be filling up the Tin Shop Theatre with the incredible talent of their well-known cast members in the upcoming comedy production of Let Him Sleep ‘Til It’s Time For His Funeral by Peg Kehret. If you have not yet been to a play in a while or ever, come see this PG rated performance as you will get some good laughs.

The cast members are no strangers to the Tin Shop Theatre stage. Patricia Baltazar, Julie Blaylock, April Jonaztke, Phil Brackett, Craig Sumerix and Dave Perez are under the direction of Alice Kring. This is Alice’s 15th show of directing since 2010. Sponsors for the play are Hoven Funeral Home, Inc. and Buchanan-Galien Lions Club.

Let Him Sleep ‘Til It’s Time For His Funeral is about a mixup of a wife planning her husband’s 50th surprise birthday party, but in a much different way to get enough people to attend it, and her husband somehow finds out about a “funeral” and he’s thinking about going somewhere else before something happens to him. The setting takes place at the Dollefson home living room in June of 1993.

Bring your family, friends, spouse, significant other, or if you’re having a girl’s night out to enjoy some laughs brought to you by your local cast members for the typical 1 hour and 45 minutes (with intermission) performance time and will run for two weekends of Friday – Sunday dates this month: April 21, 22, 23 & April 28, 29, 30.

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• Tin Shop Theatre Presents:
  • Let Him Sleep ‘Til It’s Time for His Funeral by Peg Kehret
    • “Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Co.”
• Crew:
  • Directed by Alice Kring
  • Tech Operators: Dave Perez, Riley Perez, and Alice Kring
  • Set Construction: Phil Brackett, Julie Blaylock, Craig Sumerix, Patricia Baltazar, April Jonatzke, Alice Kring, Bobby Blaylock and Dave Perez
• Cast of Characters – In Order of Appearance:
  • Jackie Westmore ……………………… Patricia Baltazar
  • Marianne Doleson …………………………. Julie Blaylock
  • Elizabeth Dollefson ……………………… April Jonatzke
  • Russ Westmore …………………………….. Craig Sumerix
  • John Dollefson ………………………………….. Phil Brackett
  • Mr. Jansen ……………………………………………. Dave Perez
• Setting:
  • Time: June, 1993.
  • Place: The living room of the Dollefson home.
  • Scene I: Early June 1993
  • Scene II: Two weeks later
  • 15 Minute Intermission
  • Scene III: Friday afternoon June twenty-fifth
• Description:
  • “John is anxious about turning 50 and having done nothing with his life.  His loving wife, Marianne, decides to show him he’s wrong by hosting a surprise funeral instead of a birthday party.  Sounds strange, but her intentions are good — she wants him to know how much he’s loved.  It’s to be a fantastic surprise party for guests, relatives, the undertaker, and most of all, John.  But there’s a mix-up.  John catches wind of Marianne’s plans for the funeral and assumes she’s planning to murder him.  He purchases a plane ticket to Mexico to escape.  When Marianne finds the plane ticket, she thinks John is leaving her!  Their teenage daughter and the neighbors all have other even wackier ideas.  This delightful mess is amazingly resolved in a hurricane of hilarity.” _{(Text from Tin Shop Theatre website)}
• Sponsors:
  • Hoven Funeral Home, Inc.
    • 414 East Front Street, Buchanan, MI 49107
    • (269) 695-2363
    • www.hovenfunerals.com
  • Buchanan-Galien Lions Club
    • Serving the Buchanan and Galien Communities since 1934
    • For information on the club see our Facebook Page: Buchanan-Galien Lions Club
    • Email: lions49107@gmail.com

• Ticket Information:
  • Ticket Costs:
    • 12 and younger : $8
    • Adults 13 and up : $15
    • Season Ticket : $75 for 6 productions
    • Unlimited Patron : $200, or 2 patrons for $275
    • Group rates are available (10 or more) ~ Contact the box office for details.
  • Purchase Details:
    • tinshoptheatre.org/reservations ~ Ticket Purchase Link
    • 269-695-6464 ~ Call the box office to leave a message on the machine any time and you will receive a phone call back to confirm reservation.

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Event Details:

• Who: Tin Shop Theatre
• What: Let Him Sleep ‘Til It’s Time for His Funeral
• When:
  • Friday, April 21, 2023 ~ 7:30pm
  • Saturday, April 22, 2023 ~ 7:30pm
  • Sunday, April 23, 2023 ~ 4pm
  • Friday, April 28, 2023 ~ 7:30pm
  • Saturday, April 29, 2023 ~ 7:30pm
  • Sunday, April 30, 2023 ~ 4pm
• Where: Tin Shop Theatre
  • 121 S Oak St, Buchanan MI
• Details:
  • Ticket Costs:
    • Adults 13 and up : $15
    • 12 and younger : $8
    • Season Ticket : $75 for 6 productions
    • Unlimited Patron : $200, or 2 patrons for $275

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