There were a number of nominations made at our 10MAY02 meeting. There were no additional nominations from the floor for officers positions so the Nomination Committee recommendations stand from the April Meeting - Anna Bruce as President, Marc Capizzi as Vice President, John Cipolaro as Treasurer and Phyllis Uloth as Secretary. There were five nominations for the two Directors at Large positions for 2002/3 QP season: Michael Barbo, Barbara Dempsey, Ruth Neeman, Keith Sherman and Ron Wackowski are all on the ballot. A short Bio on all the candidates is included at the end of this note, which was a suggestion made last year. You will also have the option of writing in a candidate for any of the Board Positions on the ballot. Anyone who needs an absentee ballot must contact Jason Benagh at 978/667-1674 or benagh@attbi.com or jason.benagh@kessler.com The Ballot Committee members are Jason Benagh (Chair), Diane Lind and Grace Butler.

The QP Bylaws are very explicit on the Nominating Committee and Absentee Ballots rules.

Section 4: The Ballot Committee.
A. Shall consist of three persons having full membership in Quannapowitt Players, Inc.

B. Shall be appointed by the President at the April meeting to conduct all phases of the election of Officers and Directors.

C. Shall, in the performance of its duties,

1. Maintain, throughout its tenure of duty, the secrecy of all ballots.
2. Construct an official ballot to include the names of all nominated Executive Officers and Directors at Large, as well as space for possible write-in votes for any of these positions. Said ballot shall have written instructions attached. Absentee ballots shall be of a color different from that to be used at the Annual Meeting.
3. Mail all requested absentee ballots immediately after the May Regular Meeting, or immediately upon request thereafter.
4. Send two envelopes with each absentee ballot: one pre-addressed to a member of the Ballot Committee, and another in which the voter may seal the ballot.
5. Send instructions with the absentee ballots to make clear to each voter the method of casting the ballot and the necessity of using a return address on the outer envelope.
6. Keep a list of those to whom absentee ballots were sent.
7. Check the return addresses on all returned absentee ballots against the list of those to whom absentee ballots were sent and shall destroy any absentee ballot, which does not appear on the list or does not have a return address.
8. Keep all of the returned absentee ballots sealed in the outer envelopes until all ballots have been collected at the Annual Meeting.
9. Read aloud at the Annual Meeting, before the election process begins, the names of all persons to whom absentee ballots were sent and from whom absentee ballots were received.
10. Ask any Full Member who is present at the Annual Meeting and who has sent in an absentee ballot whether that ballot is to be counted or destroyed.
11. Distribute ballots at the Annual Meeting and ensure that only persons having full membership cast ballots and that each of those persons cast only one ballot.
12. Tally the ballots.
13. Announce the names of those elected, the positions to which they are elected and, in the case of Directors at Large, the number of years to be served.
14. Place all ballots in an envelope to be sealed and held in the custody of the President until October 1, at which time the envelope and its contents shall be destroyed.

WHO'S WHO - Candidates for QP Board of Directors 2002-2003

ANNA BRUCE - Candidate for QP President Anna joined QP in 1989 working backstage and on-stage for a couple of seasons. Her first undertaking was as the Costume Designer for Boy's Next Door. She returned in 1998 after spending time with her daughter growing up and got right back into high gear! Since she has returned Anna has been a Producer, Chair of Play Reading Committee, Costume Designer, and Set Dresser and has helped with Set Construction for many shows. In fact Anna has worked on 9 of the last 12 shows. Outside of theater Anna's business background includes running a daycare center for 5 years, and she was in Human Resources/Customer Relations for the previous 10 years where she was responsible for recruiting, benefits admin and contract negotiations. All skill sets she can utilize at QP!

"I'd like to take on a more active roll on the administration end of community theater. I'd like to see the remodeling begin and help improve communications with the membership, and well as making us more visible within Reading while helping to draw in the next generation of QP'ers."

MARC CAPIZZI - Candidate for QP Vice President Marc joined QP in 1998 has Hair Designer for The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild and has never left! He has worked on 15 of the last 16 QP shows in a variety of capacities including Hair Design, Costume Design, Properties, Co-Stage manager, as well as Co-Producing. For the past two years, Marc has been a member of the Board of Directors, as well as Box Office Manager. Prior to coming to QP, Mark was a very active member at the Next Door Theater. He served on their Board of Directors as a Member at Large, Treasurer, Vice President and President. At the NETC/EMACT Festivals, Marc has been nominated numerous times for Costume Design Award, which he won three times.

"My time at QP has been very rewarding and calling it my "second home" as many of us do, is an accurate statement. It's good to make your time count for something and being a part of QP satisfies a part of me that I can't explain but just know I need it and want it."

JOHN CIPOLARO - Candidate for QP Treasurer John has been a member of QP since 1987 and has worked on over 30 shows in various design, production, and acting capacities. He has served on the Board of Directors for ten seasons as a Member at Large (1 year), Vice President (2 years), President (2 years), Past President (1 year) and Treasurer (4 years). John has also served on the Play Reading, Nominating and Ballot Committees and has been the Technical Director for the playhouse since 1996. John is running for Treasurer because he believes his Board experience will help smooth the transition to next season. He also has three financial objectives: "... to review and consolidate QP's investment accounts, to select a professional accountant to prepare tax forms, and to get rid of the box of Goo Goo Clusters that I still have in his refrigerator!"

PHYLLIS ULOTH - Candidate for QP Secretary After seeing several shows at QP, Phyllis finally came down to audition for The Octette Bridge Club in 1992, got cast and has never left! Since joining Phyl has also performed in The American Clock, Into The Woods, She Loves Me (see a musical pattern here?) and Midsummer Night's Dream - still singing in another non-musical! Phyllis has also been known to wield a mean paint brush, a great sponge with Pine Sol, and dish out lots of GORP. Phyllis has served on the BOD as Secretary for the last two seasons and looks forward to serving another term.

"Hopefully next year's BOD will be able to begin the much-needed renovations, especially the handicapped bathroom, " which is one of the main reasons she wanted to join the BOD initially.

MICHAEL BARBO - Candidate for Director at Large Michael became a member of QP in 1993. He has served as a Director at Large on the QP BOD for four seasons, under two different presidents. Michael has worked crew on several shows with sound and lighting. He has acted in a variety of shows including The Art of Dining and Much Ado About Nothing. He was a part of the Membership Committee last year. And he has helped work on QP Playhouse improvements including wiring the clear com system. In is non-theater life, Michael is currently the President of his condominium association, a property valued in excess of $2 million. Michael is self employed, and feels his strong business and administrative skills will help support QP.

BARBARA DEMPSEY - Candidate for QP Director at Large Barbara joined QP in 1976, after discovering the club during auditions for Stop the World, I Want to Get Off. She played the part of Evie, and fell in love with the people and the atmosphere right away. For nearly all of the 26 years since, Barbara has been an active member, participating on stage and off. She served briefly on the on the BOD in the early 80s, and is just completing a one-year term on the BOD. Otherwise, her contributions have come through ushering, doing refreshments, publicity, EMACT, and any other tasks as needed.

"QP is very important to me," explains Barbara. "The people have become and remain valued friends, and I very much want to be involved in helping ensure QP's future."

RUTH NEEMAN - Candidate for QP Director at Large Ruth has been a member of QP since 1990 and served on the BOD for one year. She has designed several award-winning sets for QP, as well as performed on the QP stage. If elected to the BOD, Ruth "... would like to work on ways to capitalize on the flexibility that the QP performing space offers * space that attracts actors and directors and woos our patrons. " She would like to research new options for moving the seats. Other issues Ruth would like to work on are the overall condition of the playhouse and our building upgrade dreams.

"Most of you know me as the set designer you love to hate. And if the Play Reading committee selects more Polish plays, I may even have a chance to be on stage again!"

KEITH SHERMAN - Candidate for QP Director at Large Keith joined QP in the spring of 1986 to stage manage QP's award-winning NETC (pre EMACT) entry On the Razzle. And he's never left! Keith has Stage Managed, Produced, run Props, run Lights including being a follow spot operator, and this season he has been Judy Forgione's substitute stage manager. Keith has been on the Board of Directors, QP's Membership Chair, on the Play Reading and Business Committees and managed the phone squad. In his spare time Keith also helps to keep QP gorp supplies flowing. He is also the Usher, Parker and Refresher Coordinator as well as the membership e-notice distributor for QP. His most recent contribution to QP will be stage managing The Last Night of Ballyhoo as this year's EMACT Festival entry. Just completing a one-year term, Keith hopes you will vote to keep him as a QP BOD member.

RON WACKOWSKI - Candidate for QP Director at Large Ron joined QP in 1984, although a dare in High School brought him to theater many years ago! He continued his love of theater as he worked for his Masters Degree in Drama and participated in other theater groups before finding QP. Ron is a past QP Board Member, Publicity Coordinator, Playing Reading Committee Member and Chair of Nomination Committee. Ron has directed a number of shows for QP including I Hate Hamlet, Romantic Comedy, Don't Dress For Dinner and Fighting Over Beverly . He has also acted in Broadway Bound, Chess, You Can't Take It With You and Arsenic And Old Lace at QP. Backstage Ron had a number of stage crew credits including running sound, Stage Managing, painting, schlepping and doing whatever is need! In his spare time Ron runs Queen's Falcon Antiques and is an auctioneer in Tewksbury.

"I would like to help continue and assure the direction that the theater is moving in is a positive one. My experience in realty and business could be an asset to the board. And since we now can accept ticket orders over the internet, I would push looking into depending more on the computer to increase the number of our season subs in conjunction with the problem of having the ability to move the seats."

The last committee of the season to appoint is for the Audit Committee. The appointments are made at the Annual Meeting i.e. the 7JUN02 General Meeting. If you are interested in reviewing the details of the Goo Goo Cluster Award Winners - this is your opportunity! Please contact me if you are interested before the meeting donna.corbett@hp.com or 781/245-0871.

Section 3: The Auditing Committee

B. Shall be appointed by the President, approved by the Board of Directors, and announced at the Annual Meeting. 

C. Shall audit the financial records of the organization, which will be made available to the committee no later than August 1. 

D. Shall, after auditing, make a written statement of the audit to the Board of Directors, to be read as submitted at the September Regular Meeting. 

E. Shall, after auditing, turn the books over to the incoming treasurer.

I want to thank everyone who has helped make this 2001-2002 season so successful! The list is long and the appreciation sincere. It takes so many people. Your support and dedication has been wonderful! The EMACT Festival begins on Wednesday 29May02. There are 20 participating groups this year, significant number considering the last few years! And QP's entry, a cutting from this season's very well received The Last Night at Ballyhoo, is playing in the last position of the Saturday Evening Session on 1JUN02. Paul Murphy and his talented cast have been rehearsing on Susan Sander's reworked set. John Cipolaro will be putting them in their best light. Keith Sherman is the Stage Manager, Eric >>> will be the Technical Director and all is being well coordinated by Phyllis Uloth who is producing again. Hope you can come down to support the show and QP!

And thank you to Eleanor & Bill Gullette, Carolyn Kelley, Nina Faragher, Sharon Mason and Andrea Butler for ushering on QP's night at the Festival. I will see you all there as I am a Mammals in Black again working with the regular MIB - Wayne Leocata, Ken Lord, and Chris Parsons. I am also very happy to have Juree James joining the MIB as Jack Dacey is taking a show to the competition this year!

Tim Daley, a senior from Melrose High School, received the QP Scholarship of $2500 this year! It was presented the last weekend of Arsenic. Thanks to Mary Riley, Eleanor and Bill Gullette who headed up the Scholarship Committee and reviewed the fourteen applicants. Tim will be pursuing theater arts at the University of Massachusetts this fall. His resume was incredible! It is the second year in row the deserving student has been from Melrose. Last year it was Theresa Melito who is at Emerson this year and who with her mom Ann Marie has been a regular this year at QP!

The BOD has decided to hold the cost of tickets for the 2002/3 Season at $12 for regular plays and $15 for the musical again. We want to be the best bargain around! We also know that we will need to raise funds and most likely ticket prices as we move forward with QP capital improvements in near future. Raising prices every year may not entice generous donations! Season Subscriptions applications will be going out within the next couple of weeks. And we are very excited that this year our patrons will also have the option of purchasing their subscriptions on-line using PayPal!

The upgrade from our antique analog to the new digital lighting system is planned for mid -June by Barbizon! The only visible, physical changes are the power packs in the attic and the dimmer board will be replaced. The difference for the stage area may not be seen - except t that there will be no mechanical issues like sticking keys or multiple dimmers coming on together or dying! And we can now rent wonderful lighting instruments like multiple pattern changers or hook the new type fog machines for dimmer control. The creative possibilities are endless!

And moving forward to next season! Auditions for Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) are Sunday 23rd and Monday 24th of June at 7pm. If you have any questions or need to a script to peruse please contact Andrea Butler who is directing this wonderful play, or LeighAnn O'Neill who is producing it at 781/284-2359 for Andrea or 781/213-9219 l-toneill@msn.com.