MANSFIELD — Nothing says happy birthday like a doctor’s finger in your rump during an otherwise routine physical exam. But that’s the least of George Thomas’ problems. The husband and father is grappling with his wife’s hypochondria, his aging and sick beloved dog, his children’s questionable choices, an eccentric elderly neighbor and (perhaps worst of […]
Doug Wertz
Posted inLife and Culture
Go down the rabbit hole with ‘Alice in Wonderland’ at the Mansfield Playhouse
MANSFIELD — Morgyn Beasley isn’t really the kind of person who is often late. But you would never know it watching the 15-year-old rush around the Mansfield Playhouse stage as the White Rabbit in Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland Jr.” “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” the White Rabbit exclaims early in the […]
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Twists and turns: ‘Deathtrap’ opens Friday at Mansfield Playhouse
A classic comedic thriller, performances of Ira Levin’s “Deathtrap” begin Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mansfield Playhouse.
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NAMI graduates 33rd class of crisis intervention trained officers
MANSFIELD — David is usually harmless. Sometimes, he falls into a manic state, sure that he’s on the brink of a creative masterpiece. He hasn’t eaten or taken his medication in a few days and his family hasn’t heard from him. Police officers respond to a call to David’s home with the radio blaring and […]
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Bigamy, banter and a bit of chaos: ‘Caught in the Net’ opens at Mansfield Playhouse
MANSFIELD — Scott Woodlee loves to engage in banter with Evelyn, his teenage daughter — just usually not in public. The father/daughter from Loudonville make an exception in the comedy, “Caught in the Net,” which opens Friday night as the Mansfield Playhouse launches its 2024-2025 season. “We like to banter back and forth in regular […]
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News Man Weekly: Cannabis, Westinghouse, Trimble Road closure and the Mansfield Playhouse
MANSFIELD — The ninth episode of the free News Man Weekly Podcast has dropped. In this week’s edition of the News Man Weekly podcast, Richland Source City Editor Carl Hunnell is joined by Mansfield Playhouse Artistic Director Doug Wertz. The longtime local actor and director chats with Hunnell about his theatrical background, the upcoming season at the 95 […]
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Lincoln Highway Bluegrass Band: A modern twist on classic American sounds
MANSFIELD — It’s a band that features five talented and versatile musicians who just happen to play bluegrass. But to Scott Osborne, the leader of the Lincoln Highway Bluegrass Band, this is not your grandfather’s bluegrass group. Music lovers will get a chance to hear that sound on Saturday night when the five-man band performs […]
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Never grow up: Mansfield Playhouse brings ‘Peter Pan Jr.’ to life on Friday
MANSFIELD — Peter Pan, born 120 years ago in the fertile mind of Scottish playwright Sir James Matthew Barrie, has never grown up. But Milo McDonald, who will be an eighth-grader at Ashland Middle School this fall, is already considering his own grown-up career options. First, however, the 13-year-old will bring Barrie’s primary creation to […]
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Wanna laugh? Check out the Mansfield Playhouse schedule for 2024-2025
MANSFIELD — What do you do in May between shows when you are the artistic director of the second oldest continuously-producing community theater in Ohio? In the case of Doug Wertz, you take a breath — and you announce a full, nine-show schedule for the 2024-2025 season at the Mansfield Playhouse. “We are very happy […]
Posted inLife and Culture
Newest Playhouse production tells heartwarming story of family ties
MANSFIELD — Family: Can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em. At least, that’s what the characters learn in “Over the River and Through the Woods,” the newest creative endeavor gracing the stage of the Mansfield Playhouse this weekend. The show tells the story of Nick, a single, Italian-American guy from New Jersey, played by […]