Donegal townlively.com
MARCH 26, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Bringing “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” to life BY CAT SHANNON
The cast of “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka”
Home School Productions has been providing homeschool and cyberschool students with theatrical opportunities and staging theater productions for 25 years. For senior Ian Riethmiller of Camp Hill, playing the iconic title character has been a lot of fun. “I think it’s really important to take the character in my own direction,” he said, noting that while he’s never watched the 2005 movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” featuring Johnny Depp, he is familiar with the 1971 Gene Wilder version. “I’ve also read the book multiple times. It was one of my favorite books as a small child. I’m trying to take things from myself and put them into this character so I’m not copying anyone.” Playing Wonka has also presented a challenge because the character is complex, he said. “Wonka is such a diverse character, and he’s doing all sorts of different things at different times,” Ian explained. “He’s sort of putting on a show inside of this show. For the first half of the show, he’s undercover as the Candy Man, catching the audience up on what’s been happening. Then in the second act, Wonka is fully on stage, and audiences will feel like they’re part of
the story just as much as the kids on the tour are.” Brock, who lives in Annville, noted that audiences will find the show entertaining and interesting, and he added that it’s full of comedy. “There are so many scenes that are so funny that we as a cast have struggled to get through in rehearsal without laughing,” he said. The show features well-known songs such as “The Candy Man” and “Pure Imagination,” as well as lesser-known, but equally entertaining numbers, Ian said. “You should come see ‘Willy Wonka’ because it’s going to be a good time,” he said. “There’s also a really strong message of making sure that somehow, someway, you get to be doing what you love. Whether it’s your main job or your side job, you should always be chasing those things in your imagination. Chase those things you love, because overall, that’s what’s going to make you happy, and in turn, that’s what’s going to make the rest of the world a better place as well.” Tickets for “Willy Wonka” are available at www.itickets.com/ events/482303 or via the Encore! website at www.encorehsp.org.
Easter Flowers!
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atch a per formance of “Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka” by Encore! Home School Productions and be prepared to experience a wide range of emotions, cast members said. “This is a super funny show, but it’s also very heartfelt, which I think is a little unexpected,” said Brock Sunday, a senior who plays Grandpa Joe in the production. “You might not think of this story as super heartfelt or meaningful, but there are a lot of parts that are emotional.” “ Willy Wonka” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, at The Junction Center, 1875 Junction Road, Manheim. The musical follows Charlie Bucket’s magical journey inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Audiences will meet a cast of quirky characters, including the eccentric Wonka and the energetic Oompa Loompas. As the story unfolds, it highlights the importance of kindness, honesty and humility in a family-friendly adventure. Learning to embody a geriatric character has been a fun challenge, Brock said of playing Charlie’s grandfather, who joins his grandson on the factory tour. “I have had so much fun trying to figure out the physicality of this character,” he shared. “He’s old, but he’s got a sense of youth to him. He’s spunky.” The show features a cast of performers ranging from elementary school-age children to high school students. Students come from towns throughout central Pennsylvania, including Landisville, Mount Joy, Elizabethtown, Harrisburg and Hershey. Encore!
VOL LXVI • NO 7
Hop on over for a pancake breakfast BY CAT SHANNON
Celebrate the season of Easter at St. John’s Episcopal Church when the church holds a pancake breakfast. The event will take place on Saturday, April 12, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the church, 239 E. Market St., Marietta. The meal will feature pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, juice, coffee and special Easter treats. There will also be Easter egg painting for all children starting at 9:30 a.m. The Easter Bunny will be on-site for pictures and will also hand out candy to all children age 12 and under. “The breakfast is a great way to start the Easter season with the community,” said Nancy Kulman, church secretary. “The members enjoy cooking and sharing with members of the community, especially the children. Our bunny loves being with the children, getting pictures
Visiting the Easter Bunny at a previous year’s breakfast are Eleanor Boyer (left) and Mischa Furman.
with them and giving out candy. The children are also invited to color Easter eggs following their meal. It is a great time of fellowship and celebration of spring, new beginnings and Easter.” Proceeds from the breakfast See Breakfast pg 4
A supportive environment BY ANN MEAD ASH
BASIS stands for Brothers And Sisters In Support. The ministry, which serves bereaved parents and grandparents, holds a number of area support groups, but once a year a special breakfast is held to give participants from around Lancaster County and others in the surrounding area who have experienced the loss of a child a chance to meet in a supportive environment. The 2025 BASIS Breakfast will be held at Yoder’s Restaurant & Buffet, 14 S. Tower Road, New Holland, on Saturday,
April 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The buffet breakfast is free to attend. A freewill offering will be received near the end of the event. Those wishing to attend the breakfast must register by Monday, April 21, at www .hvmi.org/upcoming-events/ basis-breakfast. This year’s speaker will be Lynn Eib, whose talk is titled “ T h e Tr u t h A b o u t Gr i e f.” Eib’s life as an award-winning reporter was interrupted by a cancer diagnosis in 1990 when she was only 36 years old. Her experience with surgery and chemotherapy inspired her to See BASIS pg 3
a Pansies a Hanging Baskets a Annuals/Perennials Chicken BBQ Every Saturday a Houseplants & Flowers a Cactus & Succulents Homemade Root Beer a Bedding Plants a Helleborus Starting Baked Goods a Ranunculus a Vegetable Plants a Herbs April 5 a Garden Feeds a Large Supply of Pottery Gift Certificates Available a Large Selection 1595 Maytown Rd., Elizabethtown, PA 17022 GREENHOUSE Now Open Mon. – Fri. 8–6 pm, Sat. 8-5 pm 717-361-6051 – Leave Message R116126