Chapter 1
Building the Stage: KSL Productions becomes Opera-Lytes
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Building the Stage: KSL Productions becomes Opera-Lytes
Gilbert & Sullivan's Sorcerer at the Riviera Theatre (2012).
By Alexis Needham At the long wooden table where Opera-Lytes board meetings are held I took a walk down memory lane with Board President Emerita/current member-at-large Gayle Nason-Churchill and her husband, Mel Churchill, who was a founding member of the organization. They, and other long-time contributors to the Gilbert & Sullivan-centered community theater, paint the picture of Opera-Lytes at its origin. “The genesis of Opera-Lytes is both simple and complicated,” says Mel Churchill, retired Opera-Lytes actor, singer and archivist. In the words of HMS Pinafore, Mel “is an Englishman,” with a very strong background in Gilbert and Sullivan. He was there from the start. “Firstly, it started out called KSL Productions which were named for the director, the pianist, and the choreographer,” Mel said. Director, Kersten Stewart-Jufer (photo below) was known for her beautiful voice and often played lead roles. Without her, none of this would have been possible. Sharon S. Gilbert was Musical Director and Lisa V. Reilly choreographed the shows.
From 1994 to 1996, KSL Productions operated out of Faith United Church; the group then moved to Amherst Community Church where they remain today. Amherst Community Church had housed the former Amherst Gilbert & Sullivan Players society from 1978 to 1988, and bonus: they had costumes for 10 G&S shows – KSL Productions found a fortuitous alignment! Performances were first held at Faith United Church and then Amherst Community Church. Then, KSL Productions established a relationship with the Lancaster Opera House where yearly performances were held until 2009.
1994 Amherst Bee article on KSL Productions’ first staged operetta, The Pirates of Penzance. Image courtesy of David and Sharon Szczudlik.
KSL Productions performing Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (1994) in the Sanctuary of Faith United Church in Williamsville, NY. Image by: David and Sharon Szczudlik.
After combining elements of the original G&S society at Amherst Community Church with KSL Productions, the group officially changed their name to Opera-Lytes of Western New York, in 1997. A few years later, Opera-Lytes became the official name. Costumer Pat Dybowski worked with Opera-Lytes for 10 years mending and adding to the original costume collection. Eventually, she generously donated her magnificent of costumes to Opera-Lytes when she stepped down in 2005. In later years, the late Shirley Schlimgen graciously added to collections for The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, Utopia, Limited and Princess Ida, among others, and Mary Atwood designed and created more than 20 children’s costumes for The King & I. Other members and friends have sewn or donated additional pieces, and the collection continues to grow! Currently, costumes are managed by long-standing Opera-Lytes Board member Deb Jasinski in the company’s well-outfitted storage units at churches in Amherst and in Niagara Falls.
Original costumes by Pat Dybowski for Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Mikado (2001). Image courtesy of Sharon and Dave Szczudlik.
A cast photo of the Opera-Lytes production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Utopia, Limited (2002), relocated from the South Pacific to outer space. It was directed by Gayle Nason Churchill and Music Directed by Jon Wilder (front, with accompanist Mary Atwood, left). Star-Trek inspired uniforms for the "Flowers of Progress" were designed and created by Shirley Schlimgen and Pat Dybowski. Image courtesy of Sharon and Dave Szczudlik.
Opera-Lytes can outfit policemen, pirates, sailors, peasants, aristocrats, gondoliers, biblical and medieval styles, much of the Victorian era, and some periods of the 20th century. Inventory is constantly mended, enriched and crafted. Visit the website’s Costume Collection page for information on costumes available for rental. Some Opera-Lytes members offer their time and talents in other ways outside of singing, acting and costuming. Since the company’s very first production in 1994 and for nearly 20 years, Sharon and Dave Szczudlik designed and built sets for Opera-Lytes, notably including a sizable 6-panel backdrop that Sharon painted for HMS Pinafore. “Every show, when we did it, we did it great,” said Dave, retired Opera-Lytes member.
HMS Pinafore (2005). From Left to Right: Mary Atwood, Mel Churchill and Lisa Berglund. Backdrop and set by Sharon and Dave Szczudlik. Image courtesy of Gayle Nason-Churchill and Mel Churchill.
A thank you to Sharon from the cast of HMS Pinafore: “Without your contribution, G&S productions would be visually dreary indeed.”
The Szczudliks’ Pinafore set is being restored this fall and will be a highlight of the nostalgic 30th anniversary production of the operetta at the company's longtime home of Amherst Community Church. This will be the fifth time that Opera-Lytes has staged the G&S favorite.
The company began performing regularly at Harlem Road Community Center in 1996. They later moved on to other professional stages for their operettas. Opera-Lytes has produced shows at the Lancaster Opera House, Ujima TheatreLoft, the Riviera Theatre, Springville Center for the Arts, and Alleyway Theatre, among others. Bigger stages allow Opera-Lytes to cast more actors and singers and offer more opportunities to community members. Moreover, professional theaters may enable the group to reach larger audiences.
Ray Herman, a member of the company for more than 25 years and now the organization's Treasurer, reflects on another great turning point of Opera-Lytes: when Gayle Nason-Churchill became the company’s stage Director in 2000. He said when Gayle took the reins, she instilled a virtue that the company still follows today: “When we say an open audition we mean an open audition.”
With Gayle directing, more diverse actors and singers were cast for lead roles, more talent found the spotlight, and more voices could be heard. Opera-Lytes was building their stage once and for all. Their arms opened wider to the community and an authentic operetta-loving family was established.
“They [Mel and Gayle] were a wealth of knowledge,” said Deb Jasinski, a member of Opera-Lytes since 1997. Of the growth of Opera-Lytes into the new millennium, Deb says, “The group really became more than just a theater group.”
The company began performing regularly at Harlem Road Community Center in 1996. They later moved on to other professional stages for their operettas. Opera-Lytes has produced shows at the Lancaster Opera House, Ujima TheatreLoft, the Riviera Theatre, Springville Center for the Arts, and Alleyway Theatre, among others. Bigger stages allow Opera-Lytes to cast more actors and singers and offer more opportunities to community members. Moreover, professional theaters may enable the group to reach larger audiences.
Ray Herman, a member of the company for more than 25 years and now the organization's Treasurer, reflects on another great turning point of Opera-Lytes: when Gayle Nason-Churchill became the company’s stage Director in 2000. He said when Gayle took the reins, she instilled a virtue that the company still follows today: “When we say an open audition we mean an open audition.”
With Gayle directing, more diverse actors and singers were cast for lead roles, more talent found the spotlight, and more voices could be heard. Opera-Lytes was building their stage once and for all. Their arms opened wider to the community and an authentic operetta-loving family was established.
“They [Mel and Gayle] were a wealth of knowledge,” said Deb Jasinski, a member of Opera-Lytes since 1997. Of the growth of Opera-Lytes into the new millennium, Deb says, “The group really became more than just a theater group.”
From left: Opera-Lytes Board member emeritus Steve Marom, Sue Marom, Mel Churchill, and Gayle Nason-Churchill, Board President emerita and current Board member-at-large. Image courtesy of Wendy Swihart.
“Oh, a man who can drive a theatrical crew,Each member a genius and some of them two,And manage to humor them, early and late,Can govern this tuppenny State! – Gilbert & Sullivan, The Grand Duke Back at the Board meeting table, Gayle and Mel flipped through an armful of thick binders. In each one, pages of preserved memories show the tenacious love that they and the group share for Opera-Lytes. After all, it was in this very group that Gayle and Mel met and fell in love. Together, they continue to share it with everyone.
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