Get Ready for

Spring!

NEW GRAVELY

ZERO TURN MOWERS IN STOCK

NOW!!

Get Ready for

Spring!

NEW GRAVELY

ZERO TURN MOWERS IN STOCK

NOW!!

Get Ready for

Spring!

NEW GRAVELY

ZERO TURN MOWERS IN STOCK

NOW!!

Summer

Jason P. Rapelje

Financial Advisor

424 E. Michigan Ave.,

Marshall, MI 49068

269-781-

Scott L. Evans,

AAMS

Financial Advisor

333 S. Kalamazoo Ave.,

Marshall, MI 49068

269-781-

Abram J. Soper

Financial Advisor

207 W Michigan Ave,

Marshall, MI 49068

269-781-

MKT-5894J-A-A

edwardjones.com

How much will you

need to retire? Let's

talk.

Jason P Rapelje

Financial Advisor

424 E Michigan Ave

Marshall, MI 49068

269-781-

Member SIPC

OTMA brings Russian

history to Quonset Hut

BY KRISTY SMITH
Lovers of Russian history
will appreciate seeing a short,
regime-ending period of it
played out on the stage July
23-25 at The Quonset Hut
Theater in Athens. The com-
munity-theater facility cele-
brated its fifth anniversary on
May 30. It has come a long
way since its first production,
“The Cemetery Club.”
Quonset Hut’s current pro-
duction, the four-act play
“OTMA” by Kate Moira
Ryan, chronicles a final
chapter in the lives of the
four daughters (Olga,
Tatiana, Marie and Anastasia)
of the last Czar of Russia,
Nicholas II, and his wife,
Alexandra. It is set during a
one-month period of time in
1918, following Nicholas II’s
abdication of the throne the
previous year. The play’s
title, “OTMA,” incorporates
the first initial of each of the
daughters’ first names.
“I’m one of those people
who are into Russian histo-
ry,” admits Quonset Hut
Theater founder and owner
Mark Doubleday, who is
directing the production. He
says he included some of the
most salient information in
the play programs to bring
others up to speed on histori-
cal context, which is set just
prior to the Bolshevik
Revolution.
Doubleday describes the
play as a “Little Womenish”
historical drama that brought

some new actresses to the

Quonset Hut stage. He cast

as the four Romanov sisters:

Madelyn Brodock, 17, as

Olga; Kairi Smith-Ohlund,

13, as Tatiana; Emily

Palaszeski, 13, as Marie; and

Allison Price, 11, as

Anastasia. The four young

actresses credibly portray the

closely-related 17 to 23-year-

old former Royals who

always did everything togeth-

er.

OTMA marks the first

time Palaszeski and Price

will grace the Quonset Hut

Theater stage, as both were

scheduled to be in the pro-

duction of “Anne of Green

Gables” that was cancelled

mid-rehearsal in early 2020

due to COVID mandated

shut-downs.

Smith-Ohlund was also an

“Anne of Green Gables” cast

member, although she had

also previously appeared in

“Humbug High,” “Little

Women” and the space TV/

movie parody “Star Tracks”

• where she was a garbage
  can robot. Brodock is the
  veteran of the group, having
  appeared in “Humbug High,”
  “Little Women,” “Blithe
  Spirit” and “Voice in the
  Dark.”
  The girls’ acquaintance-
  ship from other productions
  has helped them come
  together with “OTMA.”
  Doubleday believes the
  smaller cast and historic
  drama is a nice change of

pace following Quonset’s

spring comedy “Barefoot in

the Park,” directed by Brad

Kenyon. It’s given a break to

many of the theater’s regular

actors while bringing a

younger group to the stage.

“OTMA is not the most

mainstream play,” Doubleday

acknowledges, but describes

the dialogue-driven drama as

“a hidden gem that’s given

these girls a chance to shine.”

He wishes more people

would go to plays with which

they’re not as familiar and

give them a chance.

“You never know what

you might end up liking,”

Doubleday added. “It doesn’t

always have to be a main-

stream production to be

enjoyable.”

Performances of “OTMA”

will be at 7 p.m. on Friday,

July 23; 7 p.m. on Saturday,

July 24; and a matinee will

be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday,

July 24.

The Quonset Theater is

located at 132 N. Capital

Ave, Athens. Refreshments

are available for purchase.

For additional information,

call Quonset at 269-841-

6063.

Three of the four Romanov sisters, portrayed by (L to R) Allison Price, Khairi Smith and

Madelyn Brodock, confer on the Quonset Hut Theater stage during a dress rehearsal of

“OTMA.” Along with Emily Palaszeski, they are starring in the Russian historic drama July

23-25, 2021. (Photo by Kristy Smith)

LOCAL NEWSPAPERS CONTINUE TO

BE A KEY INFORMATION SOURCE

According to a recent Pew Report among all adults, newspapers were

cited as the most relied-upon source or tied for most relied upon for

crime, taxes, local government activities, schools, local politics, local

jobs, community/neighborhood events, arts events, zoning information,

local social services, and real estate/housing.

This dependence on newspapers for so many local topics sets it apart

from all other sources of local news. The internet, which was cited

as the most relied upon source for five of the 16 topics, was a distant

second to newspapers in terms of widespread use and value.

Call 269-781-

to place an ad in the

ad-visor&chronicle