New show brings the laughs to Buzzards Play

Mar 11, 2014

Manny Moitoso had always wanted to try his hand at acting, but life took him in a different direction, and his dream was put on the shelf. He’d often driven by the Buzzard’s Play Productions building, in East Wareham, thinking little of it, until that one day he spotted the sign announcing open auditions for the play, Magic Time.

“It was cold outside and raining that night,” Moitoso said. “If it hadn’t been for my wife encouraging me, I would never even have left the house.” But he did, and with no previous training or acting skills, he landed a part.

Buzzard’s Play Productions has served its community by providing a mix of entertainment to suit every taste, including the likes of The Rocky Horror Show, Rent, works of Shakespeare, musicals, serious shows, concerts and comedies. Its open casting calls attract talent from all over the South Shore, and its seating can accommodate audiences of all sizes up to around 250 people.

Rehearsals for their next play, "The Foreigner," by American playwright Larry Shue, are now in full swing. In this comedy, Charlie Baker, a proof reader by day and a boring husband by night, adopts the persona of a foreigner who doesn’t understand English. When others begin to speak freely around him, he not only becomes privy to secrets both dangerous and frivolous, he also discovers an adventurous extrovert within himself. P.J. McKey directs.

“P.J. wanted to do it,” Janice said. “Last year, as we were putting the season together, everyone made suggestions. She has an extensive history in theater, and she wanted to do a comedy, and we ultimately chose 'The Foreigner.'”

Moitoso, who plays Owen in the production, said his character is a loud, uneducated individual who’s all mouth.

“They thought I’d be a good fit for this role,” he said, laughing. “I can’t wait to do it. It’s going to be funny.”

Buzzard’s Play Productions, also known as 3065 LIVE, is the creation of Janice and Frank Rogers, and their children, Seth and Victoria. Janice had plans to join a theater since she was young. She met her husband-to-be in high school and plans and priorities changed as they married and started their family. When their children began attending St. Margaret’s in Buzzard’s Bay, Janice started a theater program at the school. As her children grew older, she felt it was time to begin living her dream. She and her family began looking for available spaces for a theater, and finally came upon one.

“The place was a mess when we first saw it,” she said. “But I was able to look beyond the dirt, and it took about a year to pull it all together.”

Their first show, in April of 2011, featured a variety of local musical talent, and drew an crowd of 200 people.

Show dates for The Foreigner are March 20-22, March 28-30 and April 4-6. Tickets can be purchased for $15 at the door. Show times, casting calls for future shows, and more information can be found at www.buzzardsplayproductions.com, or on Facebook. Buzzard’s Play Productions is located at 3065 Cranberry Highway, East Wareham.