Celebrating Our Rich History and a Bright Tomorrow

Pleasure Guild's first play, Hansel and Gretel, was produced in 1958 at the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts.  From this humble beginning, our annual play has grown into a full-scale theatre production - known and respected throughout Columbus and beyond - which raises upwards of $200,000 each year for Nationwide Children's Hospital.  With over 20 years of performances at The Palace Theatre, Pleasure Guild members do it all - from marketing and public relations to costume creation and set design.  Through state-of-the-art promotional tools and technology made available to us by the hospital, and an experienced creative team, we are able to produce Broadway-quality, family-friendly shows.

With four public performances and one free performance given each year for over 2,700 inner-city school children, these annual productions continue to be our largest fundraising projects.  Still, 200 free tickets are given away for each regular performance in order to ensure that everyone has a chance to experience the theatre.  For some of these children, it is their first exposure to the stage.  For a peek at several reviews from some of our youngest audience members, click here or here!

This year’s Annie production was a blast – literally! Through two feet of snow, re-scheduled performances, replaced sets, cast and orchestra members, and tons of exchanged tickets, we did it! Our audiences braved the weather as we played to packed houses and received standing ovations from enthusiastic crowds!

A huge thank you goes out to our cast and crew for a job well done, to our last-minute stand-ins that made our re-scheduled shows possible, and to CAPA and all of our corporate sponsors! Annie’s artistic and financial success has provided Pleasure Guild with an opportunity to support the Hospice and Palliative Care Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and with everyone’s combined efforts, we raised over $250,000!

For more information and photos on this year’s production, check out the following links:

Newark Advocate March 4, 2008
Westerville News March 5, 2008
Columbus Dispatch March 6, 2008

Or click here for a photo gallery of this year’s event!

This year’s production, Beauty and the Beast is the classic love story of Belle, a kind-hearted but misunderstood young woman, and the Beast, a pompous prince who has been turned into an animal by the spell of an enchantress. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love and be loved. Belle could be his chance, if only the Beast can control his anger and find the heart that he never had as a man. But time is running out and if he does not learn his lesson soon, he will be doomed to live in isolation for all eternity.

Auditions for next year?fs show are scheduled for October 12 and 19, 2008 at Stecker Auditorium on the Nationwide Children?fs Hospital campus. Call backs will be held November 2.  Keep checking our website for more details on auditions!  For more details on auditions and callbacks, click here. Tickets can be purchased beginning February 2, 2009 through all TicketMaster locations and at www.ticketmaster.com .

Back for an encore performance is our director, Lisa Andres. Having studied theatre arts in college and later with legendary theatre actress Uta Hagan, Lisa has gone on to act and direct in professional and community theatre for the past 25 years. She formed The Guildlings, a children’s theatre group associated with The Player’s Guild of Dearborn (Michigan), and has written 15 original, award-winning, full-scale musical productions. Not only has she performed in local and national television commercials, but you may also have heard her voice on Sunny 95!

Since moving to Columbus six years ago, Lisa has directed “The Music Man” at Grandview High School, “Annie” at Little Theatre Off Broadway and “Alexander Who’s Not, Not, Not, Not, Not, Not Going to Move” at the Columbus Children’s Theatre, and “Little Women” with her own Children’s Theatre company, Acting Up Productions. Last year she directed “Little Red” at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, and this summer will direct “Alladin.” Clearly, next to her family, theatre is the love of her life!

If you are interested in learning more about how to become a corporate or an individual sponsor of our annual theatre production, please contact Katelyn Burkholder at 614.355.0888. Or if you simply want to make a donation to Nationwide Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Program, click here.

Beauty and the Beast
Palace Theatre
March 6, 7 and 8, 2009

Corporate Sponsorship Benefits and Commitment Form
Individual Sponsorship Benefits and Commitment Form

In this, our 100th year, Beauty and the Beast is a classic - a must see!  We hope that by sponsoring the play or by attending a performance, or BOTH, you become a contributor to Pleasure Guild's rich history - and a part of a brighter tomorrow for Nationwide Children's Hospital.

52 Years of Shows