Noises Off!! English Theatre in Panama

If you have been living in Panama for a few years and are looking for something new to do, there is a theater in Panama City that has been producing English only plays for the past 60 years.   While the The Ancon Theater Guild has been known by different names through the generations, the theatre has withheld its integrity by the volunteers that keep the place running and have done so since its inception.   So how did an English only theater come to be in Panama?

Back in 1939, Alberto Motta, Ralph Lindo, Stanley Findanque, Roy Glickenhouse and other members of a culturally-conscious Panamanian society decided to start an English speaking theater in Cristobal, which is part of the province of Colon. The Cristobal Little Theater opened its doors to the American troops stationed in the country during WW II, staging various productions and collecting money to help selfless causes of the time.
 
After the war was over, the founding families moved to the capital and eventually revived the theater company in building 429, located in the Ancon district in Panama City. The Theatre Guild opened its doors in September, 1950 and was the first and only theater in the country where plays would be staged in English. Building 429 was originally a clinic for the U.S. Army to treat venereal disease. It was donated to the Theater Guild by the Panama Canal Company. When The Guild took over, they completely renovated the building. Members and volunteers added seats, the stage, lights and makeup rooms. In December of 1951 the debut of the Guild's first production, a trilogy of one-act plays: “Ways and Means,” “The Valiant” and “George” opened.
 
The Ancon Theater Guild produces a variety of genres from modern to controversial dramas, comedies, family entertainment and musicals. The Guild even has some famous friends. Actor Robert Loggia of TV and movie fame and Panama's own Ruben Blades, both have worked at the theater, so has the famous director Bruce Quinn.
 
Noises Off!! is the Guild’s latest production and opening night is just around the corner. The play is produced and directed by Melanie Gilpin, who also stars in the show. Melanie, a professional actress has been acting and dancing since the age of 6, getting her start in Cleveland, Ohio. Melanie spent time in Chicago where she taught and competed at the Arthur Murray Dance Company and then moved to Los Angeles to continue her career in stage and TV.
 
Noises Off!! is a comedy that gives you a peek at all the drama and craziness that goes on behind the stage before the audience arrives for opening night.  Noises Off!! opens August 5, 6 and 7 and again on August 12, 13 and 14. See the calendar at Playacommunity.com for more information.
 
For English speaking Expats in Panama, The Ancon Theater Guild is good news. Here is something else you don't have to give up because you live in a Spanish speaking country. Plan dinner and a show out with girlfriends or a lovely evening with your spouse, either way it's a great way to spend some time and just one more way to enjoy life here in Panama.

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