Brookfield Actor Performs in Acacia Theatre’s “Quality Street”

Brookfield actor, Josh Scheibe, performs the role of Valentine Brown in "Quality Street" by J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. A huge hit in London, the comedy was adapted for film twice and became so popular that a candy company was named after it. Acacia is thrilled to reintroduce “Quality Street” to Milwaukee, where it has not been produced for decades. Erin Nicole Eggers directs this production.

In her youth, “Phoebe of the ringlets” imagines marrying Valentine Brown, but he leaves to fight in the Napoleonic Wars. Ten years pass and the wars take their toll on the country and the characters. Upon his return, Valentine is shocked at the sight of Phoebe - older, tired and overworked - which she interprets as rejection. Through a comical serious of misunderstandings involving misdirection and meddling friends, Phoebe finds herself impersonating a younger and invented relative, Livvy, to have her revenge. Will her ruse end in heartache for them all, or will each discover who they truly are?

Scheibe acknowledged his talented castmates and skilled crew. He said, “The hardest part has been the technical side of my performance—learning how to live as this character with only one hand, how he interacts with the world, what that does to his psyche. It’s like all of his experiences over the course of those ten years of war can be summed up by the absence of his hand.”

Josh commented, “It’s important to remember that loving people exist, that everyone has an idea of love (and of what’s loveable), and that those different ideas of love often result in conflict. While this show once played—and still does—as a sharp satire of “polite” society, I think it plays more strongly now as a lesson about not only how to love others, but how they love the people in their lives. Life can seem like a cosmic comedy, and it rarely wraps up as neatly as a stage play, but the theatre exists to show us the possibility.”

Scheibe said, “This production is a hilarious show that we’ve all put a lot of work into, the talent on display here is outstanding, and it’s a charming and challenging story about love and reconciliation in a time when we as a society really need that.”

The performances will be given in Concordia University Wisconsin’s Todd Wehr Auditorium, 12800 North Lake Shore Drive in Mequon, Wis.

Performances

Fri., July 13 at 7:30 PM; Sat., July 14 at 7:30 PM; Sun., July 15 at 3:00 PM; Thurs., July 19 7:30 PM; Fri., July 20 at 7:30 PM; Sat., July 21 at 4:00 PM; Sun., July 22 at 3:00.

Single Ticket Information

The single ticket prices are $16 for adults, and $13 for seniors, full-time students, and full-time clergy.More information is available by calling (414) 744-5995 or visiting www.acaciatheatre.com.

About Acacia Theatre Company

Founded in 1980, Acacia Theatre Company is an independent, non-profit, interdenominational group of dramatic artists who share a common desire to integrate art and faith by presenting theatre from a Judeo-Christian worldview. Through uplifting, quality entertainment, Acacia provides occasion for thanksgiving, growth and enjoyment, and the opportunity for Christians and non-Christians to consider their lives in relation to God. More information is available at www.acaciatheatre.com.

The shot for Quality Street by J.M. Barrie
Directed by Erin Nicole Eggers
Photo by Laura Heise
L-R: Ashley S. Jordan, Cara Johnston, Ben Parman, Josh Scheibe, Andrés R. Garuz.