In the 'Zone'

Lafayette Community Players to again offer popular parody

By Leslie Wilber, Colorado Hometown Newspapers
December 1, 2004

"Every year I say I'm not going to do this again," Jackie Tisinai said, after admitting that three days before opening night she still has costumes to sew for the Lafayette Community Players' "Season's TZ Greetings."

As LCP's costumer, Tisinai has designed costumes for the group since 1998 and has built the sets for the troupe's "Twilight Zone" parody for two years.

Each year, she said, the parody, which is LCP's most popular and profitable play of the year, poses a set of challenges wholly different from other shows.

The productions contain three episodes of the 1950s television show - and each show requires costumes, props and a set.

"It's actually like costuming three plays at once," Tisinai said. "It's tricky building a set that has to accommodate three different plays because this is such a small theater."

To stay true to the original "Twilight Zone," actors are dressed in grayscale and sets are painted black and white.

Often, clothes in black and white or somewhere in between aren't hard to find, but this year, Tisinai needed to find a gray Santa Claus suit.

"You just know there's no finding a gray Santa costume," said Tisinai, who sewed the outfit herself.

It's these obstacles that keep her coming back, though.

"It's a challenge," she said. "And it's fun. Working with all of these people is so rewarding."

Tisinai isn't the only one coming back for more this year.

"We have a lot of people who do this every year," said Dan Orner, who directs one of the episodes this year.

Madge Montgomery, LCP's resident "Twilight Zone" and TV show creator Rod Serling expert, said the shows appeal to people because they touch on a number of social issues.

For example, one episode this year involves a futuristic society where coming of age means being turned beautiful through surgery. Two other episodes, one of which Montgomery directs, will be holiday themed.

Among those returning to the cast is Ray Viggiano, who has acted in each of the "Twilight Zone" parodies and this year will play Serling.

"I grew up watching the 'Twilight Zone' and this has a really nostalgic feel to it," Viggiano said of the play.

Although he described himself as "a big 'Twilight Zone' person," Viggiano was hesitant to name a favorite episode of the show.

"You can't really pick a bad 'Twilight Zone' episode," he said.

"Season's TZ Greetings" opens at 7:30 PM, Friday, Dec. 3, at the Mary Miller Theater in Lafayette. It runs Friday and Saturday evenings through Saturday, Dec. 18, with on matinee show at noon, Sunday, Dec. 12.