Longtime ‘Harp Player’ returns to star in upcoming show

WASHINGTON — Mike Tschantz spent some 20 years in the Washington fundraising organization and acting troupe known as the Harp Players, before retiring to Fort Mill, South Carolina, where he lives closer to his family.

But one day last year, he got a call out of the blue, from Greg Wiley. The director of Washington’s upcoming Harp Players performance had a show called “The Outsider” he planned to produce, but he wanted Tschantz in the starring role.

“He called me and said, ‘I want to do this show, but I want you to play the part of Ned,’” Tschantz recalled. “I said, ‘Well, I need to ask my wife what she thinks,’ and she said, ‘Go!’”

After coordinating a place to stay during the weeks of rehearsal, putting his life on hold and driving across the country, Tschantz found himself back in Washington, where he’ll remain for the rest of the show’s run at the Washington Community Center.

He said it was absolutely worth the trip.

“I’m 71, and I’m not getting any younger, and my motto right now, or my mantra, is, ‘Do it now, while you can,’” Tschantz said. “I love acting, I love being in the theater, nothing else mattered as far as money or time or anything. It’s doing a show, I can fully concentrate on it, and it’s a lot of fun.”

And once rehearsals were underway, the actor said he slipped right back into the cast.

“Like an old shoe, man. There was no transition at all, really, it was just smooth, like I’d never left,” he said of the performance with the Harp Players. “And that’s to their credit too, they never changed either.”

Play is political, not partisan, comedy

“The Outsider” is a political comedy about a man named Ned Newley, an intelligent but politically useless lieutenant governor in an unnamed state, thrust into the spotlight after his charismatic predecessor resigns in the wake of a major scandal.

Newley, now governor, must work with a minuscule team of staff to overcome his own staggering inability to speak publicly, appear on TV, or otherwise convey his political competence, all under the immense pressure of sudden state leadership.

With a fast-paced script, the show riffs on government incompetence, poll-based jockeying and bureaucratic buffoonery. And many of its gaffs resemble common political refrains of today, despite the show’s publication back in 2015. In one early scene, a savvy analyst declares Newley’s political incompetence a is paradoxical strength, saying the words, “unqualified is the new qualified.”

Director Greg Wiley said it was certainly a political comedy, though not a partisan one.

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“It’s poking fun at people who want to be politicians, it’s poking fun at people who want to do a good job, and it’s poking fun at ourselves, because we’re not really sure what kind of people we want being in charge,” Wiley said. “They intentionally didn’t talk about political parties, they intentionally didn’t name the location, because I think if you’re on one side or the other, you’re going to see the humor in it, and possibly see the other side.”

The entire play takes place in the governor’s office, with a cast of just seven people. Wiley said the limited space and actors weren’t a challenge, but “freeing,” letting everyone involved focus on the acting without worrying about changes in scenery.

That mixes well with the script, which requires precise timing and considerable chemistry among the actors involved. The result, according to Wiley, is a top-tier performance.

“Everybody in this play is a character in this play, you’ll see people you see on TV all the time,” he said. “Everybody is a unique person, and they’re all fun to learn about.”

Proceeds to benefit Lake Darling Youth Center

As always, proceeds from the Harp Players production will go to a local cause. This year, the team chose to raise funds for the Lake Darling Youth Center, an organization that maintains cabins on campgrounds that support countless 4-H gatherings, Bible camps and youth activities at Washington County’s only state park.

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The center will celebrate its 75th anniversary this year. Wiley said it was a fitting recipient of the play’s funds given the milestone, and given Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoons of Ding Darling, the park’s namesake.

“It is volunteer-driven, volunteer-funded … everything is donations, that makes this really work,” Wiley said. “Most people in the community, if they have sent their kids off to camp, they have benefited from the work this group has done.”

The Harp Players will perform “The Outsider” March 21, 22, 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee March 30 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults or $10 for students, and are available now at the Washington Community Center’s website.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com