Highlands Little Theatre - Beverly Brando Gillilan

P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525

Beverly Brando Gillilan - A Woman of Many Faces
By: Roy Riedy

"Beverly Brando Gillilan introduced herself to the HLT scene at the start of the Sixteenth Season by working backstage in Marian Dunham's stormy production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown in November, 1989, the first of 26 plays that she participated in while with the Little Theatre. During that first season with the theater she took part in all five shows: she was involved with costumes and set construction with Molly Brown; was on the stage crew of Peter Pollard's On Golden Pond; played Mrs. Hopkins in Frank Oberhausen's reprise of My Fair Lady; was part of the stage crew and construction team of Janelou Buck's Hello Dolly; and was one of the House Managers for Tena Pollard's revival of Don't Drink The Water. In May Ms. Brando was elected to the Board of Directors of HLT and at the Fifth Annual Zenon Ceremonies, at the end of the season, she and Phil McClintock were the presenters the Production/Technical Awards.

Beverly's second year with HLT was just as busy as her first. The Seventeenth Season opened with Jet Hansen's musical Oklahoma! in which Beverly played Aunt Eller, a role she was born to act. She was rewarded at Zenon time with her first Zenon for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. At Christmas time Beverly and Marian Dunham were responsible for the choreography for HLT's Holiday Show, Christmas Dreams. In January, Beverly was part of the stage crew for Peter Pollard's production of Steel Magnolias, and in March she played the mother of Marian the Librarian, Mrs. Paroo, a part that brought her another nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Awards Ceremonies in October. In June Beverly worked on the set construction of Tena Pollard's immensely popular Little Shop of Horrors; and in August, now the Treasurer of HLT, she worked on the set construction of Walter Zeleneki's The Seven Year Itch.

Beverly's enthusiasm was as vigorous in her third season at HLT as it was during her first two. The opening play of the Eighteenth Season was Mame, directed by Marian Dunham and Beverly was in charge of the make-up. The musical was followed by Neil Simon's They're Playing Our Song, directed by Peter Pollard for which Beverly and Jim Violette were the producers. In April Frank Oberhausen presented Funny Girl, Beverly was not involved in this show but in its program she was now listed as the reelected Treasurer of HLT. Marian Dunham celebrated the tenth anniversary of HLT's residency in the Lakeside Playhouse by re-presenting the first play that was directed in that house by her a decade earlier, Teahouse of the August Moon, which Beverly produced with Marcia Ward. At the Seventh Zenon Awards in October, Ms. Brando was the presenter of Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Bill Farmer), and a nominee with Jim Violette for Best Producer of They're Playing Our Song.

Beverly married Charles Gillilan during the Nineteenth Season and returned to HLT in the Twentieth Season in time to play the part of Mickey, the cop, in Peter Pollard's production of The Odd Couple (Female Version) in January, 1994. In June Mrs. Gillilan played the part of Maria in Tammie Pollard's production of Lend Me A Tenor, a role for which she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Ninth Zenon Awards Ceremony at the end of the season.

Gypsy, directed by Jim Lanier, which opened the Twenty-first Season was the only show that Beverly was associated with during that season. What she lacked in quantity she made up in quality by giving 110% in the role of Mazeppa in the delightful Sondheim musical. At Zenon time Beverly received a nomination with Denise Miriani and Mr. And Mrs. Fish for their specialty costuming for Gypsy.

Mrs. Gillilan was in two plays during the Twenty-second Season. She played Betty Meeks in Roy Riedy's production of the Off-Broadway hit The Foreigner in January, and was Tammie Pollard's producer for her production of Play It Again, Sam, in June. In October Beverly won her second Zenon for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for her part as Betty Meeks in The Foreigner and was nominated for another for Best Producer for her work on Play It Again, Sam.

During the Twenty-third Season Beverly was Peter Pollard's lighting technician for his Best Play production of To Kill a Mockingbird, and the producer of Frank Oberhausen's flamboyant production of La Cage aux folles. At Zenon time she was the presenter of the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Frank C. Oberhausen), and the winner of a third Zenon for her work as producer of La Cage aux folles.

Beverly directed the Lerner and Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon in June, 1998. The play won a respectable three Zenons at the end-of-the-year ceremonies which included Best Costumes, Best Set, and Best Musical and Choral Direction.

The Twenty-fifth Season was Beverly's last season of association with HLT. During that time she was involved with three plays. She worked on the set and was a seamstress for Melanie Boulay's The Wizard of Oz in November; in June she directed a reprise of the comedy Arsenic and Old Lace; and in August worked in Anthony's Lounge during the production of Jet Hansen's presentation of Noises Off. At the Fourteenth Annual Zenon Awards Ceremony in October Beverly received three nominations: a Board Service Award for her outstanding achievement as Newsletter Editor, a second for a Best Lighting Design with Mac Byron for Arsenic and Old Lace, and a third for Best Director of Arsenic and Old Lace.

When Mrs. Gillilan left Sebring and HLT in 2000, she left a legacy of having been involved in 26 plays at the Little Theatre, having attended 9 Zenon Ceremonies and having won three of those awards. She was involved in 1 Christmas program, was editor of the HLT newsletter for several years, been mentioned in 45 local news articles and in 68 HLT Newsletters for the grand total of 149 citations. HLT lost a valuable and versatile asset when Beverly Brando Gillilan left Highlands County. She will be long remembered for her many and varied gifts and abilities.

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