P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525
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P.O. Box 691 Sebring Florida USA 33871 Tel: 863-382-2525 |
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Mike Logsdon - Successful Importer of British Farce By: Roy Riedy |
Mike Logsdon has been associated with thirty-five plays since he came to Highlands Little Theatre in June, 1996. That summer he worked as a house manager during the run of Tammie Pollard's production of Play It Again Sam. Since that June, over seven years ago, Mike has been involved in 34 more plays, directed two of them, assisted the director in a fourth, produce one, and acted in six others. He has been elected to be the Vice President of HLT twice, been the Co- Emcee of four Zenon Ceremonies, been nominated for awards at six Zenon Ceremonies and has been the recipient of awards at three of them. Behind the scenes he has worked as a house manager, on the kitchen staff, and helped construct several more sets. He has been cited in 64 newspaper articles and 50 newsletters, and still finds time to teach science at Sebring High School.
Mike got his first taste of directing at HLT when he assisted Tammie Pollard in her direction of the second edition of the wonderful Stephen Sondheim musical A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum in August, 1997, a play that he also worked on as a Lighting Technician. At the Twelfth Zenon Awards Ceremonies the following October, Mike was nominated for his contributions to the musical.
Mr. Logsdon was Peter Pollard's Producer for his January, 1998 production of the little known musical My Favorite Year. In June of that year he appeared on HLT's stage for the first time in the part of Reubin Sloan in Beverly Brando Gillilan's robust production of Lerner and Loewe's Paint Your Wagon. In August he played the part of analyst Ernie Cusak in Tammie Pollard's jocular production of Neil Simon's comedy Rumors. Mike was awarded his first Zenon, Best Supporting Actor of the year, for his exceptional acting as Ernie at the Thirteenth Zenon Ceremonies.
Mike was seen on the Lakeside Playhouse's stage twice the following season. In June, 1999, he appeared in Beverly Brando Gillilan's production of Joseph Kesselring's classic comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace, as Teddy Brewster who was convinced that Panama was in the basement and Cuba someplace upstairs. Mike was an Emcee at the Zenon Ceremonies that season, a season that saw him nominated again for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
The Twenty-sixth Season opened with first time director John Lovelette's excellent production of Ken Kesey's celebrated novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Mike played Ruckly, one of the several odd birds that populate the play's nest of cracked characters. In June he directed the zany British import, Run For Your Wife, a play that was awarded 4 Zenons at the 15th Zenon Ceremonies, at which he presided again as an Emcee. His farce captured Best Actor for Jerry Pollard as the wild-eyed John Smith; Best Supporting Actor for Rush Loughry for his laid-back turn as Stanley Gardner; and two Zenons for Mike Logsdon, Best Director, and the much desired Zenon, Best Play. Mike had acquired a Zenon for each full season he had been associated with Highlands Little Theatre, certainly some sort of record.
Mac Byron served up another helping of Tuna on the weekend of December 8th, 2000 as an HLT "Extra Event" and Mike was one of the 8 actors who played several parts in this second part of a trilogy that Mac is intent on bringing to the Lakeside Playhouse. This installment was A Tuna Christmas in which Mike played three of the 21 characters from Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas. In March of 2001 Mike was elected to the first of two terms as Vice President of HLT, and in August he and Dee McDonald Emceed the Sixteenth Zenon Ceremonies.
The 28th Season opened with Frank Oberhausen's version of the musical Guys and Dolls in which Mike played Big Jule. In March he worked on the set of the hugely successful Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, directed by first time director Joe Wilkes; in June he directed his second British Farce, the well received Move Over Mrs. Markham; and in October, he was a nominee for another Best Director award at the Seventeenth Annual Zenon Ceremonies.
Most recently, Mike became the recipient of the Gracie Award for October, 2003 for his dedication to HLT and his volunteering in many areas of theater work .
Thank you for your "top drawer" farces, Mike, your guidance as Vice President of our organization, your culinary activity in the kitchen, and the many other services you have given Highlands Little Theatre. We are a better group for having you as one of our members as this recent honor of a Gracie Award so accurately accentuates.
