Auditions to be Held for ‘Drinking Habits’
Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon at Sun Lakes Country Club’s Friendship Room is the time and location for auditions for Sun Lakes Community Theatre’s fall production of Drinking Habits, written by Tom Smith. Director Sandy Bocynesky will be searching for five female and three male actors. The play is set to run Nov. 12-16, with three evening performances and two matinees. Scripts will be available beginning Aug. 11 at the home of the director, 10208 E. Elmwood Drive in Oakwood. Scripts should be read and returned in a timely manner to allow all potential auditioners an opportunity to review them.
If you have questions or need to schedule an alternate audition time, contact Sandy at basil4sandy@gmail.com.
Mark Wenz as a bidet
The ImproVables Are in Demand
Mark your calendars! Sun Lakes Community Theatre’s zany comedy group The ImproVables has already booked performances for the year and then some! First will be their “Fall Into Laughter” dinner show on Oct. 4 in the Navajo Room at Sun Lakes Country Club. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Sept. 9 at www.slctinfo.com. The tickets generally sell out in mere hours, so don’t miss your chance!
Then, on Oct. 29, the 4th Halloween Dinner Show will take place in Cottonwood’s Saguaro Room. It’s always a “scream” of a spooky show, following the Halloween tradition.
The “New Year’s Resolutions” dinner show is slated to kick off 2026 on Jan. 14, again in the Saguaro Room. Who knows what kind of antics the new year will bring?
Feb. 14 will feature their Valentine’s Day dinner show, lovingly put on at Sun Lakes Country Club.
And no one’s fools, The ImproVables will present their 2nd Annual April Fools dinner show on April 1 at Oakwood Country Club in Ballroom A.
And beyond the Sun Lakes audiences, the City of Chandler has requested The ImproVables to perform two shows at the Senior Center in downtown Chandler in 2026. The dates will be announced in the future.
Each show is unique, as audience members provide ideas and themes for the scenes. Tickets usually go on sale seven weeks in advance of the shows, so keep an eye out and check www.slctinfo.com often so you don’t miss out!
Mike Martin
New to SLCT but Jumped in with Both Feet
Meet Mike Martin. Mike is a get-it-done kinda guy. Born in Janesville, Wis., to parents who owned a TV and appliance business, Mike has always been someone who doesn’t let grass grow under his feet. After graduating from Stoughton High School (where, by the way, he first met his lifelong friend Tenni Annen), he traveled to the University of California at San Diego where he majored in biochemistry. He then attended National University to earn his degree in business administration. He began his career in the semiconductor industry as a sales engineer, working with worldwide businesses.
His eyes always on the next opportunity, Mike and his wife relocated to the Phoenix area where he started an environmental business that he and his family built into a successful, multi-million-dollar company. His eldest daughter is now president of the company. When he retired from there in 2012, he decided to do what he’s always wanted to do—he became a mathematics and science teacher. Beginning with elementary schools, he soon “graduated” to high schools, all in the Gilbert system. He loved giving back to the community in this way and was a respected and well-loved teacher. When COVID hit, he sadly left teaching, partly because his wife was suffering from a terminal disease and needed his full-time attention. Fortunately, their longtime friend Tenni helped him care for her until her passing a few years later. Mike and his wife had shared 52 years.
The following year, Mike moved to Sun Lakes. He heard about Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT) from friends, including Tenni, and decided to check it out. He immediately liked what he saw. When asked why he joined SLCT, Mike said, “That’s easy! I like talented people. They have an ‘impromptu’ attitude, and there’s a lot of humor. Also, I like the opportunity to give back to the community again.” How is he doing that? By training to be the next director of SLCT’s Children’s Theatre. Mike will be helping to lead the volunteers in their 21 visits to schools to present Horton Lays an Egg during the early 2026 school year. But in the meantime, he’s single-handedly reorganized storage sheds, sorted out baseboards from moldings, repaired electrical tools, and is generally ready to give a hand wherever needed. And he recently married his longtime friend Tenni! Mike is definitely a get-it-done kinda guy, and SLCT is lucky to have him.
Next month, we’ll feature another new member who also jumped in with both feet. Stay tuned. And to find out more about SLCT, go to www.slctinfo.com.