On summer Thursday evenings, Msgr. Norb Ernst grabs the purple folder that holds his script, climbs astride his bicycle and pedals from the St. Margaret Mary Alacoque rectory to the parish recreation center.
There, the longtime SMMA pastor transforms into Horace Vandegelder, joining about 60 laypeople from around the archdiocese to sing, dance and rehearse the scenes of the Fr. William Scheid Players’ upcoming production of the classic 1964 musical, “Hello, Dolly!”
“I look this way when they’re zigging, then I look this way when they’re zagging?” Msgr. Ernst asked director Dan Karcher as the actors ran through their carefully choreographed blocking on July 6.
The Fr. Scheid Players have been lighting up stages since 1981, when several priests of the archdiocese got together to form a theater group then known as the Priestly Players, putting on productions to raise money for youth programs in the archdiocese. Father Bill Scheid was instrumental in the early years of the group, and when he died in 1988, the group took his name.
“(Father Scheid) was kind of the leader,” Msgr. Ernst said. “He always had the lead parts, and he was just very good, and very funny. He had the knack.”
“Hello, Dolly!” will be the Fr. Scheid Players’ 50th production, and Msgr. Ernst has been part of every one. His office walls are covered in plaques commemorating roles over the years; favorites include — ironically, for a priest — the Devil in “Damn Yankees” (“it’s a fun show, nothing sacrilegious,” he assures), half of “The Odd Couple” alongside Karcher, and Ben Franklin in “1776.”
No matter who he portrays on stage, Msgr. Ernst’s priestly presence remains important to the group. He kicks off every “tech week” — the grueling week of long rehearsals leading into the show dates — by celebrating Mass for the cast and crew.
“We pray together, have Mass together, give thanks together, pray that we won’t forget our lines together,” he said. “The Lord is with us.”
There are three reasons why the Fr. Scheid Players have continued to put on productions for more than 40 years, said Karcher, an SMMA parishioner and English teacher at Chaminade College Preparatory School who is directing his 12th show: First, to raise money for the archdiocese. (Proceeds this year will benefit CYC Sports.) Second, to put on a good show for the audience. “The third reason is just to form a community,” he said.
The cast of “Hello, Dolly!” ranges in age from about 8-85 and comes from 24 different parishes. Parishioners are also found behind the scenes coordinating costumes, building sets, operating the lights, playing in the pit orchestra and more. Friendships are forged through the long rehearsal hours, working side-by-side toward a common goal.
Chad Berendzen, a parishioner at St. Ferdinand in Florissant, plays Cornelius Hackl, one of the show’s male leads. This is his fourth show; his daughter Grace got involved with the group about seven years ago, and after spending a few years just driving her back and forth to rehearsals, Chad decided to audition, too.
“It’s so unique to do something like with people from all over the St. Louis area,” he said. “We have several families from the North County area that drive all the way down here to do this.”
Jennifer McGrath landed the titular role of Dolly Levi in her first Fr. Scheid Players production — kind of by accident. Now a parishioner at St. Stephen Protomartyr in south St. Louis, she performed with the Magdalen Players of St. Mary Magdalen Parish and in musical reviews at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish several years ago and was just looking to dip her toes back into acting.
“People have been really encouraging. They’re like, ‘You’ve got this!’” she said. “And Msgr. (Ernst) has been great — he’s an old pro at this.”
McGrath, joined in the cast by daughters Caitlin and Maggie, appreciates how the group starts every rehearsal with prayer and keeps the focus on God, she said. Praying together helps them “realize that our gifts are God-given talents, and we are called to share them with others. And that’s what we’re doing, even if it makes us uncomfortable or a little bit nervous.”
As the actors rehearsed, Mary Naumann and Melissa Rechtien, parishioners at St. Ferdinand and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne in Florissant, respectively, sorted through piles of possible costume pieces at a nearby table. Naumann has been involved with the group since her freshman year of high school in 2009, both on-stage and behind the scenes.
“It’s a big family,” Naumann said. “I’ve met people here that one day, when I get married, will be invited to my wedding.”
Performing alongside priests over the years has been a special part of her experience, she said. “I have a memory of one making us laugh at rehearsal, and the director yelling at us but he kept doing it…They’re not just up on the altar, far away. You get to see that they’re human, and they like to have fun and do these things, too.”
Through the doors to the gym, the chorus practiced the show’s large dance numbers. Barb Prideaux, a parishioner at St. Cletus in St. Charles, has been involved with the group for the past 16 years. She saw an ad in her parish bulletin for auditions for “Damn Yankees” and kept going ever since, including performing as Grandma Tzeitel in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
She recalls meeting one of her fellow castmates when the girl was just 3 or 4 years old and getting to see her grow up over the years. “You just make so many friends, and friends out of your age group. It is really intergenerational,” she said.
Jes Gunther, a parishioner at St. Stephen Protomartyr and rising sophomore at DePaul University in Chicago, is performing in her second production with the Fr. Scheid Players. Her mother, Pam, is a longtime violin player in the pit orchestra, and Jes grew up helping backstage and running lights in high school.
The community has “always been very supportive and welcoming to everyone,” she said. “A couple years ago, my dad passed away. He was always in the pit (orchestra) with my mom, and everyone was super, super supportive by offering to help us in every way they can.”
“Once you do a show, it’s hard to stop doing them,” she continued. “You just want to keep coming back.”
>> Hello, Dolly! Showtimes
•7:30 p.m. Friday, July 21
•7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 22
•2 p.m. Sunday, July 23
The Heagney Theatre at Nerinx Hall, 530 Lockwood Ave. in Webster Groves
Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door. To purchase, call (314) 605-7521 or visit frscheidstl.org.
CYC Sports
Proceeds from the Fr. Scheid Players’ production of “Hello, Dolly!” will benefit CYC Sports, the archdiocesan office with a mission of “building communities of faith through sports.” CYC Sports includes grade school and high school teams open to all skill levels across several sports, with a focus on faith and sportsmanship. The proceeds will go toward scholarships for children who need financial assistance, said CYC director Deacon Dan Fitzgerald.
