Hickory – The Hickory Community Theatre’s upcoming production of Neil Simon’s Chapter Two features two popular local actors in leading roles. Dorothy Best and Christopher Honsaker have each appeared in several shows at the Theatre, and received multiple Kay Awards.
Best first appeared on the Hickory stage as Martha in the 2011 production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas for which she received her first Kay Award in the Character Actress category. Last season she received her second award in that category, for Eulalie Shinn in The Music Man, as well as a Supporting Actress award for Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein.
She moved to Bethlehem in 2005 with husband James best, to whom she was married for almost 30 years before his death in 2015.
Honsaker, like his co-star, received a Kay Award on his first outing at the Theatre, with a Best Actor award for playing Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple in 2007. He has gone on to win two more, as the adult Ralph in A Christmas Story and one for Anthony in Outside Mullingar. The latter production was also honored with a Best Ensemble Award to the entire cast.
Honsaker has been an actor for many years appearing in both comedies and dramas as well as musicals. He studied in New York with the late Sylvia Leigh who also trained Elisabeth Shue, Lori Loughlin and John Leguizamo among others. He also studied at the NC School of the Arts.
Chapter Two is the final production of the Theatre’s 68th season, sponsored by Paramount Automotive and A Cleaner World. The Hickory Community Theatre is a Funded Affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County.
PHOTO: Dorothy Collier Best and Christopher Honsaker play Jennie Malone and George Schneider in the comedy Chapter Two, on stage June 22 through July 2 at the Hickory Community Theatre.Photo is by John Koval.
