From dancer to director, Greenacres woman, 76, is Lake Worth Beach Playhouse's heart and soul

Palm Beach Post
·4 min read
Director Joanne DePrizio, center, surrounded by Guys and Dolls cast members, Danny Distasio, left, Katherine Lamb Chico, Adam Carter and Carl Van Dyke, bottom, at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.
Director Joanne DePrizio, center, surrounded by Guys and Dolls cast members, Danny Distasio, left, Katherine Lamb Chico, Adam Carter and Carl Van Dyke, bottom, at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.

LAKE WORTH BEACH — Goosebumps will pop on Joanne DePrizio’s arms Friday night when the curtain rises for the opening of Guys and Dolls at the Lake Worth Playhouse.

“To see your vision come to life on stage is such a magnificent thrill. The lighting, the costumes, the music, the performance — I love it,” said the 36-year veteran of the playhouse on Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth Beach.

Directing and choreographing Guys and Dolls, the Great Depression play about luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway, is another notch in the varied theatrical career for the Watertown, Mass. native who turns 76 on Saturday.

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While most people know the swaggering story from the 1955 Frank Sinatra movie — Luck Be a Lady is one of the signature songs — DePrizio said the 25 local actors will send spectators back in time.

“Gangsters, Prohibition, booze — we’re making this play right out of the 1930s,” said the Greenacres resident, sitting in the empty box office with yellow walls, posters of plays such as The Wizard of Oz and Dial M For Murder and a “Cash Only” sign above the concession stand.

Actors perform a scene from Guys and Dolls at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.
Actors perform a scene from Guys and Dolls at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.

Since 1986 when she started as a dancer, DePrizio has been a vital cog in the art deco performance center with the colorful marquee. Sewing costumes, directing plays, designing sets and coaching actors, DePrizio is a theatrical jack-of-all-trades.

“She’s top-notch with everything. With Joanne, the actors know they will be in a top notch show,” said Daniel Eilola, the artistic director at the playhouse that opened 70 years ago.

'I was hooked': Dancing captured DePrizio's attention as a child

DePrizio danced as a child, but let her skills lapse before moving to South Florida in 1974. While taking dancing lessons to sharpen her performance chops, her instructor convinced her to try out at the the Lake Worth Playhouse.

Her first performance was a chorus member in My One and Only. She later danced in Chicago and Cabaret.

“I just wanted to get my rhythm back. But I was hooked. I’ve been here ever since,” said DePrizio, wearing a blue baseball cap, Grateful Dead sweat shirt and jeans as she took a break during rehearsal on a recent evening.

Comedies and musicals were DePrizio’s bread and butter at the start of her career. Then about a dozen years ago she branched off into a dramatic role. She portrayed Beatrice, the devoted wife in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.

While she enjoys directing and choreography, acting holds a special place for her.

“It’s exciting to be another person for a couple hours on stage,” said, snapping off her words crisply and clearly.

Director Joanne DePrizio, left, and stage manager Victoria Goulet watch rehearsals for Guys and Dolls at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.
Director Joanne DePrizio, left, and stage manager Victoria Goulet watch rehearsals for Guys and Dolls at the Lake Worth Playhouse on January 18, 2023.

Directing is different, she said.

“I’m in charge of everything and everybody. When that curtain goes up Friday night, the goosebumps will start,” she said.

Versatility has extended her theatre career, said DePrizio. Knowing how to direct, costume, choreograph and design makes her a valuable asset, she said.

“If I could only act, my options would be limited,” she said.

The cozy 300-seat Lake Worth Beach Playhouse opened 99 years ago

Guys and Dolls is the latest of performances at the 300-seat theatre that opened in 1924. While known mostly to locals for plays and vintage movies, the theatre brings the arts to the community, said Eilola.

Playhouse officials distribute tickets at reduced cost to local community organizations. There is a blackbox theater series. Independent films are shown in the next-door theatre. Improv theater and theater week are open to children. Tap dance classes — DePrizio teaches them twice a week — are available for adults.

“We’re a multi-faceted organization involved in the community,” said Eilola, adding the non-profit theater brings customers from Fort Lauderdale and Stuart.

And the Playhouse is an economic engine for downtown businesses, said nearby merchants.

Theater goers visit the nearby restaurants, antique stores and shopping areas before and after a performance or a movie, they say.

“The playhouse fits into our kitchy downtown,” said Lisa Chapman, an assistant at Trinkets and Treasures, a gift shop across Lake Avenue from the Playhouse.

If you go

  • What:Guys and Dolls

  • Where: Lake Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach

  • When: Performances Friday, Jan. 20 - Sunday, Feb. 5

  • Tickets: $46

  • Contact: Go to lakeworthplayhouse.org or call 561-586-6410

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth Beach Playhouse debuts Guys and Dolls: Woman behind show