“Useppa Home Companion”

Saturday, February 20^th, 2016

By UseppaGin

Live on stage in the Tarpon Bar on lovely Useppa Island Florida, an old-fashioned radio show, “Useppa Home Companion” starred neighbors and friends.

Sponsored by the Useppa Island Historical Society, characters from Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” settled in for the evening. Dan O’Connell in sports jacket, red tie and red sneakers was emcee and storyteller. Shane Swigert was his “mom” in one skit, Paul Miller’s wife in another. Allie Lindhorst sang a solo and harmonized in duets with Miller. In “Making Whoopie” they were at their best. The audience loved them.

Brady Stokes collected cast off script pages. Paul Swigert was the Sound Man working with Karen Connery. Linda Colgan and Kurt Stocker were everywhere in ads and skits.

Useppa year rounder Ginny Amsler read two of her poems, “The Coach and Miss Barbara,” about Island icons Bob and Barbara Sumwalt, and “Bearded Man and Shaggy Dog: True Story… Almost,” about old neighbor and friend Barney King and rescue dog Trouble.

The show was the brainchild and directed by Museum Director Rona Stage.