Huntingdon Valley Resident Brings Laughing All the Way to the Stage

Will Dennis is no stranger to the stage. It all started in sixth grade when he was cast as the Mayor of Munchkin Land in his school play, The Wizard of Oz.

“The bug hit me. There was nothing like being on stage,” said Dennis, a Huntingdon Valley resident.

The 28-year-old has come a long way from his days in Oz. He’s graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, went on to the University of Scranton, earned a bachelor’s degree in Theology and Philosophy, and landed a full-time job as the Director of Campus Ministry at Norwood Fontbonne Academy. Yet through it all, he never lost sight of his passion for the theater.

Deciding his life needed to take another direction, Will took a gamble…he quit his day job to take a chance on his dream.

“I have no regrets,” Dennis said confidently. “I couldn’t let this time go by. I wasn’t using all my talents the way I was supposed to.”

And, it seems to being paying off for him. Will recently teamed up with his high school drama teacher and is the Head Writer of a brand new holiday show playing at the Act II Playhouse in Ambler. The show opens Tuesday, Dec. 13 and runs through Dec. 31, featuring local kids on stage.

Laughing All the Way is a comedic variety show for the entire family. It’s being billed as Bill Cosby’s Kids Say the Darndest Things meets Whose Line is it Anyway? Each show features different students on stage, some sharing their talents, others sharing their letters describing their perfect gift for the holidays. The letters read on stage were chosen through a writing contest, which was open to all kids in kindergarten through 8^th grades. The show, which runs about 75 minutes, is a combination of comedy skits, songs, including live interaction with kids reading their funny letters to Santa, local headlining performers, and nightly holiday-themed improvisation based on audience suggestions.

Will Dennis teamed up with Tony Braithwaite, who has been the Director of Dramatics at St. Joe’s Prep for 17 years, fellow Prep alum, Howie Brown and music director Sonnie Leo to create Laughing All the Way.

“The theater is the one art form where you are free to fully express yourself through a different character,” said Dennis. “There’s liberty in playing someone else. It’s the best drug in the world. That first curtain call. The first time you get applause. There’s nothing else like that feeling.”

Will Dennis is also the assistant director of theater at St. Joe’s Prep, has worked at the Philadelphia Theater Workshop and is presently writing a full-length play.

Tickets for Laughing All the Way are $27 for all Tuesday through Thursday performances and $33 for Friday and Saturday shows. There is a special performance scheduled, including performances on 11 a.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Tickets are available by calling the Act II Box Office at 215-654-0200, in person at 56 E. Butler Ave. in Ambler, or online at www.act2.org. Box office hours are 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Special ticket discounts are available for subscribers, students, seniors 65+ and groups of 10 or more.