1972 Bill Thobaben (Toby)

Two years after graduating from the Playhouse and PPC and helping to start a theater called The Brown Street Players, Bill went to the University of Scranton for a program that would give him a teaching certificate. While at “da U” he worked with the University Players and the local Second Story Theater. He completed the program in 1977 with his PA certification in secondary English but he still couldn’t find a teaching job He went to work for White Birch Dinner Theater in Dalton PA under artistic director Erma Duricko. Six months into this job he was hired to be the theater director and teacher for Perkiomen School, a small prep school outside of Allentown.

Bill worked at Perkiomen for thirty-two years directing and teaching 126 productions including musicals, straight plays, reviews, and improvisational children’s shows. Over this time he also became affiliated with the Main Street Theater in Quakertown where he acted in a dozen productions, wrote two seasons worth of children’s shows and directed several of those shows. He also appeared in several community theater productions at the Janus Players, Town and Country Players, and the Pennsylvania Playhouse.

Also at this time, Bill started working on having his plays presented in other theaters. His one-acts and children’s shows have been presented in Australia, England, Wisconsin, Florida, and other locations as well as at home by the Town and Country Players, Theatre Outlet, and the Main Street Theater. You can find them at <billthobaben.com>

Bill has been married for the last thirty-two years and has two grown sons who could call home more often. What? They’ve got broken arms? OK, the younger one had that arm thing with the car door but he’s all better now. Bill is currently working on collecting points towards his Equity card and trying to get his short stories published.