Actor directs troupe at Sun City

     Sam Roth, an actor whose credits include the role of a pit boss in the movie "Rainman," directs the Variety Players, a troupe at Sun City MacDonald Ranch.
      "We started out as the Sun City MacDonald Ranch Drama Club, but then turned the performances more into variety-type shows," Roth said. "We enlist singers and dancers and some of us write and perform comedy skits."
      The Brooklyn, N.Y., native has performed at various hotels in the Catskill Mountains before moving to California, then Nevada.
      "I moved to Las Vegas in 1978 and joined the drama club at UNLV," Roth said. "I was working for the Summa Corp. at the time, but was always looking for opportunities to act. That's when I got the part in `Rainman.'"
      Roth, who lives in the age-restricted community with his wife, Rosalind, said the Variety Players allows him to act and direct, as well as write comedy skits and scout for new talent. The next meeting is Sept. 14 at 7 p.m., as the group prepares for next year's show.
      "We try to enlist all the singers, dancers and actors we can find," Roth said. "I believe in including everybody who wants to participate in the shows. It's a great way to bring everyone in the community together."
      The 564-acre community in Henderson will comprise 2,500 homes at completion.
      Among the amenities is the Desert Willow Community Center, which offers more than 30 clubs, a workout room, aerobic dance studio, pool, spa, horseshoe pits, and tennis and boccie courts.
      Residents also have access to the 3,845-yard Desert Willow golf course.
      Prices start from the low $110,000s to the mid-$180,000s.
      Del Webb Corp. has been building homes for more than 60 years.
      To visit, take Interstate 515 to Lake Mead Drive, head west to Green Valley Parkway and go south. The sales office is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.