Hats Off...and a Glimpse of whats next!

One of the comments that I get rather often is something to the effect of "I would love to help but I don't know how to..." For those of you who have said this or thought this, I'm about to give you six reasons why that isn't a good enough excuse around here.


There are a number of things that make community theatre special, one of those is opportunity.
In seeking crew for Seussical, I had a response from a new volunteer who said I don't know the first things about theatre. But she was eager to help and willing to learn. When Meghan came into the theatre for the first day of tech, she didn't know upstage from downstage and by opening night she was moving scenery around with the best of them. Many theatres, even in this small community, would turn up their nose at someone who doesn't know their Stage Left from their Stage Right. Here we offer opportunity and the chance to learn from people who have been around the block a few times.

Of the crew on this show, only three have worked a mainstage production here, the rest are rookies! You have to start somewhere and for many people in this town, it has started at 501 Queens Road.

Having a great crew starts at the top with our Stage Manager and works its way down. With Sabrina at the helm, I knew that we would be okay with a young crew that could learn from her experience and learn how to do things right. Throw in John Spinoso(Run Crew Head), who has a knack for moving around heavy objects such as toilets, urinals, couches and people, all without being seen, and I knew we were in good shape. In the absence of our sound designer, I turned to another Theatre Charlotte vet, Jonathan Rast, to cover for him. Jonathan has been a staple behind the sound board for us and does what it takes to achieve excellence.

So now we come to our rookies. Meghan, whom I mentioned earlier, has come along way in a short time on this show and is a perfect example of the volunteer experience here. Come and you will learn.

The Winn sisters, Abby and Emily. Both have helped on previous Theatre Charlotte events, but never a mainstage production. Emily was quick to volunteer to help backstage on this show and has done an outstanding job. Her dedication is second to none and her enthusiasm is what makes this job so rewarding. Maybe it was Emily's excitement that gave Abby the bug, I'm not sure, but she jumped on board as well...literally. With loads of new state of the art lighting equipment brought in for this show (thanks to our Lighting Designer, John Hartness), Abby runs all the lights with the push of a button. Sounds easy, but it takes concentration and good communication skills. I confess...I don't even know how to run this light board. It doesn't stop there, because you can also find Abby backstage during Intermission and after the show helping the rest of the crew clean up and set up for the next performance. I've also noticed the sisters singing and doing some of the choreography in the show. Might we see them on stage in the future?

Speaking of newcomers, how can you get any newer than Charlotte who moved here just a few weeks before the show opened. She didn't know anyone, didn't know how to operate lighting equipment and anyone who has moved to a new city and new school knows it can be overwhelming. I think it is safe to say that she has made new friends and found a home here. That is the "community" in community theatre. Welcome to Charlotte, Charlotte and welcome to Theatre Charlotte, Charlotte.

Community theatre is also a family affair. We were fortunate to have the support of the parents of our Jo-Jo to run follow spot on this production. The Newmans gave up the best seats in the house night after night to sit in the light booth and see the show and their son from the peanut gallery. Again, no experience prior to Theatre Charlotte.

There you have it. Six reasons why you can volunteer at Theatre Charlotte without prior experience: Meghan, Charlotte, Abby, Emily, Mr. Newman and Mrs. Newman. My hat is off to all of you, you have each done an outstanding job on Seussical (no small feat considering the complexity of this show) and I hope that you will share this experience with others.

Next up, The Woman in Black. Enjoy a glimpse of what's to come...