2003 — a season of "secrets"
Secret documents, identities and family tragedies. Opening nights, cast parties, twists of fate, fishing lodges, demolition experts, despair and the triumph of the human condition. This and more in the upcoming season!!

ACT Supports AHS Drama Class
"Jungalbook" production
ACT is happy to support Alleghany High School's burgeoning Drama program. ACT covered the cost of scripts and royalties for their Spring Production of Jungalbook by Edward Mast. Several ACT members have volunteered to work with Drama Teacher Donna Link and her students in bringing this unusual adaptation of the Mowgli stories by Rudyard Kipling to the stage in the new gymatorium facilities at AHS sometime in April. If you'd like to volunteer to help, contact Donna at 372-4554. Please watch the local newspaper for more info. ACT urges everyone to attend the production so the kids have the thrill of playing to a "packed house".

ACT needs salespeople for 2003 season
ACT needs members interested in donating time in the next month to sell for our 2003 season programs. These include our 3 scheduled shows: Amateurs, The Foreigner and Long Day's Journey Into Night, as well as our cooperative venture with the AHS Drama Department production of Jungalbook. This involves soliciting local business-people about program ads. It's not as exciting as staring on stage, but it is just a necessary. If you are willing, PLEASE contact Bob Bamberg (372-2883 home phone, 325-0567 cell) ASAP. "I need you."

"Tis the Season" well received
The Gift of the Magi adapted by Brainerd Duffield from the O'Henry classic concluded a quiet evening of holiday entertainment at Sparta School Cafetorium on Dec. 22. Even though the audience was smaller than usual (hey, the holidays get hectic!!), those in attendance seemed to relish the wonderful story of simpler times and the true meaning of love. The additional musical selections, readings, and candlelit tables gave the evening an added touch of quiet reflection. Many thanks to those who worked so hard to make the evening possible and also to those brave souls who made the effort to fit one more thing into their busy lives and come to the performance.

Recruiting tech crews,
publicity folk
Want to get involved, but not sure about learning a part and appearing on stage? We currently need to fill positions of Stage Managers, House Managers, Set and Lighting Designers and set builders for all shows. We are looking for talent in drawing, building, working with electrical equipment, organizing, planning, people-managing and just plain being classy!!!! If you're a fit, please call Paula Joines at 372-8751 or Tom Rector at 657-3011. If interested in helping out with publicity, please contact Dudley Carpenter, ACT PR Chair, at 372-7901.

ACT contributes to
Lura Myers Scholarship Fund
Lura Myers was a founding member of The Trojan Playmakers during her days there as an AHS student in the 1970's. This was the beginning of a life's work in theatre. However, she was also an artist, and an accomplished clothing designer and seamstress. Lura was active in a variety of theatre companies, both professional and non-professional, throughout her life. But she always held a soft spot in her heart for local theatre. Lura was instrumental in bringing past productions of Brigadoon, Dark of the Moon, The Shadow Box, The Good Doctor, Foxfire and many others to the stage. In honor of her accomplishments and her memory, the ACT Board voted recently to make a yearly contribution of $250 to the Education Foundation for the scholarship fund established in her name and given to Alleghany High School students wishing to pursue higher education in the arts.

Important meeting, new faces
Gerald Leftwich, Co. Emergency Management director, meets with the ACT Board to discuss theater safety, 7 p.m., March 27, in Sparta School Auditorium. If you've volunteered with ACT or may volunteer, please attend!

ACT donates season passes
to Heart Fund Auction
Everyone likes to get in on the fun of an auction, especially in the name of a good cause. Therefore, ACT donated 4 sets of season passes to the annual WCOK Heart Fund Auction. To those who bid on the passes, we thank you and we hope you enjoy our shows! Thanks to ACT members who answered the Challenge to donate $5 to the Heart fund. We helped to break the record for highest contributions ever to the Heart Fund!!!

ACT benefactors continue
to support and inspire efforts
ACT has received donations of money and materials and would like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to all of those who believe in us enough to lend such support. A special thanks goes out to our "Anonymous Donor" who recently made our largest single donation on record. Whoever you are, we love you .

Play Selection Committee
sponsors "Reader's Theatre"
Play Selection Committee Chair, Brad Jenkins, began a Reader's Theatre, March 11, with the play Eleemesary by Lee Blessing. Participants each take a part and read through the play, giving more of a feel of its performance. Our next reading is Come Back Little Sheba by William Inge, April 8 in the Sparta Town Conference Room (formerly Blue Ridge Electric). Readers are asked to be there at 6 p.m. and the audience at 7 p.m. If you'd like to participate or suggest a play, contact Brad at 359-8225.

Thanks and good wishes
to Robbie Presnell
Finally, just a word of thanks to our out-going ACT President for all of his hard work and dedication. Robbie Presnell has served as ACT President for the last two years. He dedicated countless hours to ACT in a variety of roles from leading the Board to directing plays ( Shock of his Live and Faith County), to serving as an uncredited producer (Charlie Brown and Steel Magnolias), to building sets (and even rigging a way to get real running water on stage so that Annelle could drench M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias). Robbie and his lovely wife Paula, treated the ACT Board to several delicious dinners in their home over the past two years. There aren't ample words to express our gratitude for all he and Paula have done ... but "thank you" just the same.

"Amateurs" needs a few good men
Director Paula Joines' auditions for the 5 males and 4 female parts in Amateurs last weekend left her with parts uncast, mainly male parts. Once again the call goes out for a few good men (and we're very flexible on the definition of "good"). If you've ever thought it might be fun to be on stage (and I know you have), if you have theater experience, if an "M" appears under SEX on your birth certificate, then one more audition will be held at Sparta School Auditorium, 2-3 p.m., Sunday, March 16. This is a command performance. If you are of the female persuasion, we are a little thin in that area as well, so write it down in your appointment book to be there.