Public meeting set to create little theater group in SWAR
HOPE – A public meeting to create a little theater group in Southwest Arkansas is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, September 12 at the Arts Station at 200 E. Division St. in Hope.
Sponsored by the nonprofit Southwest Arkansas Arts Council (SWAAC), the meeting is designed to form a theater group to regularly perform a variety of plays, Broadway musicals and musical reviews featuring songs of various genres, according to a statement by the arts council.
George S. Smith, executive director of the SWAAC, and co-founder of four little theater troupes in Arkansas and Texas, will chair the meeting and give an overview of the group’s mission and organizational structure.
Ideas for a possible first performance — a dinner theater tentatively scheduled for March 2020 — will be discussed; input from attendees will be encouraged, Smith said.
A survey and initial auditions (singers, dancers, comedic and dramatic actors) will be held at the meeting, Smith said. “We will be requesting anyone who attends to please bring any material they would use to showcase their talent for a very short audition,” Smith said. “We are simply starting to collect information about interest and talent for the theater group.”
No music will be available but recorded music can be used as required. “We just want to judge interest forming a local theater group and get an idea of what talent is available,” he said.
He said “a minimum of two additional auditions will be held in case of scheduling conflicts – one tentatively in December and one in early January.”
There is no set lineup for the first production,
which is scheduled a fundraiser for the SWAAC. “An idea for a first performance
– a four-act musical review featuring songs from the 1950s-‘60s, a selection of
Broadway tunes, various types of gospel
music and a patriotic salute to America – will be presented at the meeting,”
Smith said. But “at this point, any thoughts and ideas about the first
production are welcome and encouraged.” Those attending the first meeting will
also be asked to fill out a questionnaire stating their interests in the types
of stage or dinner theater performances.
Anyone
who cannot attend the first meeting can contact Smith to receive a
questionnaire by email.
Smith also said, “The type of production being
considered is designed to fit any schedule in regard to rehearsals. Production
numbers will be broken into vignettes, allowing small groups to rehearse on
their own timeframe. “This make it easier for those who would have problems coming
to a central location for multiple rehearsals.”
Staging and blocking for the actors can be done in a short period of time, he said, alleviating many of the scheduling conflicts of working parents, students or other commitments.”
Anyone having any questions can contact Smith at 501-259-8545 by call or text or email gsid143@gmail.com