By Staff
Theater is a good step for city
Editor:
Dec. 8 and 9 saw a little more than 1,000 people come through the Fine Arts Center to see “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” The production was staged by College Street Players and directed by Edd Balch.
On Friday at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., special performances were done with the F.E. Burleson School student body in attendance. They were the most well-behaved group of students that we could have had. They were attentive and we hope they left the theater with a better understanding and an appreciative understanding of live theater. We do want to extend an apology to Crestline and Barkley Bridge because they did not receive an invitation to come to this production. When the brochure was delivered to Burleson, Mrs. Calvert advised that she wanted her entire student body to attend and we knew we could only do two performances for students for this show so we did not get to extend a invitation to you. It was not our intent to exclude you from these performances. College Street Players will endeavor to extend an invitation to you for our next production. Thank you for understanding.
Friday and Saturday nights brought to us standing room crowds. The support of this production from the community and case was above and beyond what I expected. We thank every one of you who volunteered to help with the show. It takes a lot of people working together to bring a successful program together. The crowd that we had clearly shows the interest in the theater in Hartselle. We must continue with the renovations of the Fine Arts Center and bring it to the point where other productions can be done. It is a limited facility at this time and we need lots of things to make performing more enjoyable. Lighting, sound, wing space, props, sets and even stage curtains are almost a must.
In April, the annual dinner fundraiser will be here and we need your support in this area. When you receive your invitation (or if you don’t receive an invitation just get in touch with us and we will see that you are invited) please respond and help us with the fund raising that is needed to what we are trying to do.
We don’t know what financial impact this production had on the economy in Hartselle but many of those in attendance probably stopped somewhere in Hartselle to eat before coming to the theater. The economic impact of bringing people together might not show up right now but it will at some point.
To the cast and those who worked tirelessly to help bring this production to life, we thank you and ask that you continue to support the arts in our community. We have such a great place to bring all these programs together but your help is needed in many areas. When renovations get to a point, you will be able to enjoy both the performing and the visual arts. If you can’t help financially, perhaps you can serve on a committee or a board to help us raise additional funds that are so desperately needed. Contact the Historical Society, The Fine Arts Center or College Street players and we will find a place for you to serve.
Thank you again for the tremendous support that you gave as live theater was brought to Hartselle.
Edd Balch
Hartselle
What are you doing to help?
Editor:
Here we go again - complaining about the out-of-city students.
Fact No. 1 - The $800 dollars the family paid went straight to the school system.
Fact No. 2 - Out of the $900 plus you pay in property tax, only $200 went to the school system.
Fact No. 3 - For the 600 out-of-city students you have, they bring in more than $2 million to your school system which gives 34 teachers a job who live in Hartselle. Do you want to cut them out of that job I wonder?
What are you who are complaining doing about making Hartselle a better place? Are you involved in any way with the school? Are you helping in any way? I doubt it. And if you know so much, then help us find a better way to raise the money for a new high school which we do need. I know I’m in the school two-three times a week. I have kids in school and I volunteer my time in these schools. What are you doing? Go make a difference.
John Carnes
Hartselle