TheatreWorks Community Theater Brings Productions to Martinsville
community theater, culture, little shop of horrors, martinsville, productions, theatreworks,
Theater is going through a renaissance of sorts in Martinsville-Henry County with the formation of TheatreWorks‚ an amateur theater group devoted to community productions.
Armed with thousands of dollars donated by residents and businesses‚ the fledgling group operating under the umbrella of the Piedmont Arts Association staged an energetic production in July 2005 of Little Shop of Horrors‚ the cult-classic musical featuring a giant carnivorous plant.
The ambitious inaugural show in the Martinsville High School auditorium was a hit‚ and the group is looking to stage more productions as interest grows.
“The citizens have been very receptive‚” says Corbin Campbell‚ director of Little Shop and one of two artistic directors on the TheatreWorks Board of Directors. “The No. 1 thing it required was people being dedicated and willing to put their time‚ effort and money toward something they knew was going to have a positive impact on our area.”
Half a dozen theater specialists and business people coalesced in 2005 to organize the group‚ which met its fund-raising goals midway through the year.
Automobile dealer Wes Mills‚ elected chairman of the board of directors‚ says he has “always been fond of being in the audience. Once I heard we had an opportunity to revive community theater‚ I thought it would be an exceptional opportunity to make this a reality.”
Mills says he can “see the benefits culturally and economically‚ as well as educationally‚ for children and young adults to showcase their talents within their community.”
People outside the group seem to share his vision. When TheatreWorks held an open meeting to discuss future projects‚ the turnout was impressive‚ Campbell says.
“Community response was just fantastic‚” he says. “People said they would like to have more shows – a holiday show or a dinner-theater show – and we are actively trying to figure out how we can add more shows into our season.”
Strong drama programs already exist in area high schools and Patrick Henry Community College‚ but there’s plenty of demand for community theater‚ Campbell adds.
“If a student in our community doesn’t have a high-school theater program‚ or if a person is in the working world but has this desire or talent they want to share‚ it gives everyone an opportunity to take part‚” he says. “Whether you’re learning for the first time or strengthening your skills‚ everybody has a place.”
Story by Rebecca Denton
Photo by Wes Aldridge
