CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman Community Theatre (CCT) kicked off its 2020 season Tuesday evening with an information and membership registration meeting at the Cullman County Museum. CCT President/Director Wayne Cook talked to more than 40 in attendance about the organization of the group, and revealed plans to put on productions of the Neil Simon farcical adult comedy “Rumors” in the spring and the Broadway classic “Hello, Dolly!” in the summer, as well as a to-be-determined children’s theater production in the early fall.
In CCT’s first non-musical straight play, “Rumors,” to be directed by Melva Jackson, a politician lies wounded from a gunshot wound after a party while an increasing number of people around him cause increasing numbers of problems for themselves as they attempt to hide what has happened. The show is planned as a dinner theater production for March 6-7, 2020 at Stone Bridge Farms. Auditions begin next week.
After the meeting, Cook told The Tribune, “We want to encourage people to come out and try out for Melva Jackson’s show ‘Rumors’ that she’s going to do. The auditions are next week, the 13th and 14th; she’s doing that at the Cullman Museum. That’ll be a new approach to what we’re doing; we haven’t done anything like that to this point. We’ve just done big musicals, so we’re excited about doing something that’s just a straight play. We hope people will come out for that.”
The musical “Hello, Dolly!” follows the misadventures of matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi and the circle of folks around her when she falls for the wealthy New Yorker for whom she was hired to find a wife. Auditions are scheduled to begin in May, and the venue is still under discussion.
Music Director Sarah Skinner indicated the children’s theater production, for students up to eighth grade, will take place in conjunction with a late-summer theater camp followed by rehearsals, and that it will be a fairly large show.
Said Skinner, “We need as many kids as possible. We’re going to have a week camp with Parks and Rec, and then that’s going to continue into a few weeks of rehearsals and then a big production at the end. It’s going to be a great opportunity for kids to be a part of a major production and have a lot of lead roles. We’re excited about giving them an opportunity to shine!”
Cook indicated that multiple annual productions is the pattern that CCT hopes to see become the norm. CCT has had two successful single production seasons with “The Music Man” in 2018 and “Oklahoma!” in 2019. An ambitious three-production season reflects the view of the group’s leadership that they are ready to step up to the next level.
Cook told guests, “We kind of feel as if, at this place and at this juncture, that we’re kind of getting ourselves organized for this to be sustained. That’s the goal: for this to be something that can live past even some of us, that can continue to grow and continue to be a part of this community.”
Cook shared that CCT has approved a set of bylaws and has elected a Board of Directors including:
- Wayne Cook, president
- Cindy Pass, vice president
- Noah Carpenter, secretary/treasurer
- Melva Jackson
- Sarah Jane Skinner
- Nick Shabel
- Casey Sandlin
- Linda Foley
Cook said that CCT’s partnership with Cullman Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism (CPRST) will continue into the 2020 season, telling guests, “They want to be partnered with us. They want to help us and support us, and we’re very pleased about that. That’s a very important role that we have right now with them.”
Cook said CPRST supports CCT’s freestanding organizational structure, and the city agency’s planned role will include financial, logistical and promotional support.
Members and sponsors needed
Tuesday’s meeting was, in part, to encourage membership in CCT. According to Cook, individuals can join for $50 per year, and additional members of the same family can join for $25 per year.
In addition to the annual membership fee, costumes and other costs for shows add up. To offset both memberships and show costs, members can get sponsorships from local patrons, businesses or organizations. Sponsors receive tickets, recognition in show programs and other benefits depending on the sponsorship level. Sponsorships are also tax-deductible.
You do not have to be an actor, musician or tech person to be a member of CCT.
“We’re just encouraging people to join community theater,” said Cook. “They don’t have to act or be a part, if they want to support it. By joining, becoming a member, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I support what’s going on in this community.’”
Quality required!
Cook told the crowd, “A couple of things that we’re committed to-I think the board is very committed to it; I’m very pleased with this and very happy about it-very committed to maintaining excellence with the program. In other words, we don’t want to put a product out that’s sub-par; we want to do quality stuff. I feel like that’s been maintained at this point, and will continue.”
For more on Cullman Community Theatre, including details on auditions and upcoming productions, visit www.facebook.com/Cullman-Community-Theater-1783955535053828/.
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