new london theatre october - november 2008 newsletter
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Excellent Newsletter on the most excellent community theatre: New London TheatreTRANSCRIPT
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New London TheatreNewsletter
Oct-Nov 2008Volume 6,
Editor: Leslie Raab
www.newlondontheatre.org 770-559-1484 email [email protected] Main Street East SW, Snellville, GA 30078
Last weekend to seeAgatha Christie’s original “whodunit”
10 Little Indians.Get your tickets early!!
Dear New London Theatre friends,
We are proud to announce our new Associate Artistic Director,Teagan Eley!
She will apprentice under current Executive Director, Kirk Buis for oneyear and then begin her two year term as Artistic Director. Teaganbrings talent, energy, creativity, and a love for New London Theatrethat will no doubt inspire great things to happen for us. We appreciateher willingness to donate so much time and effort on behalf of thetheatre.
The New London Theatre Board
The
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You can now pay for your tickets onour website via and use yourPayPal account or your credit card!
www.newlondontheatre.org
OPENS THS FRIDAY! WE EXPECTA SELL OUT RUN, SO GET TICKETS EARLY
Special Halloween ShowWear your costume for yourchance at a special treat!!!
Visit our FACEBOOK page, New London Theatre “10 Little Indians” to seevideo from the youth and adult shows.
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NLT JournalRead about the experiences of our actors and
other members of the NLT family!
Jonathan Cates is retiring from his first term on the Board ofDirectors. He will be recharging his energy levels, but plansa comeback, maybe in a year or two. Thanks for everythingNLT does in our community! Jonathan began acting inschool in 1958 and played a teacher in a school play. He isworking as a Job Coach for the DeKalb County Schools,and loves to act and serve on the board for NLT.His granddaughter and daughter have been in the troupe,also. Until 1985, he lived in California, and was in theatre,opera, movies, commercials, and television. Thanks, Jonathan, for all you have done for NLT. Weappreciate you so much and hope you will be backsoon!
Journal Entry by Lee Jones – General Mackenzie, 10 Little Indians
By August 2005, I had taught English at Georgia PerimeterCollege – Lawrenceville and lived in the Lawrenceville area for thirteenyears. I had the job, the family, and the hobbies I wanted. My oldestson Eli, however, had talked for months about how much he wanted tobe an actor. Finally, I gave him an ultimatum: if he’d try out for a partin the local New London Theatre’s production of To Kill aMockingbird, I would, too. Eli discovered at auditions a mild case ofstage fright. Fortunately enough, he longed less to act than to enjoyacting’s prospect of all him to meet Emma Watson (from the HarryPotter movies).
I won a part with one line, repeated three times, and began watching my fellow actors,paying special attention to how they ran lines, how they moved, and how they interacted witheach other. I realized the absurdity of my having taught English to college students for allthose years and, whether I was teaching Sophocles or Beth Henley, never going beyond “Howshould this scene be staged?” to “Why don’t I go try out for a role in this play and see how wemake it work?”
Monday of tech week for Mockingbird brought tragedy to Tony Webb’s family. Iunexpectedly took on the role of Heck Tate and, to my relief, played the part withoutembarrassing anyone. All the way through the show, colleagues became friends, offering tohelp with my character and assuring me they would cover for me if I dropped a line onstage.The cooperation I felt and witnessed every day taught me how important each cast member’ssuccess was to the rest of the cast, the crew, and the directors. Every job, from a speaking partto placing a prop at the right place, mattered to everyone.You know the next sentence, right? I was hooked. The adrenalin, the audience response, andthe hugs reminded me of everything I liked about teaching. I continued to audition at NLT,where I played parts like the John Wayne inspired cowboy in A Christmas Story, thebelligerent husband and later drunk Mr. Welch in It’s a Wonderful Life, and the ever eager Mr.Beaver in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (continued next page)
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Help Wanted
New London Theatre is looking for people who want to bepart of the family!We have openings on our Board of Directors and severalcommittees. If you are looking for a place to use yourtalents, meet new friends, and enrich your community,please consider NLT. Come by one evening and sayhello, let someone know you are interested, or send anemail to [email protected] current areas that need help (Board of Directorpositions as well as committee members for each of theseareas): Costuming, Lighting and Sound, Education,Funding, House Management, Special Events
Branching out to Theatre Arts Guild at GPC helped me learn, in colleague Sally Roberts’words, that “musical theatre is hard,” and a summer part at Spotlights on Center Stage let meplay a staid, middle aged professor (a character utterly unlike me, of course).
I kept returning to NLT, however, partly because I enjoyed every show and every part,largely because my daughter Esther and I were working together. While Esther was so shy shecould barely say her audition monologue for A Christmas Story to me directly, she had enoughphysical confidence to play every crowd scene with enthusiasm. The chats and special treats Estherand I shared during the commutes to and from rehearsals gave me memories I will cherish as longas memory holds.
English professors, I must confess, tend toward introversion. Most would rather be aroundbooks than people, and even many who teach drama would rather read a play than see (let aloneperform in) one. Theatre people are exactly the opposite. Theatre people root for you to do welland will offer suggestions as long as you’re willing to listen. They’ll go out for a cup of coffee andtalk about tonight’s audience, comparing it with another audience on another night. Theatre peoplewill devote time they can’t spare to entertaining other people while everyone enjoys a respite fromthe ever troubling outside world. And NLT is a place for theatre people to bring their families toparticipate in every phase of drama, from viewing to ushering to acting to helping direct.
This December, my middle son, Ethan, will make his debut as one of the actors sharing theTiny Tim role in A Christmas Carol. Esther will roam with the townspeople, and I will spreadmirth and knowledge as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Since GPC—Lawrenceville has closedand my teaching has moved entirely online, acting satisfies the performing teacher in me. Thehours I’ll spend with Esther and Ethan will etch themselves into our memories forever.
After the first read through of A Christmas Carol, Ethan danced from side to side, singing,“I’m on stage. I’m on stage. I’m on stage.” In my middle aged mind, I danced with him, a fellowcommunity theatre actor thrilled to anticipate the next time I’d walk in front of an audience andcreate, if I worked hard enough, just the tiniest spark of pure magic.
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October - Ten Little IndiansNow Playing!
December - A Christmas CarolIn rehearsal
February - The Mystery of Edwin DroodAuditions coming Nov.11-12 – See website for monologues & info.
March - Grimm's Fairy Tales
April - Neil Simon's “Fools”
May - New Directors Showcase
Summer Musical - Pirates of Penzance
Check out the website for asynopsis of each play.
http://www.newlondontheatre.org/2008-09SeasonLIneUp.html
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Ticket Information
Online tickets - $12.00 + .60 Paypal user feeTickets purchased at the door - $15.00
Ticket Policy - Please read!
To purchase tickets prior to a show, please click on theappropriate show date button on the right side of the ticket pageon our website, which will lead you to the Paypal site where youcan check out. On the Paypal page, you can pay by credit cardor if you have your own Paypal account you may go there. If youhave any problems, please call us at 770-559-1484 Thank you!
• We prefer to have tickets purchased via our website withPaypal as it helps us to keep track of the amount of ticketssold, so you don’t arrive and we are sold out!
• Sometimes shows sell out quickly. If that is the case, we willremove the Paypal button for that show and you will have tocontact the theatre for reservations, if available.
• If you cannot pay via Paypal for some reason, then we ask youto please reserve your tickets in advance [email protected] or 770-559-1484 andarrive at the theatre early, so you can pay for them. We areopen one hour before the show begins. Any reserved ticketreservations not paid for by 30 minutes before showtime areavailable to sell to those waiting in line.
• There are no reserved seats (only reserved tickets). Allseating is “general admission”. The only exception is forpeople with disabilities or senior seating. If you want to makesure you have seats together or seats of your choice, you haveto get to the theatre early. We cannot guarantee your seatswill be together if you come in after the house is open.
• Unreserved tickets, if available, are $15.00 and must be paidby cash or check. The house manager will announce whenthese are ready for purchase.
• Tickets are non-refundable!• Group discounts are available for 20 or more persons. Call
and reserve your group as early as possible to make sure youhave seats together. $10.00 each for 20 or more.
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To order a copy of this cast photo, contactKathi Mardis at [email protected]
$10.60 each, 8x10”A great keepsake for your cast member!
Enjoy some shots from the set of “Ten Little Indians”There are some 500 pictures at kathi.mardis.com
for purchase. NLT gets a portion of the sales.
Copyright
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New London Theatre fundraiser
Attention all of you crafty peopleout there! Rent a table with us.
NLT is hosting a craft bazaar as a fundraiser forthe theatre. We would love for you to rent aspace from us, come and bring your craft itemsor represent your business and spend the daywith us. We will have our snack bar open as wellwith munchies, cider, hot dogs, etc. We willadvertise but we ask that you help out bypromoting this event to your customers, friends,neighbors, and family members as well. Set upat 8:00 a.m.
We will charge $25.00 for your space if youprovide the table (card table size please) or youcan rent the space and a 6’ table from us for$60.00
If you want to reserve your space, please send acheck to New London Theatre, 2485 Main St.East, SW, Snellville, GA 30078. Include yourcontact info and tell us what you will be sellingplease.
Holiday Craft Bazaar
Calling all SHOPPERS!!!Please put the date of the Bazaar On yourcalendar and come and shop with us! You canfind lots of great gifts and help out NLT as well.
NOVEMBER 29 - 9-4p.m.
Questions about any of this, please call us oremail Tasha Jones, bazaar coordinator, at
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FundraisersHere is how you can help!
New London Theatre is participating inBelk Charity Days
This is a great fundraiser for both you and NLT.This is the way it works:
You purchase a coupon from us for $5.00. We get to keep that $5.00And you take the coupon to Belk’s on November 15th from 6 am – 10 am for a fantasticsale including 20-50% off, throughout the store, even brands that are rarelydiscounted. The $5.00 coupon is yours for a $5.00 savings on your first purchase.They are even having the Bonus Bucks program going on. For every $50 you spendyou get a $10 Bonus Bucks coupon. You can’t lose with this fundraiser and we can’teither.
If interested in purchasing a coupon, come by the theatre or look for our table at BelksNov. 2-14th and buy one from us! They will of course be available for purchase if youcome to see Ten Little Indians!Questions? Email Sharyn at [email protected] of call her at 770 334 0254.
We need volunteers to man our table at Belks, day or evening,Nov. 2-14th. Easy job, just sit and sell the coupons and hand outfliers for us. Two people per shift. And people to sell tickets totheir friends and associates. Call or email Sharyn, info above.
M&M FundraiserThis fundraiser is over soon, so please jump right in there! You cometo the theatre and take a tube of M&M minis. You fill it with quartersthat you donate or collect from friends and family. It will hold $14.00Then just bring it back to NLT. We have a contest to see who fills themost containers and you will be given a prize. The candy is of course,yours to eat! This program is ending Sunday, November 2nd but I thinkwe will still take them when ever!
Thanks for helping to support New London Theatre! Themoney we raise goes right back into the next show and to paythe bills. We can’t do it without you!
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Do you have a business, or know someone who does, that could benefit from ads placedin our programs? Our programs can reach 800-1200 people per show. This is one waythat New London funds our production costs. See the info below for more details.Thanks!
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Where we are located…
Our new address is: 2486 Main Street East SW, Snellville, GA 30078
We areHere!
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WORK DAY – November 1st, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Thanks for helping!!Watch the website for future dates!
ACTIVITIES for Everyone to Enjoy
Halloween Party –Friday, Oct. 31st after the show of “Ten Little Indians”.After the Friday production of Ten Little Indians, we all get together and have a Halloween party at NewLondon Theatre.Food: Bring snacks to share. Everyone bring a 2-liter to share. Only Coke products (Coke, Sprite, andDiet Coke). Any leftovers will be donated to New London Theatre.Entertainment: Improv games and Broadway music or board games.Price: A minimum of $5 to get in the door. However more is greatly appreciated!!Decoration: We are going to decorate the lobby before the show. There won’t be much decorating ofthe stage itself for the purpose of not interfering with Ten Little Indians.Time: 10:30 P.M. - 12:30 A.M.Attire: Costumes are not mandatory, but are welcome.Possible Improv Games:Questions OnlyFreezeChangeWhose Line--These are just a few games that we can do. If you have any others to suggest don't hesitate.
Game Nights –- 5pm on November 8th and the 22nd, & Dec. 27thEveryone is invited to come and play games, good old fashioned board games!We get together and play, eat, laugh, and have a really great time together. If you like games, comejoin the fun. We ask a $5.00 donation to help support the theatre and we pitch in money towards pizza.Everyone bring a snack to share and your favorite game.
Christmas Party - December 14th, 7pm -Put this one on the calendar so you don’t miss the fun. Santawill be there too! Watch the website and emails for more details.
New Years Eve Party – Adults Only this time! 9pm – 12:30 am Watch website and emails for details!
Holly Theatre Trip - NLT is planning on seeing "Into the Woods" at the Holly Theatre in Dahlonega onSaturday, November 8. Tickets are $19.75 if you get them online at http://www.hollytheater.com and asof midnight, Oct. 23, there are a couple hundred seats available.....If you want to spend the nightinstead of driving the 90 minutes back to town, there are 4 places Jonathan recommends: the SmithHouse, Holiday Inn Express, Super 8, and Days Inn Dahlonega....If we go to the Nov. 8 show, we couldmeet at the Holly Theatre box office at 3PM, shop around the town square, choose a restaurant, andeat together at 5-7, then see the show, or just break for dinner from 5-7, and meet up for the show. Ifthere is enough interest for the tour of the Holly Theater, LET ME KNOW, ASAP, and I will try toarrange something between 3 and 5.... [email protected]
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The New London Theatre Wish List
The next big project for us is to clean out the storage area. We have a huge need fordonations of large Rubbermaid type storage containers, shelving, cabinets, andclothes racks. If so, please let us know and drop them by any evening. Thanks verymuch!! Email us at [email protected]
Other wish list items:
Urgent needs, can you help with these items?
Always needed:
* Paper goods such as 12 oz.styrofoam cups, lids, toiletpaper, tissues, paper towels,large trash bags, small trashbags, computer paper
* hand soap, dish soap,bathroom cleaner
* coffee, creamer, sugar,coke, diet coke and sprite
* Black paint, paintingsupplies like rollers, brushes,disposable liners for paint trays,painters tape, black duct tape
Things we would love to have:
* Sewing machine that actuallyworks
* Canister vacuum cleaner andbags, so we can clean under theseats
* PA system for front of theatre
* large foldaway tables
* 4 unit walkie-talkies with headsets
* storage cabinets for bathroomsupplies
* Gift certificate to Fabric WorldWe want to cover the bulletin board inthe lobby to match our curtain.
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Audition InfoEveryone is invited to come and audition, whether you have done it before or not.You never know, you may be the next “Snellville Idol”. No seriously, it is a lot of funand whether or not you make it into the cast, there is still plenty of good stuff to do.Just check our website for audition dates and watch your email for further info. Ifyou have a question about auditions, please email us. We are happy to answer anyquestions you have about the process. You can download the adult/youth auditionforms from the website also! Fill them out and bring them with you.
We are also looking for people who have had experience in Directing. If you wouldlike to get involved in that aspect of the theatre, please let us know.
Please do us a favor and forward thisnewsletter to all of your friends andfamily who live in the area! That willhelp us get the word out!!!!Thank you.
Would you like to receive thisnewsletter from us?
Go towww.newlondontheatre.organd click the newsletterbutton.
Thanks for reading and for your support of New London Theatre!!
Interested in seeing pictures of our past and present productions? If you wouldlike to look, order prints or other goodies, please visit:http://www.kathi.mardis.com New London Theatre earns money on all of your purchases!!Thanks for helping.
House Crew Volunteers Needed!Not part of the cast? Not ready to audition? Or maybe you haveinterest in the theatre but don't know where to lend a hand. Why notconsider joining the House Crew. The "crew" is an importantcomponent to each show production. It helps round out the totalexperience for our patrons. House crew members help as ushers andwith ticket and concession sales. Patrons who have an enjoyableevening or matinee at the theatre are interested in returning foranother show. Part of their decision rests not only on an outstandingperformance but also on how they view the entire theatre facility...thewelcome at the ticket counter, the service at the concessions booth,the assistance with finding a seat and the overall perception ofquality. You can help build a positive perception by volunteering tohelp with one or more shows as a member of the house crew. Ifinterested or if you'd like more details, please contact Sharyn Berg at770 334 0254 or [email protected].