August Happenings

Hey, it's still August, right? Better late than never, we say!

Tomorrow marks one full month in our new home on River Road. We've been putting the space to use already!

The Let's PLAY Summer Camp spent a week of fun and learning in one of the two classroom buildings, then topped off the experience with a great Showcase in front of over 50 family and friends, the very first performance in our new theater!

Steel Magnolias, our first ticketed event in the new space, has been rehearsing on the main stage three nights a week. The show opens Friday, October 17 at 7:30 pm with additional evening shows on the 18th, 24th and 25th and two matinees Sunday, October 19 and Sunday, October 26 at 3:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now on our Box Office page.

The cast and crew of our summer musical Into the Woods held their cast party at the new facility last night, and had a ball. With a huge kitchen, plenty of bathrooms, a wonderful playground, shady and comfortable outdoor spaces and a big screen and projector, this space really has a lot of potential for fun, and we plan to offer lots of opportunities for you to enjoy it in the near future.

One of the first opportunities to put yourself on the new stage is our upcoming Best Christmas Pageant Ever auditions. Debbie Skillman will be directing this holiday classic and is looking for a cast of 10 adults and 17 children. Auditions will be at the new theater, 8068 River Road, Southport, on September 20, 2014. See our Audition page for all the details!

The BLT Board of Directors is working on organizing the 2015 season. They will be accepting proposals at their September11 meeting, at 6:30 pm at the Brunswick Little Theater on River Road. Potential directors will find lots useful information on our Directors Page. We will continue to perform a show in Odell each year as well as one in May at Franklin Square Park, but all our other performances will be at the new facility. The board looks forward scheduling more shows than any time in the recent past. This new space allows us, even really requires us, to produce more performances. A lot of work has gone into securing, maintaining and improving this property, all we need now is directors willing to use it. If you are contemplating a show in the Brunswick Little Theater, but haven't really gotten a good look at it yet, simply drop an email to Jeffrey at jgstites@yahoo.com and he'll see you get the grand tour. We are excited to show off our new place and see how the talented BLT family can put it to use!

We hope you all had a great, fun and safe summer and look forward to sharing an exciting future together.

July Happenings

In just ten days, Brunswick Little Theatre's big summer musical Into The Woods opens at the beautiful Odell Williamson Auditorium. This award-winning Stephen Sondheim show includes some characters from our favorite fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, mashes them up together with a baker and his wife trying to lift a witch’s curse, then follows the whole gang as they experience what happens after Happily Ever After. Director Jen Iapalucci has put her own stamp on the show, which features an all-ages ensemble and a Steampunk sensibility. Into The Woods will be performed at Odell Williamson Auditorium on the campus of Brunswick Community College July 25-27 and August 1-3, 2014. Friday and Saturday shows will be at 7:30 pm with two Sunday matinees at 3:00 pm. Tickets are $18 Adults, $12 students (w/ID) and $6 children 12 and under and are available through the Odell Williamson ticket office either in person during business hours, by phone at (910) 755-7416 or online at www.bccowa.com. Find out more about the show, including a cast list and photos of the great costumes, at our website or see the whole album of production photos on Facebook.

Speaking of Facebook, we are nearing the 900 fan mark, and once we hit that number, we'll be giving away a pair of tickets to an upcoming show. We'd sure like to give some away to Into The Woods, so go ahead and "like" us and if you already have, browbeat your friends and family into doing the same. Our Facebook page is a great way to stay in touch with all things BLT, but not the only one. Are you on Twitter? BLT's Twitter feed features photos and news and maybe even some backstage insights now and then. Now's a great time to give us a try or join Twitter just to see what we are up to.

Brunswick Little Theatre is already looking forward to a great 2015 season. The board of directors will be hearing proposals at its August and September meetings, so if you might be interested in directing a show, now's the time to look into it. Whether you prefer musicals or dramas or comedies, working with children or adults or all-ages casts, performing in small or large venues or even the great outdoors, the board wants to hear from YOU about your ideas for next year's season. Visit our new Director's Page on the website to download the nessecary forms and guidelines and find helpful links to some great resources.

And while we're talking about stepping up to help out, Brunswick Little Theatre is still in need of a treasurer. If you would love to help your local community theatre in an important but very behind the scenes way, please look at the job description here and contact jgstites@yahoo.com with any questions or to say "I'LL DO IT!!!" 

Thanks for your support and we'll see you in the woods!!!!

April Happenings

Happy Spring to one and all! We are more than happy to see the arrival of some warmer weather and are looking forward to a busy spring and summer.

Spring for Brunswick Little Theatre means the arrival of our FREE show in Southport's Franklin Square Park. This year's shows kick off in just over one month! An American Band, Music of the Rock Revolution (1965-1973) will rock the park 8 pm nightly May 16-18 and 23-15. If you were one of the very few people who missed last year's hugely popular My Generation concerts, you don't want to miss this one! It's being brought to you by most of the same musicians and vocalists that drove record crowds wild last spring. So, bring your entire family, bring some beach chairs and be ready to be entertained by the best free concert Southport offers. You can see some songs from last year's shows here and check out this year's rehearsals here.

Are you ready to venture Into The Woods with BLT this summer? Work has begun on our big summer

musical and auditions are less than THREE WEEKS away! Director Jen Iapalucci and Musical Director Michael Stringer will be hosting auditions at Building F on the campus of Brunswick Community College on Saturday, May 3 and Monday, May 5. Children under 15 (except those auditioning for the role of Red Riding Hood) are to audition from 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday, May 3, while adults and all those seeking Red Riding Hood's role are to come at 1 pm Saturday, May 3 or 7 pm Monday, May 5. All are asked to please try to make the Saturday date if at all possible. Complete details on roles available and expectations for those auditioning can be found on our web site's Auditions Page. Please come prepared and break a leg!

Tickets for Into The Woods will be available through the Odell Williamson Auditorium box office beginning Friday, May 16. You may purchase in person, over the phone or online. All the links, times and numbers you need are on our own Box Office page here.

Looking for something for the little theater aficionados in your family to do this summer? BLT is very excited to announce the return of Let's PLAY! Children's Theater Workshop Summer Camp! This year we will offer two one-week sessions, June 16-20 and August 11-15. With Director Jen Iapalucci busy preparing Into The Woods, this summer's camps will be directed by long-time BLT friend and professional theater educator Amanda Penegar. Camp will run from 10 am to 2:30 pm Monday to Friday with a showcase performance at 3 pm the Sunday following camp week at the South Brunswick High School drama classroom. Fees for

camp are $100 per student with a 20% discount for siblings. Registration opens 9 am Saturday, April 26 via email to jgstites@yahoo.com. These camps will fill up fast, so registration is on a strict first come, first served basis. To find out more about Let's PLAY! and our summer camp program, please visit the Let's PLAY! website here. You may also check out video from past Let's PLAY! classes and showcases on our YouTube channel here.

With all these great programs and shows Brunswick Little Theatre offers, the board of directors has decided it is time to start seriously looking for a permanent home for BLT. Our options are wide open right now, but the board will be creating a Facility Fund very soon and begin accepting donations to help us acquire a place of our own. Stay tuned for details on how YOU can help build the future of community theater right here in our own back yard.

Last but certainly not least, the Brunswick Little Theatre is proud and thankful to announce the election of Sue MacCallum as President-Elect of its Board of Directors. Sue brings years of experience in theater, community involvement and fundraising and will ensure that BLT remains an active and vibrant part of our community as we move forward. Sue will assume the office of BLT President as of January 2015. Thank you and congratulations Sue!

March Happenings

Spring Is Coming! Brunswick Little Theatre is moving into Spring as busy as ever. Here's a look at some of what we have in the works.

The children of our Let's PLAY! workshop have been hard at work (and PLAY) for the

last 12 weeks and are ready to show off all they've learned. The Spring Session Showcase will be tomorrow, Sunday, March 16 at the South Brunswick High School theater arts classroom. The show will begin at 4 pm with doors opening at 3:50 to allow the children as much time as possible to rehearse in their performance space. Come on out and see the creativity, talent and pure exuberance this great group of 4-12 year-olds brings to BLT. They are our future, and a bright one it is! A BIG thank you to Jen Iapalucci and Katie Deese for volunteering many hours to make this program the huge success it has become.

Speaking of the future of Brunswick Little Theatre, our Youth Division, Stagestruck Players, is also hard at work on its next production. Dear Edwina Jr. Tickets are on sale now in our online box office and will also be available at the door. The show features a cast of 13 portraying Edwina Spoonapple and her friends and family as they put together a musical based upon letters to Edwina's advice column, Dear Edwina. There are song and dance numbers galore, something from almost every genre you can dream of, so this show will be sure to be a hit with all ages. We will once again be performing at the Brunswick Center at Southport, 1513-1 N. Howe Street, behind the Wingate Inn. Showtimes are March 28-29 and April 4-5 at 7:30 pm with two matinees March 30 and April 6 at 3 pm. Be sure to make your plans to catch at LEAST one of these shows. Check out pictures from rehearsal here and hear from some cast members on our blog here.

To make it even easier to introduce your children or grandchildren to the magic of live theatre, BLT is giving away 20 children's (12 and under) tickets to the opening night performance of Dear Edwina Jr., March 28th at 7:30 pm. Simply follow this link to the BLT Giveaway page and get up to four entries! It's quick, easy and fun to enter, so please enter today and tell your friends to give it a try. Also, you can print a poster for the show from our Poster Page and hang it at school, church, work or anywhere else you can get permission to help spread the word. We would LOVE to see a packed house on opening night!

Excitement has already been building for Brunswick Little Theatre's big summer musical Into The Woods. Auditions have been scheduled for May 3 and 5 at Building F of Brunswick Community College. Visit our Auditions Page to learn all the details.

With the coming Spring comes the much anticipated return of BLT's FREE rock and roll show in Franklin Square Park. This year we shift from the British Invasion to our own shores as we present An American Band: Music of the Rock Revolution on two weekends, May 16-18 and 23-25. Shows begin at 8 pm nightly, so bring a chair and enjoy a great night of music under the stars. You can get a glimpse of what's in store at our Youtube channel, and be sure to check back, new songs are added all the time.

As always thank you for your support of Brunswick Little Theatre.

BLT At Mardi Gras By The Sea

Brunswick Little Theatre participated in the Oak Island Mardi Gras By The Sea festival yesterday, and we had a blast!

Members of the cast of our Stagestruck Players' Dear Edwina Jr rode in the parade dressed in their Mardi
Gras finest and singing songs from the show. Director Debbie Skillman and board member (and Stagestruck mom) Melanie Tewell helped out passing out cards with show and BLT 2014 season information to parade watchers.

After the parade, BLT manned an information booth at the Mardi Gras By The Sea Craft Fair and Gumbo Cook-Off.  We were able to promote our season, speak with current and prospective patrons, recruit volunteers and increase awareness of our children's theater workshop, Let's PLAY!.We learned a few things from the experience -- Into The Woods is a very popular choice for a summer musical; there are quite a few people with theater experience around, we just need to reach them; and parents see the value in children's theatrical experiences like Let's Play! and Stagestruck.

From a publicity perspective, this was a banner day for BLT. We'd like to look for other opportunities to get our name and mission out in the community. If you have any ideas, or know of any upcoming events Brunswick Little Theatre could participate in, please drop me a line at jgstites@yahoo.com

Auditions Announced For Into The Woods

Into The Woods 

Performance Dates:

July 25-27 and August 1-3

Odell Williamson Auditorium

Auditions will be held Saturday, May 3 and Monday, May 5, 2014 according to the following schedule:

·         Children under age 15 (except those girls auditioning for Little Red Riding Hood), Saturday, May 3, 2014, 11am-1pm. 

·         Adults (15+) and those girls auditioning for Little Red Riding Hood, Saturday, May 3, 2014, 1pm.

·         Adults (15+) and those girls auditioning for Little Red Riding Hood, Monday, May 5, 2014, 7pm.  You are encouraged to audition on Saturday if at all possible.

Auditions will be held at Brunswick Community College, Building F.

Everyone should prepare a song (at least a verse and chorus).  You are strongly encouraged to prepare a selection from musical theater.  You are also encouraged to select a song in the style of Sondheim, and that showcases your vocal ability.  Please bring sheet music, recorded backing tracks, or be prepared to sing a capella.  You may also be asked to sight read, and/or sing parts.

Please dress in loose clothing and comfortable footwear, suitable for movement.

If you have any questions, please contact director Jen Iapalucci, jiapalucci@ec.rr.com or 910-269-1518.