January Happenings

Welcome to the new year, we hope it's begun well for you and yours. Brunswick Little Theatre is gearing up for an exciting 2016. Here's a quick rundown (with helpful links for more information) of all our current doings.

---We'd like to congratulate and welcome newly elected Board of Directors members Eben Mastin, Judy MacNally and Beth Strickland. Thank you for your service and best wishes for a fun and productive term! The Board of Directors contact information and short bios can be found on our website here

---Tickets are on sale now for the next Stagestruck Players production, Thoroughly Modern Millie, JR. The show will run March 11, 12, 18, 19 at 7:30 pm and March 13 and 20 at 3:00 pm on the Brunswick Little Theatre Mainstage, 8068 River Road SE. Tickets are available at Ricky Evans Gallery, 211 N. Howe Street, Southport and through our Online Box Office here.

---The Star News Wilmington Theatre Awards show is this Friday, January 29, at 8:00 pm at Thalian Hall in Wilmington. BLT's big summer musical, Shrek the Musical, and it's costume mistress Jen Iapalucci are nominated for Best Costume Design. Tickets for the awards show are available from the Thalian Hall box office here.

---Auditions for BLT's next adult production, Moonlight and Magnolias, are scheduled for Saturday, February 6 from 2 pm - 5 pm and Monday, February 8 from 6 pm - 9 pm. Moonlight and Magnolias is a comedy based on the writing team that turned Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone With The Wind into the screenplay of an American cinema classic. There are roles for three men and one woman. Actors are asked to bring a resume and head shot. Email Director Eben Mastin with questions ebenfm@aol.com

----Brunswick Little Theatre is proud to announce its participation in the NC History Museum's Shakespeare Marathon: 38 Plays In Five Days. To mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death and the arrival of a touring copy of a First Folio to the NC Museum of History, readings of all the bards plays will be performed back to back beginning April 23rd at noon. BLT has been assigned Pericles, Prince of Tyre and will be reading at 12 pm on Wednesday, April 27 at the NC Museum of History in Raleigh. We are recruiting readers for this project and anyone with an interest and willingness to read aloud is welcome. Find out all about this project on our Happenings Blog here and email Jeffrey Stites at jgstites@yahoo.com with questions or to volunteer to take on a part.

---Looking ahead, our youngest thespians are enjoying a revived Let's PLAY! Children's Theatre Workshop under the direction of Elizabeth Flora. They will be hosting a Showcase to culminate the winter session on Saturday, February 20 at 1 pm. We hope you'll mark your calendars and join us!

---BLT's youth workshop, Stagestruck's Musical Theatre Apprentices, also began a new session this month and will present their Showcase Performance in May.

As always, thank you for your support. We can't wait to share this exciting new year with YOU!!

Board of Directors Positions Open

The Brunswick Little Theatre Board of Directors has several opportunities for those wishing to contribute to the leadership of our community theatre. We are currently seeking two board members to fulfill the unexpired terms of Melanie Tewell (through 2016) and Jeffrey Stites (through December 2015). The board also seeks a Board Secretary and a Treasurer.

The board member positions are open to any member in good standing of Brunswick Little Theatre. The board meets monthly, on the second Monday, at 6:30 pm in the theatre lobby. The Board of Directors is responsible for managing the "property, affairs, and business of the corporation," and ensuring that BLT continues to live up to its mission statement:

Brunswick Little Theatre is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create an awareness and appreciation of the performing arts in the greater Brunswick County area and to produce quality theatre while educating the residents of Brunswick County in the various aspects of the performing arts, including the technical aspects of theatre. In addition, Brunswick Little Theatre includes The Stagestruck Players, a children's production company, and the Let’s PLAY! Children’s Theater Workshops.

 The Board Secretary position is charged with the following, according to BLT by-laws:

  The Secretary shall keep a record of the minutes of all meetings of the members, directors, and Executive Committee, and shall give notice of meetings as provided by these By-laws; shall have the custody of books, records, and papers of the corporation, except such as shall be in the charge of the Treasurer, or some other person authorized to have charge thereof by the Board of Directors; shall keep and maintain the seal of the corporation; shall attest to the President's signature on documents of the corporation where necessary and authorized; shall respond to correspondence as directed by the President or the Board; shall keep a record of all incoming and outgoing correspondence; shall send mailings to the general membership and shall perform such other duties as from time to time shall be assigned by the Board of Directors, including procuring rights and ordering all licensed materials for all productions. The Secretary shall e-mail the minutes of the most recent board meeting at least a week before the next meeting and the agenda of the next meeting at least two days before the next meeting.

The Treasurer's duties are outlined in the by-laws as follows:

 The Treasurer shall receive and disburse all funds of the corporation, and shall keep an accurate account of all receipts and disbursements, which record shall at all reasonable times be subject to inspection by any member of the Board of Directors; shall deposit all corporate funds in such bank or banks as may be designated by the Board of Directors; may sign all checks of the corporation, provided that the President may sign checks in the absence or inability of the Treasurer to act; shall assist in the preparation of an annual budget for the corporation; shall see that all accountings and tax reporting necessary to maintain non-profit, tax-exempt, and deductible contribution status of the corporation is done in a timely manner; shall keep and maintain all financial records of the corporation; shall see that all disbursements are made according to the voucher system adopted by the Board of Directors; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned by the Board of Directors. The Treasurer will e-mail all expense reports and Treasurer's report to the Board members at least one week before the upcoming Board meeting.

To apply for any of the above positions, or to have any questions answered, please email BLT at brunswicklittletheatre@gmail.com or call (910) 447-2586.

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!!!!

HELP WANTED: Treasurer

With the sudden passing of our dear friend Jack Mical, Brunswick Little Theatre lost its treasurer, among all else. Jack's shoes will be hard to fill, but find someone to fill this role, we must. Great community theatre takes talent and heart for sure, but it also takes no small amount of money, and we require a trustworthy, steady and careful individual to be steward of our group's funds.

BLT's treasurer sits on the board, but is not necessarily a voting member (though he/she can be) and is a volunteer as is everyone in Brunswick Little Theatre. The treasurer is tasked with maintaining our accounts and financial records, preparing a monthly report of expenses and income for Board review, and tracking expenses for each show and activity. The treasurer signs and disperses checks for reimbursement of show expenses and bills that relate to the operation of BLT. We retain the services of a CPA for filing taxes, but the information needed is maintained and organized by the treasurer.

A candidate for BLT Treasurer needn't be an accountant, but a familiarity with bookkeeping is essential, along with a willingness to work with a wide range of directors, set designers, costumers and board members.

If you think you could help us in this regard, or would like more information about what the position entails, please contact Brunswick Little Theatre President Jeffrey Stites at jgstites@yahoo.com or (910) 471-7741.