The Stagestruck Apprentice Workshop

BLT is happy to announce a theatrical training program for youth ages 11 through 18, the Stagestruck Apprentices.

The program will offer training in all aspects of musical theater; vocal production, stage movement, acting, and musical theater styles. Apprentices will also gain experience in technical theater through hands-on work with assigned BLT productions.

Stagestruck Apprentices is designed as a nine-month program broken into semesters. Breaking the

program into semesters allows for ease of scheduling around family and school calendars, as well as ease of fee payment. The program will begin September 12, 2015 and first semester Revue will take place in January 2016. Second semester will begin January 23, 2016 and end in May 2016.

Apprentices will attend one weekly class on Saturday afternoons from 1:00 until 3:00 PM at the theater’s home, 8068 River Road. Individuals or small groups will attend a second session as needed, determined by the requirements of selections that make up the Stagestruck Revue, a public performance scheduled at the end of the semester. Second sessions will be scheduled for Sunday afternoons by the faculty.

The Stagestruck Apprentice program has 20 total positions due to space availability and instructional design.  Eighteen positions are open on a first come, first serve basis. The fee for the training program is $100 per semester and is payable to BLT.  A $50 non-refundable deposit will reserve a position. The $50 balance of the fee is due at the first class. Two positions in the program will be by scholarship. Scholarship positions will be determined by audition. The scholarship audition date is August 1, 10:30 AM. Scholarship candidates can contact dskillman@ec.rr.com for audition requirements.

Registration for the program will begin on August 3^rd. Participants may register by calling Deborah Skillman at 470-5652 or emailing dskillman@ec.rr.com.

Faculty for Stagestruck Apprentices

Deborah Skillman, BM, MM, National Board Certified teacher in music, American  Orff Schulwerk Certified Teacher

Bev Veenker, Professor Emeritus WKU, Theater and Dance

Chris Walters, BFA Theater

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.

June Happenings

School is almost out and another summer is upon us! What better way to begin your summer fun than with your friends at Brunswick Little Theatre? With our new home on River Road, we are able to offer fun opportunities like never before, and we are really excited.

Next weekend, Sunday, June 14, former Mr. Roger's Neighborhood puppeteer Fred Michael will be

performing his marionette show Circus of Strings free of charge at 3:00 pm on Brunswick Little Theatre's main stage. This promises to be a fun afternoon for the entire family, and something pretty unique even given a thriving Wilmington area arts scene. Seating is limited to the 100 or so chairs we have, so you can chance the first come, first served policy OR email Frank Blackmon at frankblackmon01@gmail.com to reserve your seats in advance. Again, this is a FREE performnce, but donations will be gratefully accepted :-)

And talk about unique opportunities, how about the chance to build and learn to operate your very own marionette? Our own Frank Blackmon has been studying with Fred Michael and is offering a workshop to teach YOU just that! The cost is $80 per person and the class is open to anyone 12 years old and up (there will be use of hot glue and some power tools). The workshop will meet Mondays and Tuesdays for  four weeks:  June 22 & 23, June 28 & 29, July 6 & 7 and July 13 &14. You may choose the afternoon session (2-4 pm) or evening session (7-9 pm).  The workshop will conclude with a performance of "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" at Southport's Harper Library on Monday, July 27 at 11 am. Six volunteers will be needed for the show. To enroll in the Marionette Workshop, please email Frank Blackmon at frankblackmon01@gmail.com.

Interested in a performance with no strings attached? We've got you covered, as BLT revives it's hit

show from the super talented Stage Struck Players Godspell JR!! The show will run on BLT's main stage at 8068 River Rd SE, Southport, nightly at 7:30 pm June 18-22 with a special matinee at 3:00 on Tuesday, June 23. We're even offering special Summer o' Fun ticket pricing of only $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available through our online box office, at Ricky Evans Gallery, 211 N. Howe Street, Southport, and at the door on the day of the show. Gather up the family, the visitors and friends and head to the theatre for a wonderful, uplifting experience in air conditioned comfort :-) 

AND.........looking ahead, tickets are already available for our Big Summer Musical, Shrek the Musical, at Odell Williamson Auditorium July 24-26 and July 31-Aug 2, 7:30 pm Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 pm Sundays. Contact the Odell Williamson Box Office at

910-755-7416 or order online here.

BLT, BSL and Brunsco Parks and Rec Host Special Needs Theatre Workshop

STARS

A theater program for people with special needs!

Theater is for everyone! The mission of STARS is to empower people with special needs to get on stage and shine. Through singing, dancing, and acting, our actors-to-be learn about the theater, the world, and themselves. The founders of STARS believe that theater can be applied to all ages and all abilities and want to provide a safe and encouraging environment to meet each need. Having special needs programming allows us to customize class settings and instruction to specific groups, which maximizes accessibility, fun, and therapeutic benefit. The STARS program is open to participants ages 12 and up.

The program is designed around an 8 week course, with seven sessions revolving around skill building. The final session is a “little production” for families and friends to attend. The sessions will be led by trained theater professionals from the Brunswick Little Theatre. Professionals with backgrounds in special needs will also be a part of this program.

The program runs April 14- May 19, with the culmination being a “little production” on Tuesday, May 26, 2015. Sessions will begin at 5:30 pm at Brunswick Little Theatre on 8068 River Road, Building 2B. The cost of the program will be $60.00 per participant.

On Tuesday, March 17th, we will hold an “open house” at the Brunswick Little Theatre for interested participants and their families. It will be held at 5:30 pm. Anyone interested should attend this open house. Light refreshments will be served, and additional information will be given. The following week, on Tuesday, March 24, we will hold individual meetings with perspective participants and their families.

For more information, please contact Anita Dwyer at Boiling Spring Lakes Parks and Recreation at 910-363-0018 or adwyer@cityofbsl.org.

Founders’ Bios
Steve Goodwin, Special Populations Coordinator / Local Coordinator for Special Olympics Brunswick County
Master of Arts in Outdoor/Adventure Physical Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure Studies from East Carolina University. Steve coordinates all programs within Brunswick County Parks& Recreation’s Special
Populations Division. This includes serving as the Local Coordinator for Special
Olympics Brunswick County. In addition to Special Olympics, the Special Population’s
Division offers therapeutic programs for youth and adults with intellectual disabilities.
These therapeutic programs include aquatics, horseback riding, music, dance, art and
outdoor recreation. Steve has lived in Brunswick County since 2006 and worked with Parks & Recreation since August of 2007. Steve resides in Leland with his wife Sara and 6 year old son,
Fisher. When not working, Steve enjoys hunting, fishing, kayaking and surfing, as well
as coaching baseball for his son’s Dixie Youth team in Leland.

Sue MacCallum, President, Brunswick Little Theatre
Sue earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theater from USC, Columbia, SC. She is certified as Theater and Speech teacher in Secondary Education. Sue has taught and directed theater since college graduation. Her professional career has centered on work with special needs groups, in particular, seniors in long-term care communities. Sue founded the Winding River Players Theater Group in 2003. She has served as President of the Performing Arts Division for the Brunswick Arts Council and remains a member of the Board. She is President of Brunswick Little Theatre and will serve as President of the organization in January 2015. Sue is passionate about offering opportunities for special needs children and adults to participate in theater. Those opportunities include acting, singing, dancing and performing. At the same time, participants learn the basics of theater performance, increase self-confidence, self-esteem and enjoy new friendships. Our Pilot program will end with a performance on stage at Brunswick Little Theatre. Sue resides in Bolivia, NC with her husband Jim and adult son, Chris. Their two other adult children live and work in Charleston, WV. Jim and Sue attend St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Southport where Sue sings in the choir. Jim and Sue are both active members of Rotary Clubs in Brunswick County. Sue also sings in Cape Fear Carolers, a group that has a repertoire including madrigals and love songs.

Anita Dwyer, Recreation Program Manager, Boiling Spring Lakes Parks and Recreation
Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Leisure Studies from UNC- Chapel Hill, with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation/ Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. Anita currently plans and implements all children and youth programs for BSL Parks and Recreation. Anita has over 16 years of programming experience with children and adults, both with and without disabilities. She has served in capacities of a Special Education teacher, recreation therapist for children with histories of abuse and neglect, and spent over 8 years with Special Olympics NC. Anita’s passion is improving the quality of life of those living with a disability and providing advocacy for people and their families whose lives have been affected by disabilities or other hardships. Anita resides in Wilmington NC with her husband, Sean and 11 year old daughter, Gracyn. When not working, Anita enjoys staying physically fit through running marathons, practicing yoga, as well as enjoying outdoor activities with her family, such as camping, hiking, and canoeing.

October Happenings

We have A LOT going on, so I'll jump right in.

Steel Magnolias, directed by Thom Clemmons, opens in just three days, on Friday, October 17 at 7:30 pm in the new Brunswick Little Theatre, 8068 River Rd. SE, Southport. The show will run evenings at 7:30 pm on the 17th, 18th, 24th and 25th with two 3:00 pm matinees on Sunday, October 19 and Sunday, October 26. This show features a great cast of veterans and newcomers and is sure to delight audiences with a testament to the strength of the female spirit. Tickets are available online at our Box Office page (all tickets are general admission and online sales are will-call only) and at Ricky Evans Gallery, 211 N. Howe Street in Southport (cash or check only). Tickets will be available at the door (cash or check only), depending on availability, but it would be wise to buy in advance to ensure yourself a seat.

Our Fall Session of the popular Let's PLAY! Children's Theatre Workshop is open to registration until the first session, October 25th, or it fills up, whichever comes first. This session will feature a Holidays Around The World theme and runs from Oct. 25 -- December 20, meeting from 2-5 pm on Saturdays (no class Thanksgiving weekend). Please visit the Let's PLAY page for details and email Director Jen Iapalucci at jiapalucci@ec.rr.com to register. BLT Members are entitled to a 10% discount :)

We are proud and excited to offer a new opportunity to the BLT community, a FREE Improv Workshop hosted by Steve Vernon of Big Dawg productions. Steve has over 20 years experience performing and teaching improvisational acting, so this is a chance you don't want to miss. We will offer one class, Monday, October 27 at 7 pm for sure, and perhaps add a Youth Class on Tuesday, October 28 at 6 pm for those 11-16 if interest warrants. If we only have enough for one class, youth will be included. Each class will be limited to 12 participants, so jump on this early via email to Jeffrey Stites at jgstites@yahoo.com.

Join Brunswick Little Theatre and the Southport Department of Tourism for a spooky good time at the Scarrison House, October 30 and 31 from 5-8 pm. We will be turning the Garrison House at Fort Johnston into an historically spooky experience for young and young at heart. See pirates, sea captains, historical personages and illusions that will blow your mind. This is a spooky but not scary experience that is perfect for all ages and costs just $1 admission, so be sure to join us for all the fun!

For the past two years BLT has joined with the Charles Dickens Christmas Festival to offer a fun, interactive re-creation of Mr. Fezziwig's Ball from A Christmas Carol. We've wassailed and sang and taught countless people the Roger de Coverly reel as a kick-off to the area's Christmas festivities. This year, we offer the Ball at our new home at River Road and to expand on the fun a bit we've added a Murder Mystery element. All we need to make this happen is YOU! We are looking for dancers (no need to know how, we'll teach you, it's EASY!), carolers and about a dozen people willing to portray characters in the murder mystery. We have the costumes, the music, the steps and the back stories, all YOU need is a sense of fun and a bit of the holiday spirit. Contact Jen Iapalucci (jiapalucci@ec.rr.com) to help make this event a great one! You can see photos of past balls here and here, or watch video of last year's ball here.

Also this Christmas, we are bringing a weekend of family holiday fun with a presentation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We will offer four shows, December 12 & 13 at 7:30 pm and December 13 & 14 at 3:00 pm at our new home at 8068 River Road SE. An all-ages cast will entertain an all-ages audience with this hilarious holiday show. Tickets available soon, so stay tuned!!!

Also coming in November are auditions for the next Stagestruck Players show, Godspell, JR, November 8 & 9 from 2-4 at the Brunswick Little Theatre, 8068 River Road SE, Southport. Watch our Auditions Page for details coming soon!

Speaking of Godspell, it's part of a what's shaping up to be a spectacular 2015 season, which will also feature Winnie-the-Pooh, KIDS, February 20-22 at the Brunswick Little Theatre and a return to Odell Williamson Auditiorium with Shrek, the Musical the last weekend of July and first weekend of August.

But we haven't left the adults out. This spring, we bring you The Brunswick Little Theatre Live Stage Invitation. Who's invited, you ask? YOU. We are looking for new or less experienced directors and actors to work together with theater veteran Jayke Pell on a 4-part comedy called A Funny Little Thing Called Love. We'd love to have a different director for each of the four "rollicking tales of romance" taking place around the globe on one hilarious night. This is a perfect chance to cut your teeth or hone your skills as a director, first of all (we'll be casting actors a bit later). If this sounds like an adventure you could be involved in, please contact Jayke Pell at pelljayke@msn.com for details.

 Please remember we can't do any of this without you! We'd appreciate you considering becoming a Member of BLT today. Look on our website for all the details and benefits of membership.

Thank you for your support!

Volunteer Opportunites

There are lots of ways to become active in YOUR community theater outside of acting or crewing a show. Here are a few of the things we are looking for help with right now:

Scarrison! 

Brunswick Little Theatre will help the City of Southport turn the historic Garrison House at Fort Johnston

into a spooky, but not too scary, Scarrison House on October 30 and 31 from 5-8 pm. BLT will supply the costumes and direction and create a fun, historically-themed Halloween adventure for children of all ages. All we need is YOU to help us put the haunts in the house. We are looking for:

                 1 male adult as Robert Ruark

                5+ male adults as military

                2 females

                4 or 5 wandering souls

If you would like to join the fun contact Gruesome Jayke Pell at (517) 242-4604 or pelljayke@msn.com

Representing BLT at Festivals and Events

 1.  Saturday, Sept 27:  Multi-Cultural Festival, BCC campus next to OWA, 9:30AM-4:30PM, table and chair(s) under tent, opportunity to hand out BLT advertising materials, rack cards, answer questions, etc.  There will be a gift basket to raffle off in order to collect names/addresses of prospective BLT members.  Need 2 volunteers to work the table.

2.  Saturday, Oct 11:  Greenlands Farm Fall Festival, Midway Rd.  Need volunteers age 13 and above to help man the Festival booths, games, pony and llama cart rides, etc. between 9AM and 4PM.  Lots of fun for young volunteers.  Dress in farm style or scare crow clothing.

3.  Saturday and Sunday, Oct 25 and 26:  NC Festival by the Sea sponsored by Greater Holden Beach Merchants Association.   Sat, 9AM-5PM, Sun, 9AM-4PM.

                **Saturday:  BLT volunteers needed for either/or:  a) Ride in convertible in parade to advertise BLT  (b) 3 BLT volunteers to serve as parade judges.

                **Sunday:  Three BLT volunteers needed on Sunday afternoon to judge a Womanless Beauty Pageant to occur on the Holden Beach stage.  There will be an MC, but BLT judges will need to ask comic questions of or make comic remarks to the male contestants.  I do think this would be a lot of fun for BLT and another opportunity for publicity.

 If any or all of these event opportunities appeal to you, please email Pam Neville at pneville98@msn.com or call her at 240-793-8037.

September Happenings

Summer is winding down, but Brunswick Little Theatre is cranking it UP this fall.
 Check out all we have going on.

This coming Saturday, September 20, we are holding auditions for our Christmas show, Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever. This show features a large, all-ages cast and is the perfect vehicle for families to get involved in a something together! The show will run December 12-14 with four performances, two evening shows at 7:30 on Friday, December 12 and Saturday, December 13 and two matinees Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 all at our new theatre at 8068 River Rd (the former Christian Alliance Church and Southport Christian School facility). Auditions will take place this coming Saturday at the new theatre on River Road with adults called from 10 am to 12 pm and children 7-15 called from 1 pm -3 pm. Details can be found on the Auditions Page of the BLT website.

The local Boy Scouts and BLT have joined together to offer a Theater Merit Badge workshop. The first session was this past Saturday with the final session on Saturday, September 27. BLT is proud to offer this opportunity and thanks Jonathan Richmond for facilitating the program.

Let's PLAY! returns this fall with a weekend workshop themed after Holidays Around The World. Let's PLAY! Children's Theatre Workshop is open to all children, no matter the level of experience, from 4-12 years old and offers a great introduction to the theatre arts for newbies and a chance for those already involved to polish skills. Registration opens at 9 am Saturday, October 11 via email to jiapalucci@ec.rr.com. A word of warning, these workshops are limited to 24 students and fill up VERY QUICKLY. Details on Let's PLAY! as well as photos from previous sessions can be found on the Let's PLAY! page of the BLT website.

Steel Magnolias comes to the Brunswick Little Theatre in just over one month! This bitter-sweet drama directed by Thom Clemmons plays on our new stage at 8068 River Road, Southport at 7:30 pm October 17, 18, 24 and 25 with two 3:00 pm Sunday matinees on October 19 and 26. Tickets are available now through our online Box Office, and they are selling quite briskly, so get yours TODAY to be sure of a seat.

On Halloween Night BLT will be joining with the City of Southport to fill the historic Garrison House at Fort Johnson with a scary, but not too frightening, collection of haunts! We will be needing volunteers to help out with this project, so stay tuned to the Facebook page, website and your inbox for details!

Fezziwig's Ball returns this Thanksgiving weekend, but with a murderous twist! Join us at the Brunswick Little Theatre, 8068 River Rd., Southport on Friday evening, November 28 or Saturday afternoon November 30 for a Fezziwig Murder Mystery Party and Children's Victorian Christmas Party. All ages will enjoy Christmas merriment and a Victorian Food Court. Details coming soon!

December will see a weekend of performances of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, December 12-14, and the Showcase performance from our Let's PLAY! children on Sunday, December 21.

Our first program of the new year will be a first for our Let's PLAY! program as we introduce our Winter Session, Let's PLAY! Presents: Winnie-The_Pooh KIDS. This 8-week workshop will begin January 4 and culminate with a weekend of performances of the children's musical Winnie-The-Pooh KIDS February 20-22, 2014 on the Main Stage of our new theatre, 8068 River Rd., Southport. Participants will enjoy all the great activities that have made Let's PLAY! so popular, but will be working toward presenting this short Disney musical instead of the traditional showcase. Registration will open Saturday, December 27 at 9 am via email to jiapalucci@ec.rr.com and is as always open to ALL children 4-12. We will be looking for older children to help in production and crew roles for this show, so stay on the look-out for details.

Look for announcements soon of our next Stagestruck Production, coming Spring of 2015, as well as a Director's Challenge for those who may want to try their hand at directing their first show.

Brunswick Little Theatre's move into our new home has brought huge opportunities but also some challenges. As we work to turn a church into a theatre, we are stretching our resources thin, both human and financial. We need our BLT family now more than ever. If you are as excited about this new place as we are, how about looking into pitching in? Contact this email address or any board member for ideas, but one immediate need is a simple one, a Cleaning Crew! We are scheduling regular cleaning of the new facility each Monday evening at 6 pm, all are welcome to come out and help with simple household maintenance.

Another way to help out YOUR community theatre is to become a Member. We have revamped our membership system and it now offers some fun perks, such as a discount on all Workshops (including Let's PLAY!) and even free tickets to shows at our new venue. Membership also entitles you to a voice in the future of Brunswick Little Theatre as members vote for the new board members in 2015. We encourage you to go look at our Membership Page on the website and consider becoming an Official, Card-Carrying Member of BLT today! 

Thank you for your support, we couldn't do any of this without YOU!!!