Do you

remember what was once the best surprise part of a school

day when you were in elementary school? It wasn't a food

fight or extended recess, but assembly day.

An assembly

meant that a special guest or group was coming and for

that sweet 45 minutes to an hour, you were not in class

stuck behind a desk.

Area

students are getting out from behind their desks and

seeing a new theater group that performs educational

touring productions. The name of the group is A Company

of Friends, and the group is true to its name. Made up of

members, both current and former, of Fayette Community

Theatre Inc., this quintet has performed at schools and

libraries in Clayton, Coweta, Fayette and Fulton

counties.

The group

is made up of Tammy Barton, FCT's artistic director,

Gayann Truelove, FCT's assistant director, Tammy Bingham,

Brad Boseman and Alwyn Mindoro.

Though all

of the group has worked with FCT, this is an independent

touring company. Its members have tons of children's

theater experience as well as musical talent and back

stage knowledge.

Bingham is

the group's piano player and Mindoro sang professionally

with a Christian group in California. Their love of the

theater is one thing they hope gets passed on to their

audiences.

"We

want to perform entertaining productions with a good

message," said Barton. "Our current show, `A

Little Bit of Magic,' is about self-esteem and it is very

funny. If the kids are laughing, they pay more

attention."

"A

Little Bit of Magic" is about a little, picked-upon

wizard named Do-Nothing-Dale, who wants to know what her

little bit of magic is. She meets Coco the Clown, The

Mysterious Weatherman, Eddie Melody and Melvin the

Magnificent and finds out she is just as special as

everyone else in the world. Though there is a little bit

of magic in the show, and the tricks are quite amazing,

it is not a magic show.

A Company

of Friends will present "A Little Bit of Magic"

through the year 2000 and can be hired to play at

schools, libraries and any function where the audience

consists of children 3-10.

For

information, visit the web site at www.geocities.com/stagelove35/ACOF.html

or phone 770-599-0051 or 770-251-7611.

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