I'm not sure if you know

this, but I was in a play.

I know, there wasn't a

lot of press about it, but I'm not lying. I was George Bailey in

Southside Theatre Guild's production of "It's a Wonderful

Life." It was a lot of fun and last weekend was the final weekend

of the run. I thought there would be tears, like at the end of summer

camp, when you're afraid you won't see any of your new friends

ever again, but there weren't. Mainly because we'll all see

each other again soon and partially because we were just too tired.

Anyway, I want to use this

space to give a shout out to the cast and crew that gave up their time

and worked really hard to put on this show. It was a rewarding experience

from start to finish and I'm glad I got to work with some old friends

and make some new ones along the way.

It is probably very evident

to faithful readers of the Weekend section that I am a big supporter of

local theater, both high school and community productions, and I think

it deserves more support than it typically gets from the community; not

necessarily financially, though that wouldn't hurt, but both physically

and mentally as well. Theater can be rewarding in many different ways

and I just wish that more people knew that.

One major positive is that

it gives people a chance to come together. Many productions in this area

feature family members both on stage and backstage, which is great at

a time where many complain that parents and children don't do enough

things together. Theater also gives people of different backgrounds a

place to meet new people. Sure, everybody there has an interest in theater,

but their other interests are often quite diverse. I have made lots of

friends through theater and those friendships are some of the richest

and most rewarding that I have. Hey, I worked with my wife on a couple

of shows in high school, so single guys take note.

Another plus is being able

to see something through from start to finish. I was at most of the work

calls for the set building of "It's a Wonderful Life."

I stink at construction but I was still able to contribute to the process.

It was amazing to see a blank stage come to life over the course of a

few weeks. This was also a great way to help the cast and crew come together.

This past Sunday, once the show was over, we gathered to tear down the

set and get the stage ready for the next show, which is "God's

Man in Texas."

There is lots of good theater

in this area and I've used this space before to bemoan the fact that

Fayette County doesn't have a true theater space to call its own.

I won't go back into it too much and, allegedly, there are plans

underway for a nice space to be built near the Fayette Family YMCA. This

is great news, but it should have been done years ago.

To put it into perspective,

Coweta County has a performing arts center opening in February; they have

Newnan Community Theatre, which has two great spaces; and then they have

Manget-Brannon right across the stree, which doesn't house much of

anything anymore. Four spaces and we have none. That isn't right.

You may think the auditoriums

at the schools are possibilities, but they aren't. The cost of using

these spaces has soared so high that it is no longer economically feasible

for a theater company to use them, especially since many are not-for-profit

organizations. Sorry.

Anyway, that's why I've

gone outside the county to find myself a theater, and I'm not alone.

I'm very glad I did, not because I got a lead and got my picture

in all of the local papers, but because I feel like I'm a valuable

member of something and I can contribute to something I believe in.

If you are interested in getting

involved with theater, there are lots of area groups that can always use

your support. E-mail me here and I can help you find what you're

looking for.

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