Culture ... not just for big cities anymore

Not long ago, I took a trip to the Bay area or Los Angeles to experience the art and culture that was mostly reserved for the elite and well to do. Those of us who grew up in a larger city (that's most of us) love living the slower paced lifestyle, but many of us have felt a loss by moving to a smaller community like this because we missed the cultural experiences of the symphony, the galleries and especially the live theater. Times have changed and our little area has "grown up." We now can experience all of those things right here in the Carson Valley, from the Carson Valley Pops Orchestra to numerous art galleries and a few theatre groups.

As a long-time lover of the arts, I am so excited to see these things come along that I felt it was time to do my part in sharing the arts with this wonderful community by getting involved in The Carson Valley Community Theatre, which has been in existence for a few years now. They have produced such plays as a female version of "The Odd Couple" and a musical called "Blackjack Bottom" written by a local writer. They even had a rolling "Bob Hope's USO Show" in the Carson Valley Days' Parade that won the first place trophy in their category.

As you can imagine, producing quality theater is a major undertaking, even in a small setting, and the group is always looking for more people to get involved and help out. They are looking for actors, yes, but also every other part of production: from producers, directors and stage managers, right down to lighting and sound techs and stage hands. For information on how you can get involved, contact Linda Diego, president, at 782-5161. If you would like to get on the group's mailing list and receive their newsletter, contact Dave Thomas at cvctdave@charter.net. As a non-profit community theater group, CVCT is an all-volunteer organization, but there are still many overhead expenses that are incurred just to put on the productions. Because of this, CVCT graciously accepts any donation to help defer some of those costs. Another way that you can support the group is by advertising your business or event in the playbills produced for each show throughout the year. If you have any questions regarding advertising, contact Ted Nagel at 720-8316.

The next project the group is producing is "Steel Magnolias," a 1987 off-Broadway play written by Robert Harling. You may recall the movie adaptation of this story staring Dolly Parton, Sally Field and a whole host of big-name stars back in 1989. Our production will be staged at the CVIC Hall in Minden the weekends of Oct. 19-21 and 26-28. There will be Friday and Saturday evening shows and Sunday matinees. The evening shows will also be offered with an optional dinner and show package which includes dinner at Barone & Reed before the show. Show tickets will go on sale around Aug. 1 and will be available at several local businesses. Watch the papers for details.

Auditions for this production will be held on Wednesday, July 11 from 7-9 p.m. in the lobby of the Minden Inn, located at 1594 Esmeralda Ave. in Minden. The call-backs will be held on July 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the same location. For more information about this production, contact the director, Lucille Rao, at 843-3493 or 782-6218.