Wednesday, March 6, 2002
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Wednesday, March 6, 2002 |
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Warehouse Playhouse 74 It's more than a stage By MICHAEL
BOYLAN Last week, The Citizen told you about plans for the building of a county arts center in Peachtree City. Since the article ran, members of the community have responded wanting to know more about the theater and how they can help. "It has been amazing," said Joan Velsmid, president of Fayette Players and Community Theatre Inc. and cochairman of the theater that will be known as Warehouse Playhouse 74. "I have had so many people call and ask, 'How can I help make this a reality?'" Velsmid added that the theater needs experts in their fields to put their knowledge to use. Warehouse Playhouse 74 will feature performances from all local arts groups, such as Offshoot Productions, Georgia Academy of Dance, Georgia Youth Ballet and Fayette Coweta Family Theatre. On top of the theatrical performances, the play house will provide space for art shows, lectures, concerts, ceremonies and more. It will also be a place for classes and book clubs of all reading levels to meet. Six classrooms have been added to the original plan and, if enough funds are raised, 10 more classrooms for art and music instruction will be added. The theater will need financial help as well as volunteers for the fund-raising campaign and when the theater is open. Currently, the fund-raising efforts are focusing on reaching a goal of $500,000 by the end of March, which is when building is set to begin. The committee is seeking in kind donations from local businesses and meeting with civic organizations and arts groups before opening the public phase of fund-raising by selling individual seats and soliciting gifts. The money will be raised by the community as the theater will benefit the community. "We don't feel that it is the responsibility of the government to provide funds for the theater," said Cochairman Dennis Glenn. "We don't want those kinds of strings attached." Warehouse Playhouse 74 is seeking grants from corporations that would fund programs at the theater. Some people have asked why the theater will be built in a warehouse. The reasons, said both Velsmid and Glenn, had to do with affordability and accessibility. "We wanted it to be something new and not something that had to be retrofitted and renovated," said Velsmid. Glenn added that the theater, off Ga. Highway 74 between the new Peachtree City Police station and Crosstown Drive, is in a great part of town that is safe and very accessible to people in the area. Both Glenn and Velsmid are excited about the synergy of the arts groups. "The groups will still do their own productions but bringing all of the groups together and seeing what they produce should be amazing," remarked Velsmid. Warehouse Playhouse 74 will be a theater funded by the arts community for the arts community and there will be many opportunities for people to get involved in the project in the coming months. It is hoped that the theater will be ready in the fall and that the first show will be Fayette Players and Community Theatre Inc's production of "Miracle on 34th Street." |
