Five years and sparkling

Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Saturday night I found myself thinking a bit about the past five years. Chatting briefly with David Speck following a fantastic showing of “Wally’s Cafe,” I took a look around and was once again floored by the rare gem that the Jewel Box Theatre is.

Five years, has it been that long? It has and while I’m not really sure how many productions I’ve seen there since its humble beginnings, I do know that I’ve enjoyed the vast majority of them immensely.

There’s something thrilling about community theatre that those folks in Hollywood have forgotten all about. It has a personality all its own and offers something one rarely sees on the big screen — a chance to be five feet from the actors and actresses. It might seem corny, and I hope I’m not alone in this, but I get a bit star struck at community theatre.

I’m constantly impressed by folks getting up in front of a group primarily composed of strangers and belting out songs and delivering hilarious lines with a straight face. It’s a good time — especially, I find, when you know one or two folks in the cast. That’s what makes it a true community theatre, I suppose.

David mentioned how much he appreciated the Herald’s support since the theater’s inception. I just nodded, thinking we just cover the news. Folks like you make it all happen.

I’m proud to live in a community with such people.

Happy birthday to our young theater and here’s to blowing the candles out for many, many years to come.

JOE IRWIN

Editor