Sept. 30, 2024

Spotlighting “Spotlight Theatre Players” | Local Leaders Podcast #205

Spotlighting “Spotlight Theatre Players” | Local Leaders Podcast #205

In this episode, Jim Chapman of Local Leaders the Podcast sits down with Robert Reynolds and Helene Wall of Spotlight Theater Players, a nonprofit focused on live theater in Livingston Parish. Robert shares the challenges of finding a sustainable...

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In this episode, Jim Chapman of Local Leaders the Podcast sits down with Robert Reynolds and Helene Wall of Spotlight Theater Players, a nonprofit focused on live theater in Livingston Parish. Robert shares the challenges of finding a sustainable venue for performances, while Helene emphasizes the need for a permanent space to enhance community engagement.

They discuss the positive impact of theater on youth and highlight upcoming productions like "War of the Worlds" and "Rockin' Christmas Review." Both guests invite listeners to support the arts through donations and volunteering, underscoring the importance of community backing in realizing their vision for a thriving performing arts center.

#PerformingArts #Theatre #LivingstonParish #communitytheatrenearme #support #localleaders #podcast #louisiana #familyfriendlytheatreshows #localtheatreproductions

Timestamps
05:04 The Birth of Spotlight Theater Players
07:05 Helene’s Journey to Spotlight Theater
08:58 Overcoming Challenges in Community Theater
12:37 The Need for a Performing Arts Center
16:03 Community Involvement and Support
20:21 Hurdles to Establishing a Performing Arts Center
28:51 Economic Benefits of a Performing Arts Center
30:51 Upcoming Productions and Events
39:55 Social Media and Community Engagement
44:18 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

If you are searching for how to find Local Theatre Productions or attempting to figure out where to see local theatre productions in Livingston Parish then this is the podcast for you! We cover what to expect at local theatre events as well as information on supporting community theatre initiatives.

Spotlight Theatre Players on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/spotlighttheatergroup/

Spotlight Theatre Players on the web:
https://www.stpds.com


This episode is sponsored by Level Dumpsters You can learn more about Level Dumpsters by visiting: https://www.leveldumpsters.com
SAVE 100.00 OFF YOUR DUMPSTER RENTAL JUST BY MENTIONING LOCAL LEADERS THE PODCAST!

WEBVTT

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Hi, this is Lori Johnson with Hancock Whitney Bank and

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you're listening to Local Leaders the podcast. Visit Local leadersthepodcast

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dot com for previous episodes or for information on peering

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on the show.

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Hey everyone, before we get into today's episode with Spotlight

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Theater players, I want to shout out our sponsor, Level Dumpsters.

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Hey everyone, and welcome back to Local Leaders the podcast

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and look today. I have a nonprofit here that is

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very close to my heart personally. I have been to

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several of the events plays, things like that that you've had.

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I had a great time every time I went. And

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we'll talk about that a little bit. But first, let

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me introduce these two good folks across from me. Actually

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I haven't introduced some Yeah.

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Robert Reynolds here did them Springs? And my wife and I, Charlotte.

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We are the founders of Spotlight Theater Players.

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My name is Helene Wall. I've been involved with the

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theater now for about four or five years, and I

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am the president of the Spotlight Theater Board right now.

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Awesome, man, y'all are kind of well known here would

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I would? I must say rock stars? Robert, that'll work.

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And speaking of rock stars, before we get into all

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the wonderful things with Spotlight Theater Players, you are a drummer. Yes,

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tell me about that.

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Well, people ask him when did I start drumming? I said,

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I came out the womb drumming because both of my

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older brothers were drummers. Matter of fact, the oldest was

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a studio drummer in Nashville, not with any major artists.

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He worked with independent studios. Sadly he passed away in

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ninety four, but he got to live his dream. And

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so and then the other brother, he plays drums, but

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his main instrument is guitar and he lives over in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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So I've been on the drum set all my life.

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First band I can remember being m was a Maan

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middle brother and I had I was about nine years old.

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And then from there I was in my dad's band.

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Oh wow.

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And so now what I do is I have a

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band called the King Creole Orchestra, and we work with

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tribute artists, mainly Elvis. About ninety percent of our work

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is with Elvis tribute artists. But we travel all over

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the country.

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Wow.

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Matter of fact, I'm just in July and we were

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in seventeen states traveling and went all the way to Seattle.

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We worked with also with Michael Jackson tribute artists, Share

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tribute artists, and Patsy Kline tribute artists.

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Very good, and miss Hallane, you're also a drummer.

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You know, it's funny. I wanted to be because my

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dad was a professional drummer. I really traveled all over

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the South when we were kids, much to my mom's displeasure.

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Sometimes I understand.

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Yeah, I grew up in music. And interestingly, my dad

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played every performance of the Baton Ridge Little Theater for

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twenty seven years.

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Oh wow, I grew up.

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Sitting in the orchestra pit watching the shows. Wow, next

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to all these fantastic musicians that came from Baton Rouge,

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New Orleans everywhere.

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Well, it's no surprise that y'all are still involved in

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you know, it's not music, but well it could be

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music in some ways musicals, but still involved in performing

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and and you kind of have that in you, I

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must in your blood.

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Right.

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Very good. So, Robert, you mentioned you were the founder

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of Spotlight Theater Players. How did that come about? Tell

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me the story of how y'all?

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Yeah, So, you know, I grew up in French settlement

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and it's not known for having, you know, any theater.

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We have to have a gift and talented program now.

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But you know, when I when I grew up there,

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grew up out there. There was no outlet for the art.

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You know. People asked me today did we have a

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band in high school? And I said, yeah, it was

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four of us and we played at the Moonlight in

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you know, so you didn't have much of an outlet.

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But I was so into I would put on plays

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for my family. And when my wife and I got married,

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we moved to Denham Springs and there was an organization

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in the late late.

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Nineties to the early two thousand.

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It's called d SAC which stood for Dental Springs Area

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Community Theater and it was formed by Dinah Tups which

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anybody that's involved in any kind of theater in the

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Livingston Parish area knows who Dinah Topes was. She was

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the daughter of doctor Ed Walker and so her sister

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is Barbara who is or the director of the Olympics

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and Parish Children's Choir. So Dina is a phenomenal talent.

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And I got involved with d Sack, I said, got involved.

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We actually took my daughter at the time, she was

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about six or seven years old, to audition for Charlotte's Web.

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We went they needed.

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Someone to play the part of her father mister Arable,

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and they asked me if I would audition, and auditioned,

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and of course I already loved theater, but I was

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thirty at the time and never done anything other than

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you know, the little goofy plays I put on from

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a family when I was a kid, and just fell

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in love with it and got involved in D Sack.

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Then D Sack it dissolved, and so there was another

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group that tried to form called Live and they had

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a couple of meetings when nothing came of it. And

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then we got my wife and I got involved with

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the Arts Council here in Livingston Parish and I just said, look,

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I want to bring theater back to Livingston Parish.

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And that's pretty much how it. You know, it evolved wonderful.

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Our first show was.

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Magnolia Is in twenty eleven. It's been quite a struggle,

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I'll tell you that, and we'll.

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Get into that.

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I guess about it, but I just, you know, wanted

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to see live theater in Livingston Parish and so that

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that's how it started.

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Wonderful. And miss Hawaiim, how did you get involved?

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So there's a wonderful networking organization. I'll give them a plug.

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It's b and I yes, yeah, I've been in I

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was in it for probably five years.

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Yeah. Wonderful, wonderful organization. And so in my day job,

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which is a business consultant, yea, I was involved in it.

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Met some people in Livingston Parish. I live in Baton Rouge,

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one of whom is an amazing networker and connector. And

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she said, we started talking about hobbies and interests and

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I said, oh, you know, I like music, I like

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our ID love to act one day. And that's all

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she had to hear because she's a very close friend

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of Roberts and Charlotte's. Oh, you need to have lunch

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with Robert Reynolds. And before we left our lunch, she

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had me set up with a lunch meeting.

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Yeah.

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So I met with Robert. We started talking about our

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business world. Then we started talking about Spotlight. He told

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me what was going on and I said, dude, I'm

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in do we what do we have to do this?

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This may be my first chance and my only chance

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to go ahead and audition for a part. I'm not

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getting any younger. Let's go here. And that was five

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five years ago maybe or five six years ago. And

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so since then. I mean, I've just been lucky enough

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that I've auditioned for a few parts and got them,

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started working with the board and trying to help promote

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because I absolutely feel the same way Robert and Charlotte

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do when it comes to theater being so great a

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lot of reasons, and so I just.

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Stuck, Well, you're absolutely an amazing actress. I've actually seen

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you and I'm trying to remember. I believe it was

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Stell Magnolia's were you in still yeah, Belchi, Yeah, yeah,

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I remember, and I was like that accent is bottom.

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It was so great, It's so much fun. I just

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can't even tell you.

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Yeah, well you do a wonderful job with it. And

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let's kind of get into you, let into kind of

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struggles with and look, anytime you're kicking off any business,

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whether it's a nonprofit or for profit business, there's obviously

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going to be struggles, especially when it doesn't really exist

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or not on a big level wherever it is you're at.

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I dealt with it here with the podcast. You know,

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I was the first in the South Louisiana probably to

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have my own studios, So it was it was a fight,

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It was a struggle to get it up and going.

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Let's talk about that for a second. What are the

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struggles when you were starting out versus now?

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The biggest struggle, and obviously the initial struggle was okay,

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you have this dream, how you're going to bring it about?

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Finding you know, people that are that have the same

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passion that you have. You know, I mean that say okay,

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yeah we need this because there's been there's been several

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organizations and they just don't last. Yeah, you know I

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talked about d sact before or that. It was the

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drama the drama room that was back in the eighties

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and then it didn't you know, it was here for

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a while and then it's gone. De Sac was here

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for a while, then it was gone, and then of

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course live didn't didn't do anything.

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So the first.

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Struggle is finding people that you know that have the

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same passion want to see this take place in this Parishuh.

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Then after that, the biggest struggle is there's not a

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performing arts center in this parish anywhere, so you we

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don't have we don't have our own facility. So you

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have to find a facility when you want to put

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on a performance. So then that limits you far as

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the type of performance you're going to do.

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Yeah. So in the majority of the time we're using

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a church.

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Or you know, in the past it's been uh uh,

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you know, school and you're you're did on the time

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that you get the building, you have to adjust your

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your set building around that. I mean I build the

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sets at my house and I basically build them as

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a puzzle.

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Ye build them and put them together the house, Yes,

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take them.

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Apart, handywork handyside too, I can assure you, yeah.

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And then you put it in.

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The crazy thing about it is the first show we

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did in twenty eleven was still Magnolia's in every set

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has we've used that same set, uh since twenty eleven,

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just configure it.

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Yeah.

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So that's the probably the greatest struggle that we have

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is the location.

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Because you're thank God for.

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Holy Ground because they're they're really pleasant to work with.

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But we get the facility on a Sunday after church,

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so I have to get in there and put build

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the set or you know, I've already basically had it built.

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It's like a puzzle, but we have to assemble the

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set on Sunday and then Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday

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is will be tech and dress rehearsals.

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Thursday night's opening night. So just to put that.

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In perspective of other theaters like Battery's Little Theater, they

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have months of preparation for a show and then they have,

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you know, multiple weeks that they're on stage before the production.

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We're on the actual stage three nights before production.

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And that's the difference of what funding brings you, right,

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and the benefits of that and facilities. I have been

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a proponent for many, many years of the fact that

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Livingston Parish absolutely needs a performing arts yes studio, a

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real building that people can go in, not only for

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00:12:53.799 --> 00:12:57.559
what you do, but for bands and things like that.

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It's you know, the days in times of going to

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see your kids in a gym. It's nice, but it's

242
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not good for saying I mean, you know, it's echoing everywhere,

243
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and and uh, it's something that I would love to

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see come to fruition somebody to really get behind that

245
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and push it. I can't think of a more worthy

246
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organization than you good folks to have a facility like that.

247
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And you know Baton Ridge you mentioned, Uh, they're they're

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performing arts building. It's a standalone building, and they and

249
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they they have a ton of funding because of donations

250
00:13:33.720 --> 00:13:36.159
and people who have maybe they were in it and

251
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they left it in their will that hey I want

252
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to give this. Yes, yes, and and those are big things. Uh.

253
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But I'm also a proponent of why not Livingston Parish?

254
00:13:47.159 --> 00:13:50.240
Yeah, you know, I mean you think of the size

255
00:13:50.279 --> 00:13:51.919
of this parish, I mean.

256
00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:56.000
Or what We're the top growing parish in the state

257
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of Louisiana presently.

258
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Yes, I try.

259
00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:01.200
Far I travel all over the country and I mean

260
00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:05.799
seriously literally all of I mean East coast, West coast,

261
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:09.039
and the majority of the performances that I do in

262
00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:12.279
far as music working with these Elvis guys are in

263
00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:15.480
towns about the size of Denim Springs. Yeah, and every

264
00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:19.440
one of them has a performing arts center. Yeah, or

265
00:14:20.039 --> 00:14:24.200
if it's not necessarily a new performing arts center. The

266
00:14:24.200 --> 00:14:27.240
the old theater that was built in right, that was

267
00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:29.759
built in the twenties and thirties. It was like an

268
00:14:29.759 --> 00:14:32.360
old opera house or you know, a movie theater or

269
00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.600
a vaudeville type. Yeah, it's now the performing Arts Center,

270
00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:39.080
which is wonderful. That's that's pretty neat and nostalgic.

271
00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:41.799
You know, I've been in some incredible theater.

272
00:14:41.960 --> 00:14:43.360
It's pretty geeky on stuff like that.

273
00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:46.440
Yeah, I do see, As you can see in my studio,

274
00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:49.200
I have a lot of antique stuff and that's kind

275
00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:50.519
of my We were.

276
00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:54.000
In Oklahoma back in July and the theater we played at,

277
00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.440
Will Rogers performed on that stage, so I was just like,

278
00:14:57.519 --> 00:14:59.639
oh my god, can you you know? This is amazing

279
00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:02.399
to be on the stage at icons have been on.

280
00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:03.399
Yeah.

281
00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:06.879
So anyway, the point of what I'm saying is it's

282
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it's time. I mean, we this this is the fastest

283
00:15:11.159 --> 00:15:15.120
growing parish and we need it because you know, even

284
00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:18.320
I mean not just for our sake, but kind of

285
00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:22.120
what you're talking about. You have graduating classes that are

286
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:26.480
going outside of this parish to have their ceremonies because

287
00:15:26.519 --> 00:15:28.039
we don't have a facility.

288
00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.519
Yeah, you know, I agree one hundred percent, Miss Elaine.

289
00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:31.600
What about you? What do you think?

290
00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:34.399
You know? That's that's where I get all all jazzed up,

291
00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:37.840
because you know, I'm approaching this from a business perspective.

292
00:15:38.039 --> 00:15:40.879
And when I joined the board, you know, we talked

293
00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:42.919
about it. I'm like, guys, we're going to run this

294
00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.159
like a business because that's the only way We're going

295
00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:49.440
to make some headway and is happening, but you know,

296
00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.159
putting a strategic plan in place, getting our financials in order,

297
00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:56.440
getting people who are interested. We've built up the board

298
00:15:56.879 --> 00:15:59.200
in the last six months. We've increased the people on

299
00:15:59.240 --> 00:16:02.000
the board and we've really got some people who are

300
00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:05.000
very passionate about making this work involved. So now we

301
00:16:05.080 --> 00:16:07.120
have more hands to do. The work we need is

302
00:16:07.159 --> 00:16:11.080
the community involvement. We need the business owners. We need

303
00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:14.000
the people who are the foundation of Livingston Parish who've

304
00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:16.600
been here all their lives, who have children and grandchildren. Now,

305
00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.720
you know, with all the challenges that we have raising

306
00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:24.120
kids and grandkids these days in the community, what better

307
00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.559
place to keep them or put them and help them

308
00:16:26.639 --> 00:16:29.879
learn life lessons than in community theater. I agree they

309
00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:31.440
get to come out of their shell. I was the

310
00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:35.200
shyest person on the planet. I could not speak to people. Why, oh,

311
00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:38.720
you don't even want to know it was. It took

312
00:16:38.759 --> 00:16:42.200
me thirty years to finally make the break and try something.

313
00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:44.120
And when I did, I'm like, oh my goodness, if

314
00:16:44.120 --> 00:16:45.840
I had known about this, I could have been a

315
00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:49.559
different person. It's those little things, but the people that

316
00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.559
support spotlight that come to every show, and there are

317
00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:55.600
hundreds of them. We love what y'all do. This is

318
00:16:55.639 --> 00:16:57.679
so great for our kids. I want my granddaughter to

319
00:16:57.679 --> 00:16:59.559
be in this. We've got somebody else. We met a

320
00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:04.640
new neighbor. So there's interest there. There's energy and dedication

321
00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:06.920
and people willing to work on it from the board

322
00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.640
and the committee levels. And you know, even our association

323
00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:12.559
with Livingston Paris Children's Choir, the things we do in tandem.

324
00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:17.440
Yes I don't sing, they sing, but you know, we've

325
00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:19.920
got the interest is there. We've got to find a

326
00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.960
way to get this to gel. Yeah, and then to

327
00:17:23.160 --> 00:17:26.400
get to get the people interested who can make things

328
00:17:26.440 --> 00:17:29.599
like this happen. And so those are our governmental leaders.

329
00:17:29.640 --> 00:17:31.920
Those are the city people of the council, all of

330
00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:34.079
those individuals who can look at this and say, yeah,

331
00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:36.720
we see the benefit because there is benefit there.

332
00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:39.519
Oh, there's a huge benefit to it. And it's all

333
00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:43.319
the reasons you just listed. Especially acting enables people to

334
00:17:43.319 --> 00:17:45.519
come out of their shell a little bit. It enables

335
00:17:45.559 --> 00:17:49.720
you to really put yourself out there. And I'll use

336
00:17:50.039 --> 00:17:52.359
just a quick example of how important this type of

337
00:17:52.359 --> 00:17:56.559
thing is. My wife is a very shy person, which

338
00:17:56.640 --> 00:18:01.440
is really weird because I'm not. We are definitely total

339
00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:06.359
opposites on that spectrum. But in order to get herself

340
00:18:06.440 --> 00:18:09.519
out of her shell, she forced herself to speak at church.

341
00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:11.480
That was her thing, I'm going to be I'm going

342
00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.880
to read the word at church. And it was frightening

343
00:18:16.160 --> 00:18:18.119
to her, but she got up, she did it, and

344
00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:22.119
every time she did it, she became more comfortable with it.

345
00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:25.720
Same thing, you know, that would be a perfect form

346
00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:30.039
acting and participating in Spotlight theater players, a perfect form

347
00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:34.480
of learning to engage and step outside of your comfort zone,

348
00:18:34.960 --> 00:18:37.400
which is so important to young people but also to

349
00:18:37.559 --> 00:18:39.759
older folks you know as well.

350
00:18:39.880 --> 00:18:42.839
So take that one step further. In addition to the

351
00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:45.200
Christmas show and the plays that we do and the

352
00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.119
different things like that, you know, our goal is to

353
00:18:48.279 --> 00:18:53.000
expand into doing workshops, working with kids, working with teenagers.

354
00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:55.279
We'd love to have an improv class. We'd love to

355
00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.240
have people come out and just try it in a

356
00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:00.400
safe space and just have some fun. You don't have

357
00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:01.960
to be a rock star, you don't have to do

358
00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.920
it all. Just have some fun, you know, get out

359
00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:07.400
there and let yourself enjoy life a little bit. Yeah,

360
00:19:07.720 --> 00:19:10.359
we can't do that if we're hopping around trying to

361
00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:11.039
find a spot.

362
00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:12.440
Yep, that's right.

363
00:19:12.680 --> 00:19:15.039
I mean we had we had for the Elvis Show.

364
00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.400
We rehearsed seven different places in six weeks, one of

365
00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:21.279
which mean my living room. Oh there you go, cleared

366
00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:23.039
out all the furniture and build a set halfway.

367
00:19:23.079 --> 00:19:27.079
So it was a thing, thank you wonderful and you're

368
00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:28.960
and the key And what she's you know, she said,

369
00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:34.599
is it's community theaters. So that means anyone, anyone, if

370
00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:36.359
anyone is and you don't have to.

371
00:19:36.319 --> 00:19:37.279
You don't have to be hamlet.

372
00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:38.279
You don't have to be hamled.

373
00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.759
You got the people that you know for the first time,

374
00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.079
never been on a stage before, they get the opportunity

375
00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:49.640
to come an audition. And if you know, you who knows,

376
00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:51.200
you may find a diamond in the rough.

377
00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:54.079
That's right. Sometimes it's the last thing you expect.

378
00:19:54.160 --> 00:19:54.359
Yeah.

379
00:19:54.519 --> 00:19:57.519
I have a particular person here who incidentally is actually

380
00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:02.799
active in the Children Squire her kids. But she sat

381
00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:05.240
down behind the microphone to do a podcast and I'm

382
00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:07.359
telling you she's as good as anybody in the world.

383
00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:10.519
And I'm sitting there thinking right here in livingson Paris,

384
00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:13.920
and I had to talk her into doing it. I

385
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:18.279
could just tell from her personality. Yeah, yeah, so it

386
00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.279
does happen, and lightning does strike in those instances. Now,

387
00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:25.160
what are the what have been the hurdles? What what?

388
00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:26.000
You know?

389
00:20:26.359 --> 00:20:28.319
My next question to that, and probably what a lot

390
00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.240
of people are thinking, is well, why don't we have one?

391
00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:30.480
Then?

392
00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:31.160
Why?

393
00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:31.720
What?

394
00:20:31.720 --> 00:20:34.279
What's the hurdles to a performing arts center?

395
00:20:35.240 --> 00:20:40.880
You know that I guess money and money that's the

396
00:20:40.920 --> 00:20:46.079
biggest hurdle. There is an awareness I'll say that, I'm

397
00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:51.200
on the Livingston Parish Tourism Board and so it's it's

398
00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:56.680
brought up, you know, periodically, so we know that it's

399
00:20:56.720 --> 00:21:02.720
something that it needs to take place. And on the

400
00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:08.160
on the government level too. There there's an awareness all

401
00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:10.880
those entities have got to be brought together. I would

402
00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:14.319
would say, So that's you know, that's that's that's a hurdle,

403
00:21:14.359 --> 00:21:16.759
And not that they they're fighting each other. It's just

404
00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:18.440
you got to get everybody in the same room and

405
00:21:18.519 --> 00:21:19.799
get on the same page.

406
00:21:19.759 --> 00:21:21.839
Right and they have to see it as a priority

407
00:21:22.359 --> 00:21:26.559
and and I certainly feel it is. Everybody in this

408
00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:28.960
room right now feels it is. And there's a lot

409
00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:32.400
of people out there that I'm sure feel that it's

410
00:21:32.440 --> 00:21:38.680
something needed, but recognizing it's needed and then performing the

411
00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:43.359
action to get it are different, and so more to me,

412
00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:47.680
more people need to take that extra step and say, Okay,

413
00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:51.960
yes we need it, now we need to perform an

414
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.160
action to make it happen.

415
00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:53.960
Make it happen.

416
00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:57.640
And also when they you know, when this it's funny,

417
00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.920
I don't know if you knew miss Regina Walker. Yes,

418
00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:02.400
but miss Regina used to talk to me about this

419
00:22:02.480 --> 00:22:04.519
all the time that we need this, and she would

420
00:22:04.519 --> 00:22:06.119
tell me all the time, and you're going to be

421
00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:08.440
the one to drive the bus to get us there.

422
00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.079
And I'm like, okay, how I'm you know.

423
00:22:11.319 --> 00:22:17.279
I mean, but what when this happens and we get

424
00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:22.079
the collective group together, then there needs there needs to

425
00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:25.640
be people on that committee, that board or whatever it's

426
00:22:25.640 --> 00:22:29.160
going to be, that has theater experience because what we

427
00:22:29.240 --> 00:22:33.359
don't need is we don't need a building that just

428
00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:37.599
has a stage and that it's not conducive to.

429
00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:39.200
It needs to be.

430
00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:42.200
Conducive not only to if we're having a band play there,

431
00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:46.839
but or you know, the LP, the Olympics, Parish Children's choir,

432
00:22:47.880 --> 00:22:50.200
or a dance recital, but it's also got to be

433
00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:56.519
conducive to theater. Because there's Zachary High School has one

434
00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:56.799
of them.

435
00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:59.119
It has a phenomenal theater.

436
00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.200
And I was it and sending pictures to Buddy MINSI

437
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.240
at the send him to.

438
00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.119
Buddy like, man, watch this, buddy. This is what we need.

439
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:09.839
I'm talking about.

440
00:23:10.039 --> 00:23:11.160
This is what I'm talking about.

441
00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:16.480
We don't need just another venue with a stage, and

442
00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:20.039
because you know it should then it's just a venue

443
00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:22.160
where a band can set up and play. You know,

444
00:23:22.440 --> 00:23:24.400
it has to be conducive to all of the.

445
00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:27.559
Art, absolutely, and that could be done. There are there

446
00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:30.920
are buildings that are designed that way, whether it's a

447
00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:35.920
band or a choir or uh, you know, plays being

448
00:23:36.000 --> 00:23:39.880
performed there. It fits every every aspect of that.

449
00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:44.160
So we say hurdles the biggest one money obviously, but

450
00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:48.200
but bringing all the people together that can make this happen.

451
00:23:48.599 --> 00:23:50.920
Yeah, and you know that's that's gonna have to be.

452
00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:53.680
I mean, you've got to have community involvement, but it's

453
00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:55.640
gonna have to be the government. I mean, you know

454
00:23:55.720 --> 00:23:57.279
you're gonna have to have government involvement.

455
00:23:57.319 --> 00:23:58.039
You know, whether the.

456
00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:02.839
Parish President's office. Uh, in course, tourism I know they

457
00:24:03.559 --> 00:24:05.799
are going to be involved in bringing this about.

458
00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:12.200
Yeah, and I would imagine there are there has got

459
00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:16.160
to be somewhere some grants for this stuff. And but look,

460
00:24:16.240 --> 00:24:18.480
grants are no easy thing to find, They're no easy

461
00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:23.960
thing to write there. They're difficult. But you know, maybe

462
00:24:23.960 --> 00:24:27.400
there's a match there somewhere where you can start out

463
00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:31.359
with a figure and and but it takes passion, It

464
00:24:31.400 --> 00:24:35.480
takes everybody wanting to see this happen, all citizens, the

465
00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:38.599
entire community. You know, if every all of us have

466
00:24:38.680 --> 00:24:41.960
representatives at the council, whoever your council member is, give

467
00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:44.240
them a call, say why don't we have a you know,

468
00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:48.119
performing arts studio in this area? Watch the podcast, tell

469
00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:52.319
them to watch the podcast. But it takes approaching these

470
00:24:52.359 --> 00:24:55.960
people from a from a government perspective and saying, hey,

471
00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:58.839
this is you know, something we want to see you accomplish,

472
00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:01.400
and we want to see it for our parish.

473
00:25:01.559 --> 00:25:04.279
Well, you know, one thing that comes to my mind is,

474
00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:08.119
you know, Scott Innes is bringing his concerts to North Park,

475
00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:13.960
but you know we were losing him to Ascension Parish

476
00:25:14.119 --> 00:25:17.519
right because he was doing them at the Lamar, you know,

477
00:25:17.880 --> 00:25:20.559
and Lamar is not necessarily a performing.

478
00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:24.160
Arts area, but it it is a you know, it

479
00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.319
is a facility, it's a venue.

480
00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:30.920
And so you think about, you know, what he brings

481
00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:33.920
for is the concerts. You know, I mean, what was

482
00:25:34.359 --> 00:25:37.119
the one he had here last summer? It was fifteen

483
00:25:37.240 --> 00:25:42.240
twenty thousand people, a lot of people showing up. Just

484
00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:45.599
think if you had a facility that could could handle that.

485
00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:49.400
You know, I agree, and you know, I mean, God

486
00:25:49.440 --> 00:25:52.839
bless him. He's doing it outside and outdoor concerts are amazing.

487
00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:56.160
But man, when it's ninety eight degrees and one hundred

488
00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:57.240
percent humidity.

489
00:25:56.880 --> 00:25:59.319
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, story but.

490
00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:02.480
Ask everybody from the game last weekend. They could tell you.

491
00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:05.759
But you know, one thing about what you guys were

492
00:26:05.799 --> 00:26:11.440
talking about. So over the years, Spotlights made attempts, yes

493
00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:13.559
and talk to a lot of people. And Robert knows

494
00:26:13.559 --> 00:26:15.480
so many people in Charlotte and they're just so well

495
00:26:15.640 --> 00:26:18.279
ingrained in Livingston Parish and that's been going on, but

496
00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:21.559
it's been going on in pockets right. And so now

497
00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:26.440
that we have more hands involved and we've expanded the

498
00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:29.680
pool of volunteers and board members and interest and so

499
00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.640
now we're starting to formulate our strategy of all of

500
00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:36.359
these individuals that we need to get them interested enough

501
00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:38.960
to have a conversation in a room. Now we have

502
00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:41.640
the people to pull that together. And so now we've

503
00:26:41.680 --> 00:26:44.000
got a vision that we can actually try to share

504
00:26:44.039 --> 00:26:47.079
with everyone and say, yes, we've been doing things in

505
00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:50.319
pieces and parts up to now, but now we've got

506
00:26:50.319 --> 00:26:52.599
a strategy. Now we've got a plan. Now we know

507
00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:54.880
exactly what we're going after, when we want to get

508
00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.200
it and why, and let us tell you about that.

509
00:26:57.920 --> 00:27:00.799
So I think the challenge for us now is to

510
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:05.279
actually start getting people to listen. You know, South Louisiana,

511
00:27:05.440 --> 00:27:07.359
we love to go to the ballpark. We love to

512
00:27:07.400 --> 00:27:10.279
watch baseball, we love to watch football. Not so much

513
00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:13.119
maybe community theater. But there's a lot of people sitting

514
00:27:13.119 --> 00:27:15.880
in the ballpark stands that don't play sports, but they

515
00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:18.079
have a child or a grandchild, or a daughter or

516
00:27:18.119 --> 00:27:23.200
a spouse who's interested. Same holds true for theater, music, arts, performance,

517
00:27:23.640 --> 00:27:28.200
fun shows, activities, workshops. There's something there for everybody.

518
00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:30.799
And imagine what it can lead to. I mean, some

519
00:27:30.839 --> 00:27:33.279
of these that start early, they might end up they

520
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:35.240
might end up with an oscar one day. And it

521
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:37.559
all started look at the spotlight.

522
00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:39.440
That has come out of Livingston Parish in the last

523
00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:42.960
couple of years. It's here and I can tell you

524
00:27:43.039 --> 00:27:48.359
firsthand the quality of the people in Livingston Parish working

525
00:27:48.400 --> 00:27:52.920
with them and interacting with the group is absolutely phenomenal.

526
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:55.440
I mean, there are some wonderful people in this parish

527
00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:58.039
and I've been really blessed and fortunate to meet a

528
00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:01.519
lot of them. We've just got to get it. We

529
00:28:01.559 --> 00:28:03.720
have to make everybody aware of what we're trying to

530
00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:05.759
do and why you know that Aha, moments like oh

531
00:28:05.799 --> 00:28:08.119
that's what y'all are doing. Yeah, right, that's where we

532
00:28:08.200 --> 00:28:09.319
are right now building that.

533
00:28:09.720 --> 00:28:12.759
Yeah. And you know, I couldn't look, I couldn't think

534
00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:17.880
of anything more beautiful than the All Star Performing Arts Center.

535
00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:23.400
You got Matt McKay, right, I mean, and that's the thing. Look,

536
00:28:24.839 --> 00:28:27.039
these companies out there that have a little bit of

537
00:28:27.079 --> 00:28:30.079
extra money, you could be the Raising Caine Center of

538
00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:31.400
Livingston Paris. Right.

539
00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:35.079
You feel like Alfalfa sometimes on Little Rascals when he says,

540
00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:36.839
come on, people, we need your money.

541
00:28:37.160 --> 00:28:38.799
We've got to build a clubhouse.

542
00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:42.680
You know, Well, we're not proud we will use that line.

543
00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:44.440
Yeah, it is.

544
00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:47.920
It is certainly one of the most needed things. Yeah,

545
00:28:48.920 --> 00:28:51.720
if not the most needed thing in the community. And

546
00:28:51.759 --> 00:28:54.839
I want to ask miss Lane something real quick. What

547
00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:59.279
would you say the benefits to the community are of

548
00:28:59.440 --> 00:29:01.400
having a performing arts center.

549
00:29:02.279 --> 00:29:04.279
So we've talked a little bit about what it does

550
00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:07.519
for the people of the community, the kids, the children

551
00:29:07.519 --> 00:29:09.880
and the families. But you know, if you think of

552
00:29:09.880 --> 00:29:12.079
the bigger picture and get to the thirty thousand foot

553
00:29:12.160 --> 00:29:15.839
view a minute, you start having performances of any type,

554
00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:18.839
whether it's music, whether it's the arts, what have you,

555
00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:23.079
and you start drawing people into Livingston Parish. You start

556
00:29:23.079 --> 00:29:27.400
adding to the financial success of the parish. Tax dollars,

557
00:29:27.400 --> 00:29:29.680
sales dollars. Now, all of a sudden, maybe we need

558
00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:32.119
more hotels because we've got people coming in because you've

559
00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:34.720
got a great show coming on. I mean, it can

560
00:29:34.839 --> 00:29:37.759
add so much to the economy of Livingston Parish that

561
00:29:37.880 --> 00:29:40.799
cannot be overlooked. So it's got to be done. Right.

562
00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:43.799
If we just go find somebody's empty warehouse and try

563
00:29:43.799 --> 00:29:46.160
to do it, it's not going to work. It'll be fun,

564
00:29:46.599 --> 00:29:48.880
we'll do it. We'll do our thing, but we're not

565
00:29:48.920 --> 00:29:51.000
going to draw crowds of three and four hundred people

566
00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:53.559
a night that we need to actually make it work.

567
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:59.680
So the economic benefit to the parish, elevating Livingston Parish's

568
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:03.119
RepU tation across the South, every parish could use that, sure,

569
00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:05.799
no matter who you are, as a place where people

570
00:30:06.079 --> 00:30:09.720
come to have fun and do these things. Those of

571
00:30:09.799 --> 00:30:14.839
us on the board and involved in Spotlight Theater, we

572
00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:17.680
go all over watching shows. We go to Bay Saint Louis,

573
00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:19.519
we go to Ponchatula, we go to Ascension, we go

574
00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:23.240
to Central. They have performing art venues, yeah we don't.

575
00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:25.119
We have my living room and we have.

576
00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:29.720
A right everybody, everybody to Helene's tonight.

577
00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:33.839
You know, the economic benefit I don't think should be overlooked.

578
00:30:33.880 --> 00:30:36.720
It's not just a dream we have as a private citizen.

579
00:30:36.839 --> 00:30:38.920
It's it's it's something for the community.

580
00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:39.640
Absolutely.

581
00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:41.880
And when they're here, they're going to eat here, right,

582
00:30:41.920 --> 00:30:45.279
They're going to shop here, They're gonna uh. It's really

583
00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:49.519
endless the advantage from that end of the opportunities there.

584
00:30:50.279 --> 00:30:52.640
I agree one hundred percent. And now let me ask

585
00:30:52.680 --> 00:30:56.000
you something, Robert. You're a Primerica guy. That's what you

586
00:30:56.079 --> 00:30:58.720
do in your day job. This is a lot of work,

587
00:30:59.359 --> 00:31:01.599
This is a lot of Mark Robert, why do you

588
00:31:01.640 --> 00:31:05.599
do it outside of you know, the beginning what we

589
00:31:05.640 --> 00:31:06.119
talked about.

590
00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.119
Well, you know, I mean, obviously I love it, and

591
00:31:09.519 --> 00:31:12.799
I do. I love acting, although I haven't done a

592
00:31:12.799 --> 00:31:15.039
lot of it here lately because I'm doing most of

593
00:31:15.079 --> 00:31:19.720
the behind the scenes work. But I'm actually going to

594
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:23.000
be in I will be acting in the spring Place,

595
00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:27.160
so I'm excited about that. But I do it, you know,

596
00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:30.440
not only because I love it, but I do want

597
00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:33.680
to see I mean, my family has been in.

598
00:31:33.599 --> 00:31:37.359
This parish since eighteen thirty eight. Yeah, so the roots

599
00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:38.200
go deep.

600
00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:42.799
You know, Oh, Maripoli kin to everybody out there, you know,

601
00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:45.000
so when we when we moved out there, when I

602
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:47.200
was a kid of originally we lived in Baton Rouge,

603
00:31:47.200 --> 00:31:49.960
but I couldn't marry anybody out there because I was

604
00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:53.359
a kid and everybody, so I had to go to

605
00:31:53.400 --> 00:31:58.559
Marpola final wife. Anyway, but I want to I want

606
00:31:58.599 --> 00:32:01.519
to see the parish. We've come a long way as

607
00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:04.680
a parish, you know what I'm saying. I mean, Livingson

608
00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:06.680
has been the butt of a lot of jokes, okay,

609
00:32:06.799 --> 00:32:09.160
and we know that, but now we're kind of the

610
00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:14.000
envy of how I mean, our school system is is phenomenal.

611
00:32:15.160 --> 00:32:20.480
The parish is just moving forward forward in so many directions.

612
00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:23.799
You know, great things that's happening in this parish. And

613
00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:28.759
I want, I personally want to see us move forward

614
00:32:28.799 --> 00:32:31.400
in the arts because it is something that has, in

615
00:32:31.880 --> 00:32:36.000
my opinion, has been neglected in the parish. So I

616
00:32:36.039 --> 00:32:38.640
have a love for it obviously, but also want to

617
00:32:38.680 --> 00:32:39.440
see I want to.

618
00:32:39.400 --> 00:32:41.640
See it move forward in this parish.

619
00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:47.359
And then you know, hopefully when I'm in the dirt

620
00:32:48.119 --> 00:32:50.519
that uh, there is a performing arts center here and

621
00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:52.440
it's going to be thriving, and it's going to be

622
00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:54.519
you know, the parish is going to be known for

623
00:32:54.559 --> 00:32:58.279
a place that the arts. You can go there and

624
00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:01.559
you know your kids can thrive in the arts, or

625
00:33:01.599 --> 00:33:02.559
anyone can thrive.

626
00:33:02.759 --> 00:33:07.519
Amen. Amen to that. And miss Alane, let me ask

627
00:33:07.599 --> 00:33:12.559
you what can the community do to help at this point?

628
00:33:12.720 --> 00:33:16.759
What would you recommend people do. Everybody's heard this and

629
00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:20.240
every you know, let's say, everybody wants to get involved

630
00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:21.799
and how can we help and what do we need

631
00:33:21.839 --> 00:33:23.039
to do? What would you recommend?

632
00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:25.200
So you know, there's a number of avenues for that.

633
00:33:25.960 --> 00:33:28.480
Robert talked about the fact that we can't do anything

634
00:33:28.519 --> 00:33:31.720
without money to do things. It costs money to buy scripts,

635
00:33:32.119 --> 00:33:35.240
to pay royalty rights on these things. It costs money

636
00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:38.440
to build sets. We get donations, we get things in kind,

637
00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:40.720
and that's great, but you know, we have to have

638
00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:42.599
a cash flow in order to plan for the next

639
00:33:42.599 --> 00:33:47.759
thing and the next thing. So donations on huge that's

640
00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:51.480
going to help us move forward. Sometimes in the beginning

641
00:33:51.640 --> 00:33:54.640
of an organization really kind of making their first push,

642
00:33:55.799 --> 00:33:57.720
people are hesitant to donate because they don't know what

643
00:33:57.759 --> 00:33:59.640
they're going to get back and they don't really, are

644
00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:01.519
you guys going to make it? How's this going to work?

645
00:34:02.799 --> 00:34:04.720
We'd love to talk to you and let you know

646
00:34:04.799 --> 00:34:07.480
exactly what we need and why and what our plans are,

647
00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:09.480
and let you feel some of our energy and passion

648
00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:11.239
and I can promise you you'll be writ in a check.

649
00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:14.639
We can do that absolutely, But the donations, but then also,

650
00:34:14.840 --> 00:34:17.639
just do you have any interest in helping? You know,

651
00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:21.239
when we do a show right now, depending on where

652
00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:23.440
we are and the show type, we may have concessions.

653
00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:25.920
We might need people to help with that. We need

654
00:34:25.960 --> 00:34:28.119
people to take tickets at the door, we need people

655
00:34:28.199 --> 00:34:31.320
to help seat, we need stage hands and set builders

656
00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:33.880
goodness knows. So there's a whole lot of things. If

657
00:34:33.880 --> 00:34:36.159
somebody's just like I may not have a lot of money.

658
00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:38.880
I don't know. I'm not going to act, but kind

659
00:34:38.880 --> 00:34:40.239
of sort of want to do something.

660
00:34:41.119 --> 00:34:42.119
We want to get involved.

661
00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:44.719
I invited a friend of mine to come. She and

662
00:34:44.760 --> 00:34:46.719
some friends of mine have come to every show I've

663
00:34:46.760 --> 00:34:49.639
been in for the last four years, and at the

664
00:34:49.719 --> 00:34:51.599
last one she's like, Okay, I'm ready to be your

665
00:34:51.599 --> 00:34:54.679
stage manager. Now I want to do something. Knock me over.

666
00:34:55.559 --> 00:34:57.599
But it was great because she saw it and she

667
00:34:57.719 --> 00:35:02.960
felt it. So donation. Get on a committee. We're not

668
00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:06.480
to where we meet every twenty minutes. We have a plan.

669
00:35:06.920 --> 00:35:09.119
Get on a committee and volunteer to do something. Help

670
00:35:09.159 --> 00:35:12.599
out at a show. See what you think we'll talk about.

671
00:35:12.679 --> 00:35:15.920
I'm sure some of the events coming up when we

672
00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:18.360
are at the festivals, the Denim Springs, Fall Fest and

673
00:35:18.440 --> 00:35:21.679
those things. That's our that's our fundraisers. So we'll have

674
00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:24.400
a bake sale. Come by, throw a couple of bucks

675
00:35:24.400 --> 00:35:26.480
in the pot, and go away with some brownies. Everybody

676
00:35:26.519 --> 00:35:26.920
needs them.

677
00:35:27.400 --> 00:35:31.639
Robert Bacon brownies.

678
00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:33.440
Probably breaks.

679
00:35:34.280 --> 00:35:37.320
He's amazing at it to by the way, well, very

680
00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:39.440
good help you know, just what do you what can

681
00:35:39.480 --> 00:35:42.000
you do to help? And do you do you understand

682
00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:43.840
what we're trying to do, does it resonate with you

683
00:35:43.880 --> 00:35:46.639
at all? And then help us, help us get the

684
00:35:46.679 --> 00:35:48.840
word out, help us meet people. I need some warm

685
00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:52.599
introductions to people of means we can get this ball rolling.

686
00:35:52.760 --> 00:35:58.840
Yeah, absolutely, I couldn't agree more. And Robert, you know,

687
00:35:58.880 --> 00:36:03.159
miss Lane brought it up. But let's talk about upcoming productions.

688
00:36:03.239 --> 00:36:04.480
There anything upcoming?

689
00:36:04.719 --> 00:36:10.199
Yeah, So on October twenty fifth, we will be performing

690
00:36:10.519 --> 00:36:13.400
War of the World's Radio as a radio play.

691
00:36:13.719 --> 00:36:16.880
So what what what is a radio play? Well, you know, back.

692
00:36:16.679 --> 00:36:20.719
In the thirties and forties, even up and into the sixties,

693
00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:23.199
you know, radio was the medium.

694
00:36:23.480 --> 00:36:25.679
Yeah, and you didn't have a television.

695
00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:27.559
You get to go to the movies, but when you're

696
00:36:27.559 --> 00:36:31.000
sitting at your home on a Wednesday night, you turn

697
00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:34.159
your radio on and you would have dramas or comedies

698
00:36:34.800 --> 00:36:37.760
and so what a radio and how those worked is

699
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:41.440
in the studio you would have actors and actresses holding

700
00:36:41.480 --> 00:36:44.880
a script and they would read from the script and

701
00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:48.599
you know, use their voices to act the show. And

702
00:36:48.639 --> 00:36:50.760
then you had a what's called a folio artist doing

703
00:36:50.800 --> 00:36:53.480
all the sound effects. So we'll be at Lashin on

704
00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:58.360
October twenty fifth, and we'll be up on stage and

705
00:36:58.719 --> 00:37:02.480
we will be in peer it garb, so you know,

706
00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:06.480
dressed like the nineteen forties, and we'll have someone doing

707
00:37:06.519 --> 00:37:09.039
sound effects, and we're going to do War the World's

708
00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:12.599
the nineteen thirty eight broadcast, which was the Mercury Theater

709
00:37:12.719 --> 00:37:16.559
with Orson Wells, which actually sent people into a frenzy

710
00:37:16.559 --> 00:37:18.039
because they thought that they.

711
00:37:18.039 --> 00:37:20.719
Thought we were actually being invaded by aliens.

712
00:37:20.880 --> 00:37:23.920
Yes, I don't think that'll happen, So that's coming up next.

713
00:37:24.719 --> 00:37:28.679
After that, December seventh, we will have what's called our

714
00:37:28.800 --> 00:37:30.079
Rock and Christmas Review.

715
00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:33.440
It's basically it's basically just it's music.

716
00:37:33.440 --> 00:37:36.320
It'll be you know, Christmas music, but it'll be with

717
00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:41.079
six piece horn section and you know, just.

718
00:37:41.079 --> 00:37:42.480
Vocalists from around the area.

719
00:37:42.639 --> 00:37:45.679
The goal that the big plan that I had was

720
00:37:45.719 --> 00:37:48.960
a Dean Martin type Christmas show, but I just couldn't

721
00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:51.280
get the people in time to do.

722
00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:55.440
It because a lot of the actors.

723
00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:57.559
And singers and actresses that we use, they're involved in

724
00:37:57.639 --> 00:38:03.320
church churches are having their music going on. So anyway,

725
00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:05.320
I'm gonna do a little bit better planning for next year,

726
00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.480
and we will have the Dean Martin Show next year, I.

727
00:38:07.480 --> 00:38:11.360
Promise, And that show is going to be at Serenity at.

728
00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:15.639
Serenity, Yeah, the Serenity Event Center out in a between Yeah, live.

729
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:18.199
Ooat area beautiful facility. Absolutely.

730
00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:21.960
Anyway, after that, the next show will be in the

731
00:38:22.119 --> 00:38:25.639
end of March. I don't have those particular dates. But uh,

732
00:38:25.719 --> 00:38:31.480
it's a Peril on the Mississippi, right that's the name

733
00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:35.360
of it. Sean off Ahd will be directing, and it's

734
00:38:35.400 --> 00:38:40.400
a it's a kind of a comedy mystery show on

735
00:38:40.440 --> 00:38:44.480
a riverboat on the Mississippi River. So it's really funny,

736
00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:47.440
gonna be a really funny show. So that's what's coming up,

737
00:38:47.719 --> 00:38:52.239
you know, in your future. Our goal is to to

738
00:38:52.360 --> 00:38:57.119
do four major productions a year, but because of limitations

739
00:38:57.199 --> 00:38:58.599
right now, we we just can't do that.

740
00:38:58.760 --> 00:39:02.760
One thing about the Livings compairsh community. There's several nonprofits

741
00:39:02.760 --> 00:39:06.199
in the area that are that are supported and U

742
00:39:06.360 --> 00:39:11.000
Spotlight Theater there is as deserving as any other nonprofit

743
00:39:11.280 --> 00:39:13.679
for all the reasons that we've talked about today. You

744
00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:17.599
brought it up the way it shapes your your kids,

745
00:39:18.039 --> 00:39:21.079
and then even some adults that are out there that

746
00:39:21.239 --> 00:39:25.360
want to overcome maybe some anxiety with performing in front

747
00:39:25.360 --> 00:39:28.119
of an audience, things like that, or maybe the the

748
00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:31.679
next Brad Pitt is out there somewhere. You know, you

749
00:39:31.800 --> 00:39:35.400
never know what can what you have right here in

750
00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:39.639
your community. But look, y'all, it takes It takes money.

751
00:39:40.119 --> 00:39:42.599
It takes money. Money makes the world go round, as

752
00:39:42.599 --> 00:39:44.559
they as they say, you know, we are.

753
00:39:44.800 --> 00:39:48.519
A tax exempt nonprofits. Yeah, so we have that going

754
00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:50.679
for so we can save some tax dollars for you.

755
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:51.159
That's right.

756
00:39:51.239 --> 00:39:54.400
Anybody wants to write it chapter six or seven, we can.

757
00:39:54.280 --> 00:39:59.400
Go, yeah, that's right, there you go. Let's talk about

758
00:39:59.400 --> 00:40:02.599
Facebook for second. I know that you have a social

759
00:40:02.639 --> 00:40:05.719
media manager kind of handles your Facebook page and all that,

760
00:40:05.840 --> 00:40:09.079
but how do people go about following you on Facebook?

761
00:40:09.159 --> 00:40:11.639
Perfect timing, because in the last couple of weeks, with

762
00:40:11.679 --> 00:40:14.239
our additions to the board, we now have a marketing

763
00:40:14.239 --> 00:40:17.880
and communications person, we have a social media person, all

764
00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:21.199
of whom they have just been ridiculously amazing.

765
00:40:21.480 --> 00:40:22.360
They're invaluable.

766
00:40:22.960 --> 00:40:26.719
You know, our website, so we had used an acronym previously,

767
00:40:26.760 --> 00:40:28.440
and you can still get there using the old one,

768
00:40:28.519 --> 00:40:33.440
but the website is Spotlight Theater Players dot org the

769
00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:35.039
lowercase one word literally.

770
00:40:35.199 --> 00:40:36.760
Yeah, you'll be.

771
00:40:36.679 --> 00:40:40.000
Able to reach us at info at Spotlight Theater Players

772
00:40:40.039 --> 00:40:44.159
dot org for email addresses, but the website will have

773
00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:47.639
our Instagram and TikTok rolling before long. And so as

774
00:40:47.679 --> 00:40:51.199
we start doing our fundraisers and events, even some of

775
00:40:51.239 --> 00:40:54.559
our workshops and training in between and rehearsals, we're going

776
00:40:54.639 --> 00:40:57.239
to start promoting that on social media so we can

777
00:40:57.280 --> 00:40:59.440
get the word out. So when you guys go to

778
00:40:59.480 --> 00:41:03.079
Facebook and hit up Spotlight Theater Players dot org and

779
00:41:03.119 --> 00:41:06.320
Spotlight Theater Players on Facebook, like it and share it please.

780
00:41:06.800 --> 00:41:08.360
We've got to get the word out. That's the way

781
00:41:08.400 --> 00:41:08.960
to start.

782
00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:12.639
It, absolutely. And I will link the Facebook and the

783
00:41:12.639 --> 00:41:15.519
website and all that in the description of this podcast.

784
00:41:15.599 --> 00:41:18.440
So if you're driving or something right now and uh,

785
00:41:18.519 --> 00:41:22.519
you know, don't don't, I'm going to link it in

786
00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:24.840
the description. Just got to that, click on it and

787
00:41:24.840 --> 00:41:27.039
it'll bring you right to all that stuff.

788
00:41:27.320 --> 00:41:29.760
And what we're going to have on our website as well,

789
00:41:29.960 --> 00:41:33.119
Jim is we're going to build out a page for

790
00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:36.079
people who are interested. Yes, you know, I'm interested. I

791
00:41:36.079 --> 00:41:38.119
can sing, I can dance, I want to act, I

792
00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:39.760
don't know what I want to do. I just want

793
00:41:39.800 --> 00:41:42.159
to talk to somebody. It's not going to be a

794
00:41:42.239 --> 00:41:45.440
high pressure sales pitch, I can tell you. It's all about, Hey,

795
00:41:45.440 --> 00:41:47.039
this is what we do. What do you think you

796
00:41:47.079 --> 00:41:49.199
want to do? So it's one I have interest and

797
00:41:49.239 --> 00:41:52.119
you really just want to ask us some questions when

798
00:41:52.119 --> 00:41:53.880
you get out there, when you get to the website,

799
00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:57.519
find the info page, send us a message. In the past,

800
00:41:57.559 --> 00:42:00.320
we've not been great about responding to people because we

801
00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:02.800
had few hams. Sure, but we're getting better at it.

802
00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:05.960
I am just excited to be able to sit down

803
00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:10.199
with you and promote UH. And one thing I really

804
00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:14.400
want to hammer down today is very important organization. We

805
00:42:14.440 --> 00:42:17.559
have so many wonderful things here in Livingston Parish. We

806
00:42:17.679 --> 00:42:21.519
have a beautiful antique district right here in dimm Springs

807
00:42:21.559 --> 00:42:24.800
where we record out of UH and nothing fits better

808
00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:29.440
than that than Spotlight theater players with that antique district

809
00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:32.800
and and all the things we got going on around here. UH.

810
00:42:32.880 --> 00:42:36.039
But it's time for us to all as a community

811
00:42:36.079 --> 00:42:39.880
start acting and you know, quit talking, I guess you

812
00:42:39.920 --> 00:42:43.239
could say, and that's not a harsh way. That's that's

813
00:42:43.880 --> 00:42:44.440
all of us.

814
00:42:45.119 --> 00:42:45.320
You know.

815
00:42:45.440 --> 00:42:50.079
Yeah, I would question anybody that challenged whether that's was needed.

816
00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:53.159
Everybody agrees that it's needed. But we need some actors

817
00:42:53.760 --> 00:42:56.760
and I don't you know actors for Spotlight too, But

818
00:42:56.800 --> 00:42:59.480
we need some people that are going to take action

819
00:42:59.639 --> 00:43:03.400
on them us and figure out what it takes how

820
00:43:03.440 --> 00:43:06.079
to get there and then follow through with it. Yeah,

821
00:43:06.199 --> 00:43:07.239
that's the difference.

822
00:43:07.159 --> 00:43:10.719
You made me think of. You know, Walt Disney would

823
00:43:10.719 --> 00:43:14.320
would dream something and then he would tell his brother Roy,

824
00:43:15.039 --> 00:43:18.840
and Roy said, how how's that going to happen? He says,

825
00:43:19.079 --> 00:43:21.000
It's not my job to make it. He goes, I've

826
00:43:21.079 --> 00:43:22.519
dreamed it. You go find the money.

827
00:43:22.880 --> 00:43:24.079
We know that's right.

828
00:43:24.199 --> 00:43:28.199
So we need we need a Roy Disney that's gonna say, okay,

829
00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:30.199
this is the you know, the money and the act

830
00:43:30.239 --> 00:43:32.840
that this is the engine that's going to propel this

831
00:43:32.920 --> 00:43:37.199
thing forward. I think that delegating, but yeah, that's right.

832
00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:39.159
You know I would go so far as to throw

833
00:43:39.199 --> 00:43:43.199
out a challenge. Right. We need a building. Yeah, we

834
00:43:43.280 --> 00:43:45.800
need a place that we can commit to and have

835
00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:50.519
someone commit to let us use for a year to say,

836
00:43:50.599 --> 00:43:53.840
you know what, let's figure it out, rehearse there, see

837
00:43:53.840 --> 00:43:56.559
if it's good for to perform in what have you,

838
00:43:56.599 --> 00:44:00.199
because the cost associated with that is you know, substantial. Sure,

839
00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:04.519
we need a place to start from start to store

840
00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:07.400
our props, to store our materials, to have the rehearsals,

841
00:44:07.440 --> 00:44:11.000
to do the brainstorming. There's a lot of vacant buildings

842
00:44:11.039 --> 00:44:14.840
out there, a lot, so maybe somebody's got something that

843
00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:16.760
they could say, hey, y'all, come take a look if

844
00:44:16.800 --> 00:44:17.800
we can work something.

845
00:44:17.519 --> 00:44:22.519
Out well, and with that, you know, I know I'm

846
00:44:22.599 --> 00:44:24.800
kind of touching on something I talked about earlier, but

847
00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:30.559
as I travel the country with these tribute acts, these

848
00:44:30.639 --> 00:44:33.280
theaters that go to they have tribute acts.

849
00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:35.960
Coming in there every every weekend.

850
00:44:36.239 --> 00:44:39.760
Whether it's Eagles Tribute Act or you know, Elvis, which

851
00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:42.760
is real popular. But one of the things we've talked

852
00:44:42.760 --> 00:44:47.079
about is we get a facility, then we can when

853
00:44:47.559 --> 00:44:50.400
we're not doing a show there, you can bring these

854
00:44:50.440 --> 00:44:51.519
tribute acts in.

855
00:44:53.119 --> 00:44:53.320
There.

856
00:44:53.639 --> 00:44:56.079
Yeah, they're looking for a place, you know, and there's

857
00:44:56.119 --> 00:44:58.760
some phenomenal tribute acts out there, you know.

858
00:44:59.119 --> 00:45:01.880
Thank you both for coming on. Any final thoughts, anything

859
00:45:01.880 --> 00:45:03.559
else you want to mention before we get out.

860
00:45:03.639 --> 00:45:05.519
We need to build a clubhouse. We need to build

861
00:45:05.519 --> 00:45:07.000
a club, build a club.

862
00:45:07.719 --> 00:45:09.639
Get in touch with us. We'd love to talk to

863
00:45:09.679 --> 00:45:11.920
anybody that just wants to know more. We'll take it

864
00:45:11.920 --> 00:45:12.320
from there.

865
00:45:12.679 --> 00:45:18.000
Absolutely, thank you. I enjoyed it, and again I can't

866
00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:21.800
think of a more worthy organization than you guys to

867
00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:26.360
and I'm right there with you, very passionate about getting

868
00:45:26.440 --> 00:45:30.239
a facility for you guys and some other organizations around

869
00:45:30.239 --> 00:45:32.440
here that is really needed.

870
00:45:32.679 --> 00:45:33.719
So thank you.

871
00:45:33.719 --> 00:45:35.239
You know, if we could do it, just a quick

872
00:45:35.239 --> 00:45:38.280
thank you. Yes, Robert touched on it, but all of

873
00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:40.639
the people that have been involved in the board previously

874
00:45:40.800 --> 00:45:44.559
and involved with Spotlight, and all those local companies and

875
00:45:44.639 --> 00:45:47.440
organizations and the churches that have allowed us to use

876
00:45:47.480 --> 00:45:49.880
that for their facilities, we couldn't have gotten this far

877
00:45:49.960 --> 00:45:52.760
without them. So a huge thank you to everybody in

878
00:45:52.800 --> 00:45:55.000
the community that's done what they've done already. We couldn't

879
00:45:55.000 --> 00:45:55.760
have gotten this far.

880
00:45:56.119 --> 00:45:58.559
Very good, very good, and a huge thank you to

881
00:45:58.559 --> 00:46:02.760
all you listeners are listening and taking an interest in

882
00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:06.360
local leaders the podcast. We're coming up on one million

883
00:46:07.039 --> 00:46:10.559
downloads on YouTube. We're right around the corner from it,

884
00:46:10.679 --> 00:46:13.360
and that is only because of people like you guys

885
00:46:13.360 --> 00:46:15.679
that come on the show. They hear me talk every week,

886
00:46:15.840 --> 00:46:19.599
you know, they're probably sicking me by now, but really

887
00:46:19.639 --> 00:46:22.480
love and appreciate every single one of you who share

888
00:46:22.519 --> 00:46:26.719
the show. Are passionate about local businesses, local nonprofits and

889
00:46:26.760 --> 00:46:31.159
the like. And until next time, I'm Jim Chapman reminding

890
00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:35.679
you love your community, support local business, and keep leading.

891
00:46:35.800 --> 00:46:37.000
Thank you very much,