MTA Takes a Journey of Exploration
It's been a busy year. It seems like only yesterday that MTA met at Theatre Charlotte for
a spirited discussion of MTA's purpose and future. While MTA did some self exploring,
forces were at work in our communities and state that had direct impact on our members
pursuit of their art. The Mecklenburg County Commisioners cut funding to the Arts &
Science Council, directly impacting the budgets of many MTA companies. In Raleigh, a State
Legislator from Guilford County tried to put restraints on state arts funds. With these
actions in mind, your MTA EXCOM has decided to spend the next year exploring the various
political and social actions open to non-profit organizations to effect the decision
making process in our various communities. In many ways this process will be a
continuation of the dialog NCTC started with its Celebrate Theatre Week last year. Over
the next year MTA will be inviting guests to our meetings to help us better understand our
options in this challenging time. Our first guest will be Stan Campbell who will share
with us his efforts to organize a group called the Alliance for a Better Charlotte (see
page 3 for more details). The host for our next meeting will George Gray's Stage One.
George is now producing at the Neighborhood Theatre in the North Davidson Arts District.
The meeting will be on Thursday, September 11 at 5:30pm at the Neighborhood Theatre on
36th Street at North Davidson. Stage One is producing Blessed Assurance by Laddy Sartin.
Members must RSVP to George by September 5 at 5:00pm by calling 376-9047. Because of the
size of The Neighborhood Theatre there is a limit to the number of seats available for the
performance. Please RSVP early to ensure a seat.
Here's a big MTA "Thank You" to Carowinds for hosting the June meeting. We would
especially like to say thank you to Mike Hamrick for being a great host. A fine time was
had by all on the rides.
If you don't see your season listed in the 97-98 calender, then you haven't sent it to Tom
Hollis. Get this info in fast so that it will appear in the next Callboard as well as on
the MTA website. Also remember to send a copy to Keith Martin at Charlotte Rep for
inclusion in the season conflict resolution database.
The MTA Script Library is now in its new home at CPCC Theatre. Got any extra scripts from
past productions? Send them to Tom Hollis or Tom Vance at CPCC. Want to check out a
script? Contact Tom Vance or Tom Hollis at CPCC and they'll make arrangements to send you
the script or for you to pick it up.
Joanna Smith, MTA Treasurer, has mailed out renewal invoices for 97-98 member dues. Please send inv oice and check back ASAP. If you have not received an invoice, please contact Joanna..
November 7-9
NCTC ,Asheville,NC
March 11-15
SETC ,Birmingham,AL
The MTA Excom was relected at the June meeting at Carowinds. Contact your officers with
questions or concerns you have for MTA. They are your representatives. They can only act,
if you direct them to.
The First Friday of the Month Club for Working Actors newsletter goes out to over 200 members monthly. Send your audition and performance notices to Annette Gill, F.F.O.T.M.C. Theatre Liason, 5612 Roundhouse Lane, Charlotte, NC 28226. Auditions notices arriving too late for the newsletter will be placed on the First Friday Hotline.
Joanna Smith has left West Charlotte High to pursue a Masters in School Admin. at UNCC. Good Luck Joanna. Susan Marash Minnerly has joined her husband Doug at his first church in West Virginia. The Vance Theatrical Organization is now Vance & Wilson Entertainment.
ACheck out The Lincoln Theatre Guild's new website @http:www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/1095
"The Alliance of A Better Charlotte is a non-partisan, non-profit public policy think tank. It is a 501(c)(4) corporation, which means your corporate or individual contributions are tax-deductible. ABC has been founded because of the belief that considerable harm will be done to our community if we continue the mean-spirited, demagogic rhetoric that has recently appeared in our public debates. In the short term, ABC will strive to create a timely, consistent and effective response to the deliberate campaigns of distortion and anger being put forward by negative political groups in our city for their own politcial gain. In the longer term, we will try to help shape the discussion of relevant community issues by providing community decision makers with in-depth policy analysis and alternative solutions. We will also work with recognized community leadership programs to bring forward a new generation of informed leadership to serve in elective office in the future."
We will be reviving the practice of regional spotlights of member theatres this year.
If you'd be interested in making a brief presentation about your theatre at a future MTA
meeting, contact Ginger Heath and she'll schedule your appearance. Regional Spotlights are
a good opportunity to blow your theatre's horn.
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