Rehearsals for “High School Musical” are getting serious with almost daily episodes but if you think that is tough on the cast just imagine how much tougher it is for Angela Martin, the director, who has two casts to rehearse.

While cast A is rehearsing, cast B is watching or not around. After about 1 1/2 hours cast B takes the stage and cast A goes home or stays to watch, but Angela has to be there for three hours straight, six hours on Saturdays. Fortunately she is dedicated and loves to teach so the casts really won’t know how valuable she is until the play is over.

The male adults in this teenage musical are Tracy Jackson and Kenney Moore who play Coach Bolton, the basketball coach of East High School. Both of these gentlemen have a youngster in the play also, namely Lucas Jackson who plays the male lead Troy Bolton in cast A and Isabelle Moore who plays the female lead in cast B.

Tracy is a deputy sheriff, a board member and has had several spot roles in the past on our stage. His son Noah helps with backstage work and his wife Natalie paints backdrops and helps with cleanup after a show. Kenney is a newcomer to the big stage. He grew up in Newport, N.C. and graduated from East Carteret High School. He now lives in Mt. Olive, is the founder and owner of the Highway 55 restaurants(formerly Andy’s) franchise and tries to play golf at least once a week. He was in a couple of plays when younger but was drawn to this role by his admiration of our theater and the job that we do. His daughters, Isabelle and Emma have been in numerous shows on our stage and he decided to join them and says he is really enjoying it and is having a blast.

We wish to thank David Hobson, a local attorney, for volunteering to sponsor this production. This is the purest form of civic pride and we ask that you thank David for his generosity.

Further auditions for Big River will be held this week. If you are interested call the director at 627-2143 for date and time. This production is being directed by Dan Holland and features roles for all ages. This musical is filled with fun songs and a great message. It is based on the Mark Twain classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Our website is available at: www.sampsoncommunitytheatre.org and we are on Facebook but if you visit us there, we ask that you “like” us while there.

Upcoming Events

Disney’s High School Musical — Directed by Angela Martin. Sponsored by David Hobson, Attorney at Law. Rehearsals ongoing. Performances Aug. 21-23 and Aug. 28-30 (8 Shows with 8 p.m. shows on Aug. 21, 22, 28, 29 and 3 p.m. matinees on Aug. 22, 23, 29, 30)

Big River — Directed by Dan Holland. Auditions this week. Call director for time and date. Performances Oct. 2, 3, 4 and Oct. 9, 10, 11. (6 Shows)

Best Little Christmas Pageant Ever — Directed by Angela Martin. Auditions Oct 3. Performances Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 20-22. (6 shows)

Taylor Michaels Music and Magic Christmas Show — Performances Dec. 18-19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20 at 3 p.m. This is a fundraiser for the theater and not a patron sponsor event.

Thoughts until next week:

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive-to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest accomplishment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

A person can fail many times, but they aren’t a failure until they begin to blame someone else.

Bruce Caldwell is a member of the Sampson Community Theatre Board of Directors.

By Bruce Caldwell

Contributing columnist

https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_Dr.-Bruce-Caldwell1.jpg