Call Me Katherine: Issue No. 1

Did you know that I’m active in local community theater?

I have been participating in community theater for a couple of years and am increasingly aware of its connection to creating vibrant places, conveying place narrative, and providing unique offerings for the community and beyond.  To this point, I have participated in a few established shows.

However, a local resident, Angie Staheli, in the neighboring town of Holly Springs who herself is a transplant wrote a play spanning 150 years of the history of the town.  City leadership and locals have now adopted it and is supporting its production to be staged this summer for 10 shows to coincide with the town’s 150 year anniversary.  If the town sounds familiar, it’s because last year it was named as the #1 small town in America.

The show is called “Finding Patience: The Story of Holly Springs” and the tagline is:

Sometimes you don’t choose a town;
the town chooses you.

Wow. I just went through the audition and callback process and I have to say I was amazed.  I have never seen a turn out like this for a community theater audition.  Hundreds showed up! The auditions took a week to complete.  The playwright and her team had over 60 people on the callback list alone.  Folks came from all over the region to audition and just as interesting, residents who didn’t really have a ton of experience auditioned just to be part of the experience.  They are attracted to the uniqueness of the opportunity to celebrate place in a significant way.

It demonstrated to me again how we have to find unique and meaningful ways for people to participate in their place.  And we also have to find vehicles to retell our narrative back to each other.  It solidifies and unites in a way that is authentic and not forced, and people clearly respond.

I’m happy to report that Grace and I were able to snag meaningful roles in the show. And we look forward to the experience as well as to all of the associated events to provide living history experiences as we ramp up to production.  Here is the Facebook page and website for the show if you’d like to keep up with our progress: HERE, and HERE.

Although it isn’t being billed as a placemaking project, the best ones usually aren’t. It is a great example of the most important placemaking principles of encouraging belonging and pride in place.

Until next time,
Katherine