Christine had me write the letter for the Rounding Third, and for fun I thought I’d reprint it here…this will be in the front cover of the program. It’s just a first draft, some cleaning up will probably happen when I’m not falling asleep at my computer.

Just click the link!

It was just a few days ago, after rehearsal. The theatre was dark.

Everyone else had left the building, and after spending some time working in my office, I was doing a quick walk through of the building to check doors and such before leaving. I found myself in the theatre. There was, as it should be, just one small lamp left on. The “ghost light”, as it’s called in theatres everywhere, is there to give just enough light so folks can see their way through a darkened theatre. It gets put into a closet during the day, when people are working and it’s not needed. Ours was out, lighting the theatre…and I stopped. A thought occurred to me:

We have a ghost light. We’re really a theatre now.

And I sat in one of the seats. One of our real, honest-to-goodness just-got-installed-a-few-weeks-ago theatre seats. F-1, to be exact.

We have theatre seats. We’re a theatre now.

And as I sat there in the second row, I thought back to the day we’d just had in this building that you’re in now. This building that used to be a furniture store.

I thought of the things I’d seen that day: Erica, our stage manager, setting up props for rehearsal. Barb painting the lobby ceiling. John and Tobin with their scripts running lines, our technical director Casey oiling a squeaky door onstage while Bart did some paint touch-ups on the set. Reid and Laura recording cues into the light board while Tim worked in the corner to get the coffee cup prop just right. Chris was on the computer, working on this very program that you hold in your hands, when Emily came by with homemade snacks for everyone on her way upstairs to work.

No question, it had been a busy day at Williamston Theatre, this building that used to be a grocery store. And I was amazed that so many people were doing so much work.

As I sat in the darkened theatre, remembering the workday, another day came to mind. A day about a year and a half ago, when John, Chris, Emily and I sat in a coffee shop and said to each other “This can work. Let’s make it happen.”

And it is happening, step by step. Step by step this building has become a theatre. A home. These people have become a company, and this company is becoming a family.

Is there still work to do? You bet. Do we have a long way to go? Sure. But we’ll get there. Step by step.

Our first full season kicks off right here, right now. This show is another step, and you’re a part of it. You’re a part of this family. We want this to be your home, too, and we want you to take the next steps with us.

So thanks for being here today, and come by any time. You’re always welcome.

And when you come by, remind me – I’ll show you the ghost light.

Sincerely,
Tony Caselli
Artistic Director