By Staff
The Greater Escambia Council for the Arts' "Annie" and the Atmore Arts Council's "Annie Get Your Gun" are more examples of what can happen when a community comes together and works toward a common goal.
It isn't always fun to put yourself in the spotlight where it is easy to become the target of ridicule if anything were to go wrong. Fortunately, nothing went wrong during the weekend performances of "Annie." The cast and crew of the play performed wonderfully and deserve congratulations.
An extra pat on the back goes to all those girls playing the orphan roles. Nothing comes easy, but these children made acting, dancing and singing in front of an audience look easy and effortless. They will be able to take with them a sense of accomplishment knowing that through preparation and hard work anything is possible.
Through long nights of practice and run-through after run-through, GECA and AAC have given our community an opportunity to experience top-notch performances of fantastic musicals.
Some believe that art is a reflection of our society. While we don't see optimistic orphans or rifle-toting cowgirls walking the streets of Atmore, we do see the reflection of the hard work that gave these productions life. Everyday, there are people working to keep our city running smoothly, watching as it grows n giving it life. While some are compensated for their work, many others are not.
We can all look to the volunteers of these two groups as those making a difference in our community. Their only compensation was an audience's applause and perhaps a feeling of accomplishment.
Since many are incapable of holding a tune or dancing without the use of an adult beverage, many may find a place by volunteering in other ways. Call the chamber of commerce, mayor, hospital, schools, police, fire department and see if they could use a volunteer for some project they've been unable to get to. Help make the city more presentable by cutting grass at a vacant lot or picking up garbage along the streets.
Imagine if everyone in our city gave one weekend out of the year to make the community a better place. We would be the envy of the state.
Let's look at those who took part in these productions as trendsetters. In this particular case, let's let life imitate art.