Show Jm: The Herald JournalCache Sunday September 20 1987—9 Rural theater thrives in fourth decade VERONA Va (UPI) - The tree has special and significance for oak Margaret Fletcher Collins who 34 years ago founded a thriving community theater in a secluded grove of the tall hardwoods on their Shenandoah Valley farm Since then the couple — Fletcher 31 a theater professor retired from Mary Baldwin College and Margaret a playwright and producer “in her — have served as pied 70 pipers of the arts to hundreds of amateur actors and theater buffs who are alumni of the Oak Grove Theater In the earliest days of the Oak Grove actors changed costume in a converted chicken house with no running water The audience sat on hard wooden benches and watched players cavort on a concrete stage paid for with six S2S donations Some scoffed at the idea of an But out of that amateur that nurtures new plays and play runs for six nights and the theater is often tradition the Hites believe the playwrights Theater Wagon — the Collinses call it the theater’s overflowing community has grown also The theater which has never “They do a lot to educate “research and development” solicited a dime from state or their audience" said Bobbie arm — has traveled in the federal arts organizations con- Hite “I swear you would find United States and presented tinues to operate in the black here a very sophisticated the- works at the Edinburgh And the Collinses who have ater audience" Festival Fringe in Scotland and moved from their farm to a In addition to the summer in a medieval abbey in France Victorian theater the Collinses founded Julia Dean a New Englander spacious brick home high on a Staunton Theater Wagon an organization who eame to the Shenandoah 180-se- at 18-roo- m hill ealled Valley to study dance at James Madison University in 1977 found the Collinses to be the sounding board she needed for her won She stayed and encouraged by the Collinses developed a concert tour for her “motion art” in public schools from Maine to Louisiana appropriately enough “The Oaks" continue to uncover talented amateur actors who deserve a moment in the spotlight “They learn by doing” said Fletcher Collins who directed every play during the theater’s first decade “We had one man who sat in the audience for 10 years who said ‘I’d like to be up there on the stage"’ Since then Collins said the man has blossomed into one of the troupe’s best performers “To Margart and Fletcher it enduring outdoor playhouse — was always more important to reached by traveling down a have people do the play” said winding country road — that Bobbie Hite a Norfolk playdared to attempt Shakespeare wright who performed at the Chekhov Simon and an oc- Oak Grove while a student at casional fledgling playwright Mary Baldwin College in the 1850s all in the same season Collins called it “They would cast people in a “They Colhist because they wanted chuckled Fletcher plav Folly" lins a bespectacled medieval to do it and sometimes it didn’t scholar who has transcribed a torn out so great" said Hite dozen plays and published sev- who returns with her husband Rick also an Oak Grove eral books d alumni and children for annual But for the couple who had forsaken the summer and winter reunions fast life of New York for the staged by the Collinses “But “organic wholeness" of life in what an accomplishment What the provinces nothing seemed rorid” not paving impossible Now more than three de- and directors" said Rick Hite cades later all 850 season a theater professor at Virginia tickets are sold months before Wesleyan College “They are the lights go up on the first of amateurs in the best sense of the season's five plays Each the word” Yale-educate- JEFFERSON MEETING The Cocht County Constitutional Bicanfonniol CommittM end a Jefferson Meeting for Utah State University ere Saturday November 31st The Jefferson Meeting will be a day meeting for interested citizens of Cache long County to participate in discussion and debate in an open forum concerning the principles of the Constitution and to evaluate how our government is operating under that Constitution Delegates will meet in small discussion groups followed by a general session Persons interested in becoming a delegate must submit this application form on or before September 3Sth to: Cache Jefferson Meeting 67 East 100 North logon UT 84321 1 For further information call Paul Morrefl at 7S2-09non-partisa- n DELEGATE APPLICATION I hereby opoiy to be a delegate to the Cache Jefferson Meeting I understand that there is no charge or registration fee for participation in the Jefferson Meeting Applicant's Nome: Home Address: Bus: Telephone: “We love life” “We lived in Logan all our lives raised a large family in this valley This last spring wefinally decided to sell the old house Just too much upkeep and worry We moved to a beautiful apartment at Golden Living Ruth is delighted with her kitchen We enjoy our many friends and the security here at our new borne We’re as happy as we were fifty years ago” lHitvVlrwtmMitifismMniwMnlllii: ( ) Terms and Tenure for Members of Congress ( ) Terms and Tenure of President ( ) Judicial Independence end Accountability ) Amending the Constitution by Convention ( ) Veto end Separation of Powers A nOLPEN(M)LIVINC RETIREMENT APARTMENTS iT m ummmmmrn m m a a tr 132 iiasi Ihitd JJcrfh Logon Jeiaptene 75522 '‘jt t lVzs i'i |