The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 12, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 3, 1990 Page: 3 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Abilene Christian University Library.
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T
he seats arc hard
wood close to the actors
in fact closer than many peo-
ple have ever been in a the-
ater. The air is wet with the
quiet anticipation of the audi-
ence made of patrons rang-
ing from Abilcne's
metropolitan nucvo richc to
nondescript collegiate cou-
ples all crossing legs and
propping chins to get com-
fortable. The lights arc down in the
theater but backstage cast
members of "Daddy's Dyin'
(Who's Got The Will?)" arc
making last quick touch-ups
with eyebrow pencils run-
ning over their lines like
liturgy anxiously clutching
hands to chests like a prayer
as they await their entrances.
Light Alls the room the
telephone on the stage rings;
the'Curtain has risen once
mfcrc at the Abilene Reperto-
ry Theatre (ART).
"Daddy's Dyin'" is the
latest production of ART and
has been a very successful
show selling out twice in the
two weekends it has shown
so far.
"This play is doing very
well because it's current it
was at the box office just a
month ago and also
because we have a strong cast
and good directing" said
Tcrri Knight current presi-
dent of ART.
Written by Del Shores a
native of Winters Texas the
play is being handily inter-
preted by the small troupe in
a squat stony building on the
fringes of downtown.
With direction by Tim
Mclntire 15-year ART veter-
an the play is taking on a
speeial meaning it is the
lost ART production for
Mclntire who has diligently
directed acted and built sets
for the theater but is now
moving to Lubbock.
"I see life in theater as an
on-going series of short
excerpts that happen every
two months or so every time
I do a play" Mclntire said.
"I will miss working with
ART here in the way I miss
doing a show" Mclntire said
smiling under a neat brown
beard and resuming the back-
stage plucking of his guitar.
Actors begin strolling
into the building from the
night quickly falling outside
rehearsals begin in half an
hour.
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RT is a club that puts
on plays.
Consisting of over 20
members the miicw of dra-
matic enthusiasts sponsor
shows with the passionate
resource o&hdcdicatcd guild.
ART members belonging
to the uncanny ilk of West
Texas artists develop six
shows every season includ-
ing original plays like ACU
student Rick Madcrs'
"Change of Will" and clas-
sics like Shakespeare's "A
Midsummer Night's Dream."
Founded almost 25 years
ago as the Dycss Air Force
Base Theater the ART boasts
an extensive life in local
community drawing support
from stability.
ART as it exists today
was founded by Bob Straus
(currently featured as
"Daddy" Turnover in
"DaddsDyin"') in 1973; it.
is in it J 7iii continuous sea- M
son "Daddy's Dyin'" adding
up to over 100 productions
done at the current location.
"The reason we manage
to survive is the dedication of
our audience the group of
actors and the fact that we
have been here so long" said
Knight four-year Abilene
resident.
Tickets donations and all
other finances go to pay the
play royalties rent and set
costs all of which arc done
from from scratch for each
show.
"When it comes to first
impressions of this little
building you shouldn't
judge a book by its cover. We
do a lot of quality theater
here and we continually sur-
prise ourselves" Knight said.
"We are a month-by-month
group always barely
managing to get by but some-
how we always do."
The cast for "Daddy's
Dyin'" is a myriad of differ-
ent actors and actresses
including a Wylic High
School student an amateur a
Stamford transient and sea-
soned thespian Peggy Click
Cummings of 15 years.
They all come together
for four to five weeks before-
hand for continuous
rehearsals in order to create
alternative entertainment for
Abilene.
"The fact that this small
theater is in the round mokes
it unique" said Cummings
seen as Mamma Whcclis in
"Daddy's Dyin"'.
' "It challenges us as artists
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A lonely stage hand saunters into the theater for nightly practice of "Daddy's Dyin (Who's Got The
Will?) " at the Abilene Repertory Theatre downtown Abilene circa 1990.
to act more diligently and be
realistic; it also gets the audi-
ence wrapped up in it
when they can sec our facial
expressions they feel right
there."
The next play will be a
1940 mystery drama
"Ladies in Retirement"
showing Nov. 29th.
As usual local talent will
pool resources to create the
art.
"You see alot of the same
actors here in different roles
you may even sec the same
show in two years time
that is what happens in a city
this size but its alright"
Knight said.
It is a certain oddity the
little theater culture plopped
down upon the West Texas
plains.
On the carpet by the
front door there is an elabo-
rate painting of the dramatic
masks; it was done to cover
up a paint spill.
In the wall a boulder is
embedded with painted ques-
tion marks and exclamation
points surrounding it; a van-
dal threw it through the front
window
A feeling of permanence
a comic presence always
ready to turn anything into
art dwells around Abilene
Repertory Theatre like a
mist.
The oblong building
stands a tribute to the
indomitable thespian spirit
thriving on the surreal fron-
tier r- -
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ART
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Kitt Brophy historian for ART prepares her makeup backstage for her
appearance as Sara Lee Turnover in "Daddy's Dyin'."
Tim Mclntire director indulges himself in the sweet sound of his guitar
playing backstage while waiting for rehearsal to begin.
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By Brandon Laird
Photos by Wendy Hornbaker
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 12, Ed. 1, Wednesday, October 3, 1990, newspaper, October 3, 1990; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth96205/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.