“Silver City Community Theatre (SCCT) is going spooky for Halloween,” according to Phyllis McQuaide, President of the SCCT Board of Directors. “On Saturday, October 24 at 7pm, we’ll read “The Black Cat” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” both by Edgar Allan Poe and an excerpt from “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. Presenting these spooky stories will be Ted Pressler, Gregg Jarrette, and Liz Mikols and Chellee Chase as "Chelvira, the Hostess with the Mostest." This is our most ambitious Zoom project yet. We think it will be a lot of fun.”
“Some people have had difficulty reaching our Zoom shows,” says McQuaide. “To see Spooky Halloween! go to silvercitycommunitytheater.com and click the link under events. Or enter https://zoom.us/j/95815971539 in the address bar at the top of the search page NOT in the search bar in the middle of the page.”
“Hostess with the Mostest,” Chellee Chase is keeping her costume secret,” McQuaide says. “She has a flair for the Gothic so look out!”
Chellee, a writer and a Life Happiness/Success Coach, says she has a passion for the Silver City community and working with local nonprofits. “I got involved in theatre for the first time last year, playing Mrs. Dickens (and Jacob Marley) in Joe Shea's "Scrooge and Dickens." My second performance was in "A Scene from the Border," by Andy Payne. SCCT’s Zoom production, "All You Get," was my third gig and performing on Zoom is very different.” Chellee says, “I intend to act in local theatre for as long as they'll have me!” Chellee is a SCCT Board Member.
Liz Mikols will read Poe’s horror story ‘The Black Cat.’ Liz says, “I moved to Silver City several years ago, and I have devoted myself to New Mexico history. To share this interest with others, I present one-woman Chautauqua’s, in which I portray various women from the past. I’ve enjoyed great success with Madam Millie, Bessie Harper, the Harvey Girls and Ginny Ailman. My current project is researching Belle Eckles; she was elected N.M. School Superintendent and was an important administrator of the New Deal in N.M. Also, I can be found at the WNMU Ceramics Studio where I mix science and art. I am delighted to work with the talented members of SCCT.”
‘The Tell-Tale Heart,’ Poe’s story of a murderer’s guilt, will be read by Ted Pressler. “After a successful career in worldwide sales and marketing,” Ted says “I came to Silver City twelve years ago on a two day visit and basically never left. In Silver City I have had roles in Theater Group New Mexico productions beginning with ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ Virus Theater's ‘The Tempest,’ Raging Thespians productions including ‘Blithe Spirit,’ and in past SCCT productions including ‘A Twilight Christmas,’ ‘Over The River and Through The Woods,’ ‘The Days Are as Grass,’ ‘And Then There Were None,’ ‘Last of the Red Hot Lovers,’ ‘Who Invited Falstaff?’ as well as two SCCT/Rotary mystery dinner theater productions.”
Gregg Jarrette will present an excerpt from ‘Dracula,’ Bram Stoker’s Gothic horror story. Gregg, a SCCT Board Member, is a retired police officer from Illinois. After retirement, he worked for the Department Of Defense as a Civilian/Military Advisor on four different overseas missions in Africa and Afghanistan. Upon settling down, he did extra work for Towers Productions in Chicago on several of their History Channel episodes. Gregg says, “Since moving to Silver City, I’ve appeared in Virus Theater’s “Marjorie Prime, also a SCCT 1-act play, and “Scrooge and Dickens” produced by the Oasis Coffee and Tea House. I enjoy honing my wilderness skills, singing in the Silver Chorale, playing guitar, and singing Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennet songs while hosting the Karaoke Show at the Little Toad Creek Restaurant and Bar.”
“Wendy Spurgeon is coaching the actors for this production,” according to McQuaide. Wendy says, “I caught the ‘Theatre Bug’ early in life and chose to pursue a professional career on the stage and in the classroom. After earning a BFA in Theatre Arts/ Acting & Directing, I went on to work professionally at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as well as several regional theatre companies and conservatories including: Oregon Cabaret Theatre, Rogue Music Theatre, Camelot Theatre Company, Portland Playback Theatre, StageCoach Theatre School, and the Oregon Conservatory of Performing Arts.”
McQuaide notes, “SCCT has Zoom events planned monthly through the end of the year. Wendy Spurgeon will teach “Acting for the Zoom Camera,” a SCCT Zoom Workshop, Saturday, November 21, at 2 pm. And, of course, SCCT will observe Christmas in December! Go to silvercitycommunitytheater.com for times and links to future productions.”
“Be the Community in Community Theater—join SCCT! Individual and family memberships receive tickets and admission to opening night parties and workshops. Family memberships are $35; individual memberships, $20. Additionally, we have great community sponsors and recognize them in programs and other publications,” according to McQuaide.
A home-grown theater company, SCCT grew out of a series of acting classes presented by The Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL). Several class members joined forces to create the Silver City Community Theatre. Now after 6 years and many productions, SCCT’s mission continues: to enrich, educate and entertain the Silver City and Grant County communities by providing a broad range of live theater experiences on a recurring, seasonal basis.
SCCT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.