CELEBRATING SEUSS THE WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH CHILDREN’S THEATER in the Park will celebrate
Dr. Seuss’ birthday by showcasing skits from some of his most beloved stories
on March 22.
Young actors from kindergarten to eighth grade will take the stage at Wrights-ville
Beach Park to unveil songs from “Cat in the Hat,” “Horton Hears a Who,” “The Grinch Who
Stole Christmas” and other stories in a production called “Seuss in the Park.”
“We’re taking a few songs from Seussical and adding some fun, contemporary songs,” says
LJ Woodard, creator and artistic director of the Performance Club, which is putting on the show
in conjunction with Wrightsville Beach Parks & Recreation. “Everyone loves Dr. Seuss, and this is
a great celebration of his work.”
The Performance Club is founded on the belief that kids learn by playing and play by acting.
While some productions require an audition, every kid who signed up for “Seuss in the Park”
Young actors with the Performance
Club appear on the Wrightsville
Beach Park stage each summer.
gets the chance to navigate his or her way around a stage and learn all about performing, singing and acting.
Curtain is scheduled to go up at 5:30 p.m.
“It’s a community event,” Woodard says. “We don’t charge for tickets. Bring a chair, bring a picnic blanket, and enjoy the show. It’s a fun
thing to do in the park. If you’re walking the loop, stop and watch the show.”
The group starts rehearsals for its summer production, “Poppins in the Park,” on April 5, with the performance scheduled for June 1.
— Gabriella Dionisio
PHOTOS FROM LJ WOODARD’S WEBSITE: WWW.PERFORMANCECLUBKIDS.COM
EMPTY A BOWL, FILL A BELLY
REA POTTERS, restaurants and individu-als
interested in combating hunger
will come together March 16 at
Wilmington’s First Baptist Church for
the biennial Empty Bowls event. The ticket-holders
donate to a charitable cause, partake in a delicious
meal, and also get to keep the bowl.
Patrons pay $20 for a ticket to Empty Bowls. They
choose a bowl especially created for the event, then eat
a meal of soup and bread donated by local restaurants.
Susan Dillard has been attending the event since
2008 and proudly displays her collection of five bowls
in her home.
“The event is just really powerful,” Dillard says.
“The artists put so much energy into their work and
there was always a sense of camaraderie. I always felt
good about doing it and wanted to make sure the
people who needed feeding got fed.”
Proceeds benefit the Good Shepherd Center and
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, which use the funds
to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless in the
community.
This will be the ninth Empty Bowls event. The
last one, in 2016, raised almost $50,000 for the two
charities. — Gabriella Dionisio
Susan Dillard’s collection from past Empty Bowls events.
ALLISON POTTER
A
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