BART’S BLOG – MAY 2024

Spring Cleaning at The PAC:
Get swept up in our 2024-2025 Season and Exciting Opportunities for Everyone!

Spring is in the air, and just like you usher in the season by refreshing your home, we are revitalizing The PAC with new energy, creativity, and opportunities for our community to engage in the magic of the performing arts as we unveil our spectacular 2024-2025 Season lineup.

The PAC 2024-2025 Season Highlights:

• Mary Poppins – The PAC ProAm Musical: Get ready to be enchanted as Mary Poppins takes the stage in this supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical.
• It’s A Wonderful Life – The PAC Radio Drama: Experience the magic of the holiday season with special TV and radio broadcasts of It’s A Wonderful Life, brought to life through last November’s PAC radio drama production.
• The Nutcracker with The Dance Centre of Elizabethtown: Join us for another mesmerizing production of The Nutcracker, performed in collaboration with The Dance Centre of Elizabethtown.
• The Play That Goes Wrong – The PAC ProAm Classical: Prepare for laughter and chaos with The Play That Goes Wrong, a hilarious madcap farce where anything that can go wrong does uproariously.
• Kentucky Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Delve into the haunting world of ambition, power, and fate with Kentucky Shakespeare’s gripping Macbeth.
• Missoula Children’s Theatre’s Hercules: Embark on an epic adventure with Missoula Children’s Theatre as they bring the legendary tale of Hercules to life on our stage.
• Page to Stage Workshops: Expanding upon this season’s partnership with Kentucky Shakespeare, we are adding directing workshops alongside our playwrighting workshops next season and our June auditioning workshops!

Opportunities for Engagement:

• PAC Producing Partners: We invite you to become a PAC Producing Partner by sponsoring one of our season events. Your contribution, whether monetary or in-kind services, plays a leading role in realizing our shared vision of enriching our community through the arts.
• Auditions: Calling all performers of all ages! Register for our upcoming June ProAm auditions for Mary Poppins and The Play That Goes Wrong and showcase your talent on The PAC stage.
• PACtivities! webpage: Explore more about auditions, workshops, and all our other educational experiences on our newly branded PACtivities! webpage.
• Bart’s Blog: Stay updated on all the exciting events at The PAC through my monthly blog on HCETV, through the News Enterprise, or delivered right to your inbox by signing up for our mailing list at ThePAC.net.

So, in the spirit of spring cleaning, please help us sweep in a wave of creativity, renewal, and community spirit at The PAC. Join us as we celebrate the arts, create unforgettable experiences, and make a lasting impact on Hardin County. Together, we’ll dust off the curtains, polish the stage, and make the 2024-2025 Season at The PAC a sparkling showcase of creativity and inspiration!

Video Links

The links below provide a video version of this month’s blog and a link to HCECTV’s The Monthly Marquee, an interview program hosted by Bart focused on performing arts activities in our region.

PAC Spotlight

This month, the PAC Spotlight shines on our 23-24 PAC Student Aides: Alessandra Fox, Kendan Mathews, Reese Lybbert, Fiona Moody, Ace Morgan and Caitlynn Murphy; John Hardin High School

What did you learn from your PAC experiences?
ALESSANDRA: I’ve learned a lot about theatre in general in the PAC, coming together on things, and so many interesting things, honestly.
KENDAN: I gained tons of knowledge in the performing arts and made great connections with all of the staff.
REESE: I have learned how to build things and make things from little to nothing for a set or prop. I have learned that although a group you are working with for someone may not be the best, it doesn’t mean that your final project will be horrible. Everyone has their strengths, and finding those and working with them in a group is very important. It makes doing things a lot more enjoyable for people and works out a lot better.
FIONA: I’ve learned how to collaborate with others, discipline myself, and, as some might say, always make bold choices.
ACE: I have learned a ton about technical theatre, which has helped me better understand the stage, on and behind it. I have also made invaluable, lifelong connections with folks associated with the PAC.
CAITLYNN: I have gained some hands-on experience from everything I have been taught. Each lesson varies from learning how to manage emails to assembling stage equipment and keeping your environment clean. I have learned skills I can use later in life, from communication skills to some technical stuff that will turn out to be useful when I am out on my own.

Why is the PAC important to you?
ALESSANDRA: The PAC is important to me because it can bring so many people together, whether that is audience members, the casts, even the workers themselves.
KENDAN: The PAC is like another home; it’s unique and has an amazing atmosphere and staff.
REESE: The PAC is important to me because it felt like a place where I could be myself and express who I was, whether on stage performing or helping backstage set up. I felt like I could be who I am, and no one would judge me for it.
FIONA: I would not be who I am today without the PAC and theatre in general. It has allowed me to find an identity, confidence, and family that I never would’ve had otherwise.
ACE: The PAC feels like a second home. It’s a great, enriching environment chock-full of diverse, unique, and kind individuals. I am so thankful to have met and been taught by them.
CAITLYNN: You can find a sense of community and belonging at the PAC with the staff, and watching their productions is nothing less than magical.

Why should the PAC be important to others?
ALESSANDRA: It can be a great experience for all.
KENDAN: The PAC is a great place to learn and gain experience and is a home for artistic expression.
REESE: I think the PAC should be important to others because they can express themselves just like I did. They get to show off their talents and have fun doing it. They aren’t judged for being themselves and learning new things at the same time.
FIONA: The PAC has a way of bringing people together that’s unique to this area as it’s an accepting safe haven for so many.
ACE: The PAC is integral to the arts community in Hardin County. It has inspired many to try or pursue the performing arts, including myself, and serves as a great local place for entertainment and artistic expression. It is a monumental source of joy and experience for many in our community.
CAITLYNN: Their performances are near perfection. Everyone works hard to make their performances wonderful. They put so much effort into everything they do, and people should be able to see their work put into action and hopefully feel in awe of the value the PAC holds.