The Camelot Theatre Company’s production of “South Pacific” at the Third Ward Auditorium shows what a great little venue this can be when it’s in the right hands.

Director Mike Dyche designed and built a three faceted set that moves the Rogers & Hammerstein musical along at a pace many larger venues would be unable to pull off.

The show itself is outstanding! Mike has cast a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar faces in all roles. Of all these, Robbie Burke is the standout as the comic character Billis.

If Robbie is teaching his Drama students at Spalding High School half of what he is able to bring to a role, we will be rich with more and more new talent in coming years.

His double-takes and willingness to expose a tattooed gut bring laughter every time he takes the stage.

Robin Pickett brings an excellent singing voice and incredible delivery to the part of Bloody Mary. She is hilarious as she tries to sell grass skirts and shrunken heads; then she turns dramatic as she tries to protect daughter Liat (Gabriella Oviedo) from an ill-fated love affair with Lt. Cable (Rafael Palacios).

The evening’s hardest worker is Music Director Seth Davis who keeps the show moving and the performances paced. He is amazing.

Randy Chaffin and Dawn Stone make a handsome pair as leads Emile DeBecque and Nellie Forbush. Chaffin in particular brought a strong voice to “Some Enchanted Evening.” Stone and the nurses had lots of fun with “Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”

I was glad to see that Mike chose not to cut back on some of the language and to give full credence to the show’s anti-racism theme. This gave the somber end of one of the subplots a greater significance.

If you haven’t seen a show yet at the Third Ward Auditorium, let “South Pacific” be your first. I guarantee it won’t be your last.

Camelot Kids' Theatre presented "Charlotte's Web", the musical on March 8, 15 and 22, 2003. This musical was based on the award winning and much loved book, "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White. The show was presented to all the 2nd and 3rd grade students in Spalding County and was produced in the Griffin Auditorium. Dr. Cynthia Anderson (curriculum director ) was instumental in helping to plan this project.

Two Saturday morning shows were performed at the historical Third Ward Auditorium. These shows were "standing room only" to see the 49 kids who performed in this show! Hayden Flanders and Walker Davis portrayed "Wilbur", and Molly Murphy played the role of Charlotte, the spider. Other cast members included Chrisde Norton: Fern, Clay Sexton: Avery, Nick Clark: Mr. Arable, Emily Stephens: Mrs. Arable, Matthew Herring: Mr. Zuckerman, Caitlin Anthony: Mrs. Zuckerman, Spencer O'Brien: Lurvy, Meg Matthews: Uncle biggest pig, Gander: Destiny Brooks, Goose: Aria Thompson, Timi Webb: Sheep, Carly Jane Bankston: Lamb, Courtney Armistead: Bat, Betsy Ballard: Owl, Austin Ogletree: Chicken, Mary Rachel Mayo: Cat, Jordan Gilbert: donkey. These were the main roles; however, many other talented children were involved.

Mr. Seth Davis was our pianist and musical director and did a wonderful job playing the show live! Over 2,400 people (total) attended the shows. What a wonderful supportive community! Baby spiders tended to "steal" the show with Elizabeth Hall, Faith Flanders, Jacob Joiner, Lainey Ballard, Matt Davis and Will Davis! Camelot Theatre Company is so fortunate to have such a tremendous group of parents and helpers. Without them we could not have done this production of "Charlotte's Web".

After the show Mrs. Robin Pickett planned a cast party like NO OTHER! She used the farm/Charlotte's Web theme and had parents helping! The cast and crew were so surprised and excited! They would like to thank everyone who had a hand in making this production so successful!

Because of Oopsy Daisy Children's Clothing, Accessories and Gifts Store owners, Beth Golden and Lynn Davis(sponsors of The Velveteen Rabbit) Camelot was able to bring this show to you. Camelot Kids would like to thank Griffin RESA for their wonderful support of musical theatre! We hope you enjoy these photos of the show, Velveteen Rabbit , taken by Mr. Rick Blackshear of Blackshear Photography. We arranged a special showing of Velveteen Rabbit on Saturday, March 23rd at 6:00. We enjoyed seeing a full-house. Adults and children loved the antics of the wind-up toys, the little rabbits, the Skin Horse and the Velveteen Rabbit.

The children in this show were: Velveteen Rabbit: Whitney Powers, Skin Horse: Ashley Guimento, Boy: Ryan Hayes, Mother: Allie Futral, Father: Nick Clark, Robot: Jeffrey Lewis, Rabbits: Jayla Perkins, Lauren Shannon, Kaley Cook, Bethany Flournoy, Tricia Lewis, Jessica Lifsey, Eryn Hayes, Nicholas Folds, Caroline Long, Soldiers: Sarah Lewis and Brantley Fletcher, Lion: Taylor Dobbs, Bear: Emily McClure, Clown: Hope Blackshear, Fairies; Jessica Akin and Samantha Ramsey, White rabbit: Timi Webb, Doctor: Josh Colwell! A great audience attended the performance on the 16th. These children also performed this show at the Griffin Auditorium for all the second and third grade students in Spalding County. Everyone had an enjoyable time.

Ms. Viki Bozeman would like to thank Mr. Joe Parlier, curriculum director, for Griffin-Spalding County Schools for all his encouragement and support of this production! Mrs. Carol Kemp, Mrs. Barbara Webb and Kristi Hayes made up the great production team!

Home for the Holidays was a special celebration for those attending. For those who did not get to see this wonderful Christmas production you missed a real treat. The actors and actresses ranged in ages from 8 to 46 and worked together to produce a beautiful show.

Nancy Beall did a marvelous job of directing this show. Donnie Beall and Jennifer Lifsey were production managers and kept things going smoothly. Alison Kirkland is a trained musician and did a fantastic job as musical director. Charity Clear was energetic and encouraged everyone to relax and perform to their best ability. Without Ted Manolis , Glen Brown and Tank Tankersley the sets would have been impossible. Mr. Bill Brown from Barnesville made the CD for the show and set up all the technical work. Highlights of the show include Santa Baby by Alison Kirkland, Doc Clear, Shannon Bell and M. Jared Carson ; the Nativity scene with Kim Ponder singing "O Holy Night" and Samantha Tankersley singing "Little Drummer Boy".

Other musical kudos go to Carlee Beall and Mary Catherine Whitlock for "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and Ryan Hayes for "I'm Gettin Nuttin For Christmas" The audience participated in singing "White Christmas" and each night it was done beautifully!

Camelot Theatre Company would like to thank everyone who supported us this year. We couldn't do it without our audiences.

Camelot Theatre Company was thrilled by the number of audience members attending the Wizard of Oz this year. Many children enjoyed themselves as well as the adults. The show came together beautifully! Mrs. Nancy B. Gresham as Aunt Em, Brad O'Brien as Uncle Henry (and the guard), Robby York as the Lion, M. Jared Carson as Scarecrow, Micheal Joiner as the Tin Man, Nancy Beall as the Witch of the West, Latimer Christie as The Witch of the East, Eddie Whitlock as the Wizard made up a wonderful supporting cast! Sara Manolis and little sister Mallory Manolis worked together as Dorothy and Toto. Michael Dyche's creation of the tornado and Ted Manolis creation of sets made for a great show. Betty Johnson Bryant and M. Jared Carson are to be commended for a great job! They would also like to thank Jim Middleton for assisting and tying together loose ends as he returned for a short holiday from his national tour of "Titanic". Donnie Beall, Cindy Tankersley, Kristie Hayes, Barbara Webb , June and Ralph O'Brien and Karen Beeland were super as support for tickets, hospitality, concessions and green room assistance. Because of the wonderful children cast in this show it was a great success! Thank you to all who helped and attended.

We really enjoyed the show. You guys did a great job. You can all be proud.
Bill Edwards, 7/23/01

Congratulations on a job well done! The play was well-done and one of my favorites. Thanks for a great evening.
Cathy Brooks, 7/23/01

Nunsense!

Forget the improbable title- pun! Forget the plot! Forget that this is regional theater with a capital "R"! Forget that these are "amateur" performers!

Confine your thoughts to the fact that during a late August weekend in Griffin, Georgia, the quickly maturing Camelot Theatre Company staged a riotous musical extravaganza presented by a quintet of performers whose talents, both individually and collectively, were nothing less than colossal.

It is safe to say that never before in the history of Griffin little theater has there been such balanced professionalism seen on stage. These actors, secured from all over middle Georgia by Jim Middleton, the Camelot's artistic director, and whipsawed into perfect pitch by Director Bill Brown, entertained the ever responsive audience with exuberance and unbridled talent for just over two hours.

Just as there is no rank among lieutenants, there was no scene-stealing star among this ensemble cast. Each cast member took her part's bit in her wimple and wrung it dry.

That is not to say that Kelli Gilstrap as Sister Mary Amnesia wasn't absolutely perfect, or that Veronica Byrd as Sister Mary Hubert did not bring a new dimension to her role, or that Nancy Beall was not exquisitely intoxicating. They were all that and more and equal to the high water mark expected of Dana Harrell and the promise of great things previewed by the group's baby, Jamie Brown.

The audience loved this show and looks forward to more of equal promise. Congratulations to this cast and the production crew.

Keep more like this coming.

Also lauded far and wide — Camelot Children's Theatre production of Rodney, the Reluctant Dragon, directed by Nancy Beall and Viki Bozeman.

This observer concludes — with some authority — that the Camelot Theater Company is just getting better and better. There is always a little apprehension, both in the audience and among the cast, when the curtain goes up on an amateur production.

In the case of Guys and Dolls, from the moment Rob Laukaitis launched into his 'Fugue For Tinhorns' with a booming baritone that hit every note you knew that in the final act he would come through with the show stopping 'Sit Down', 'You're Rocking the Boat'. And he did not disappoint.

Along the way he had excellent help. Virginia Braddock's interpretation of Miss Adelaide also hit a home run and underscored her considerable talents as a singer and comedienne, which have been grossly overlooked in this community.

Jaye Eubanks kept Nathan Detroit's anguish pitch perfect throughout and was on par with his paramour, Miss Adelaide. Their performances earned the coveted final curtain call appearance, but I am sure the director had a hard choice in not awarding this perk to Allison Kirkland as Sarah Brown and Bill Brown as Sky Masterson, who handled the main roles around which the plot revolved with Broadway professionalism.

Everyone turned in a blameless performance, but be forewarned, never get too close to Mike Dyche because he will steal a scene from right under your nose without breaking a sweat.

Hats off to the multi-hatted Jim Middleton, Dan Strickland, the musical director, and the entire crew. Jim's ability to find the talent, fit it to the play and then whip it into shape is nothing short of miraculous. As an old hand at little theater in Griffin, I can say that with authority and I have my T-shirt to prove it.