From our Founder & Artistic Director Bonnie G
October 24, 2023
Closing Thoughts from THE CHALK GARDEN
Mark Heidemann’s thoughts on
THE CHALK GARDEN
I wake up and it’s all over. THE CHALK GARDEN is now a memory. To our remarkable cast and crew, THANK YOU. Your dedication and creativity made this a very special production. Artistic endeavors are never easy and trying to create art with over a dozen humans can be tricky and that is why I feel so fortunate to have had such enthusiastic co-creators, who gave so much of themselves (almost three months!) to this wonderful play. You not only did the play justice, you brought it to life…. And to all the people who came and supported the show, I thank you, too. Supporting the arts in this day and age is not easy and certainly not cheap. We recognize that there are many choices out there and for so many of you to choose to spend your time and money on our play means more than you know. –Mark Heidemann
Cheyanne Metzger’s thoughts on
THE CHALK GARDEN
It’s a personal belief of mine that those willing to act have an insatiability about life and to me that’s a wonderful thing to have. I see a thirst for and love of life in all of you, though you all have had different experiences that have made you who are. Through that lens, you are all the same to me and you’ve given so much to me. Through this, I’ve built an emotional awareness and an ability to create character depth. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for those crucial things. I’m so glad to know each and every one of you and as I grow I will always remember you all and this experience. I feel changed for the better thank you. –Cheyanne Metzger
A note from Bonnie Grice
It’s hard to believe it was seven years ago I had this bizarre idea to start a theater company that focused on bringing history and classic theater to life. I called it “boots on the ground theater” because I love the image of us firmly rooted in place, here on the soils of Long Island, boots dug in and ready to work in a different kind of theater. Keeping the name all lower case, reflecting its grassroots nature.
I took that germ of an idea along with my first production pitch to Kirsten Lonnie at the SCC and she loved it! The show: THE MIRACLE WORKER the powerful true story of Helen Keller who was deaf and blind as a young girl and her teacher Annie Sullivan who helped bring her out of her childhood darkness into the light of an emerging modern world where Helen was able to blossom as an author, teacher and role model. We had an incredible cast led by our young Helen played by Southampton Middle School student Emma Suhr. I knew then that with each boots on the ground theater production part of our mission would be to feature young local talent in major roles. And we’ve lived up to that mission, from Thomas Schiavoni in THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE to Zoe Richardson and Lance Schroeder, all Pierson HS students, in SHERLOCK’S SECRET LIFE and last year’s CHEMICAL IMBALANCE. This time around it’s Cheyanne Metzger in the spotlight, a 16 year old powerhouse from Riverhead High taking on the challenging role of Laurel in THE CHALK GARDEN. As you will see, she lights up the stage with her sense of comedy and pathos. We’re thrilled to have her as part of our botgt family.
And may I say we’re thrilled to have you join us for another theater adventure here at the Southampton Cultural Center where we call home. Without your support and the ongoing support of Kirsten Lonnie and the entire staff and board at SCC we wouldn’t be here. My true and humble thanks for helping us breathe new life into live theater and most importantly for helping us to support our wonderful East End community. –Bonnie Grice
Vail-Leavitt Music Hall
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