ACTS participants to present 'A Fair to Remember' tonight

By CAROL ROLF
Log Cabin Staff Writer

A group of special performers will appear on stage tonight in "A Fair to Remember." The performance, presented by participants in the Acting Creates Therapeutic Success program, will take place at 7 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas.

Donations will be accepted for the program and the public is invited.

ACTS is sponsored by the UCA department of occupational therapy and speech, theater and mass communication. It is designed to provide opportunities in performing arts for individuals with disabilities.

"Since the performance is earlier this year, the participants and students decided that they wanted to create a play around the county fair," explained Dr. Cathy Acre, coordinator along with Dr. Jennifer Johnson, of the occupational therapy department. The performers wrote the play with assistance from the students and from the coordinators. Dr. Greg Blakey, director of theater at UCA, and his wife, Jamie Blakey, who has experience with community arts theater, direct the play.

The play features the actors and actresses and their reactions while on a variety of rides that might be found at the country fair or in an amusement park.

The performers come from My House, Independent Living Services, Counseling Associates and the community.

Members of the ACTS performing company include Judy Appleby, Terry Ashley, Dickey Bell, Margie Benetz, Robert Bird, Lonnie Bittle, Fran Boyer, Dean Bridgewater, Tom Burgess, Sherri Burnett, Toni Burns, Karen Carr, Marvin Dickson, Carolyn Dollar, Sandy Dowdy, Wesley Eggert, Vickey Ernst, Andrew Evans, Tony Fischer, Jason Goatcher, Susan Gordon, Heather Graham, Lewis Haden, Bruce Hamner, Danny Hargraves, David Kurpjuweit, Tom Leath, Pam Lynch, Jenny McHughes, John McKinny, Cherry Nelson, Charles Newman, Pauline Northington, Ray Price, Michael Shears, Gary Shettles, Carole Smith, Julie Smith, Carole Walker, Mary Walker, Amy Ward, Jacob Whitney, Casey Williams, Lynn Williams, Amber Wolters, Dale Woodall, Brian Young and Kathryn Young.

Occupational therapy students assisting with the play include Damon Beauchamp, Brian Brady, Corey Colbert, Angela Finch, Lynne Hollaway, Angie Johnson, Brandy Joiner, Amber McChesney, Becky O'Daniel, Mica Rutschke, Shana Simms, Krista Tapp and Allyson Zerwig.

Theater students taking part in the production are Tess Hardin and Amanda Dougherty.

"We want to thank our volunteers from the community, especially Karen Kirk, registered occupational therapist, for working with the performers and Steve Sherry from International Paper Union Camp Corp. for providing materials for props for the program," Acre said. "We also would like to thank the family members of our performers."

Acre said the ACTS program is funded by Vision, Strength and Artistic Excellence in the arts, or VSA arts. The organization was founded in 1974 as an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and is an international organization with the purpose of creating learning opportunities for people with disabilities through the arts. The grant allows some of the students to be paid for their involvement and others receive class credit. Students aid the actors and actresses by shadowing them during the performance.