Page 7 - TR What Women Want Dec 2015

“What I like most is directing shows,” Carla said. “I like having a vision about what it should look like, and then I like the details that it takes to make that vi- sion come true.”
Sophie said she also prefers to be out of the limelight. “It’s fun to be behind the scenes, kind of in charge of what’s going on, but without everyone seeing you,” she said.
“My favorite is the curtain call on closing night of a really good show ... that feeling of satisfaction you get know- ing we just did a really good job. I like that moment,” she said.
Although the duo have participated in several of the same productions, they have always had different responsibil- ities, Carla said. In the past, Carla di- rected, while Sophie acted or designed lights. Now, as director of A Christmas Story, Sophie said she is learning to guide her diverse cast.
“I’ve learned that different people communicate differently, and in order to communicate to a large group of peo- ple, you need to be aware of that, and you need to be aware of how people learn in order to get your point across with several different styles of commu- nication,” Sophie said.
She added that A Christmas Story is different from other Main Stage pro- ductions because children make up most of the cast. “The show’s basically carried by the children,” she said.
“We have great child actors here,” Carla said. “They’re a phenomenal cast.” “One of the things I love about the- ater is that, a lot of times, the team is made up of people of all ages,” she said, noting that the cast of A Christmas Story ranges from 5-year-old actors to actors
in their 60s.
Executive director Connie Brown
said the pair work well together. “They make a good team. I suspect that Carla will be in the background, you know, assisting Sophie,” she said about the production.
“They just really have a passion for the arts, and that comes out in all their hard work. They’re very creative with the way they design their sets and the way they put on shows, and I think that all stems from their passion for theater,” Brown said.
Sophie said she and her mother spend so much time at the theater that if only one of them was volunteering, they would never see each other.
“It’s kind of a running joke that I live here,” Sophie said. She likes to be the first person to arrive and the last to leave, her mother added, saying that the activity does not have to be as time-con- suming as they make it. After all, it is their passion.
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Carla Fuller, right, first visited Center on the Square as an audience member, and since then, she has been a board member, an actor and a director. Sophie Fuller joined the theater’s children’s program, KidStage, at age 6 and has since done everything at the theater, from cleaning to directing.
Anyone interested in participating in theater can “just jump in,” Carla said. “If you’re scared of the stage, you can jump in somewhere else,” she said.
With her high school graduation fast approaching, Sophie said her current plan is to go to college and become a talent agent. She said she would like to work with other actors, most likely chil- dren, and help them find acting jobs.
There is no doubt that Sophie will be missed when she leaves Center on the Square.
“We’re going to lose a vital part of our theater when she moves on and grows up,” Brown said.
However, Sophie and her mother both said the teen is at a stage in which she is ready to tackle new challenges.
“I’m ready to learn something out- side of this. I think I’ve learned so much in theater that it’s really prepared me for other things,” Sophie said.
“I love that kid,” Carla said. “I’m su- per proud of her, and I think she’s ready to launch.”
Center on the Square is at 219 W. Arch Ave. in Searcy. Founded by Lana Hallmark, a retired Searcy High School drama teacher, the theater opened in August 1999 with a performance of Neil Simon’s Rumors.
Performances of A Christmas Story be- gan last weekend and will continue to- day and Dec. 18-20. Tickets are available at www.centeronthesquare.org.
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“
“I’ve just loved being able to be
part of her sport. ... It’s not just that
I coach the team, but sometimes I get
to be on the team with her. We get to
play together.”
“I think if we weren’t both involved in this, we wouldn’t know each other as well,” Carla said. “I’ve just loved being able to be a part of her sport. ... It’s not just that I coach the team, but some- times I get to be on the team with her. We get to play together.”
Even when the duo exit the stage, the theater remains with them. Their car rides are set to Broadway musical tunes, Carla said, and they try to catch a show at another venue whenever they leave town.
Now more of their family members have gotten involved with Center on the Square. Sophie’s father is playing Ralphie’s dad, “The Old Man Parker,” in A Christmas Story, and several other family members have graced the stage as well, Sophie said.
Carla said volunteers keep the shows
CARLA FULLER
OF SEARCY
running, which is important because the theater adds to Searcy’s culture.
“I want our community to be a place that appreciates the arts and keeps the arts alive, and I think, without volunteers, we wouldn’t be here at all,” she said.
“There’s probably a place for any type of person here, unless they just ab- solutely don’t want to be here. Any kind of talent is useful in theater,” Sophie said, noting that skills such as sewing, building and organizing, as well as act- ing, can come in handy.
In return, volunteers can gain life ex- perience from participating in theater, she said, along with developing commu- nication skills, problem-solving skills and friendships. She noted that volunteers can choose their level of participation.
“Don’t be intimidated, because you can start small, and that’s OK,” Sophie said.
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First Security Bank invites everyone to check out the Searcy Holiday of Lights. The event is a celebration of all the festivities, attractions, and shopping and dining destinations that Searcy offers throughout the holiday season. Warm up with a mug of hot chocolate, catch a live play on stage, see the dazzling new neon on the Rialto Theater, and enjoy the many Christmas light displays around town. For more information, call 501-279-5777 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or visit www.searcy.com/holidayoflights.