GECA kicks off with 'Hillbillies'

With the loosening of CDC guidelines held tight during the pandemic, the Greater Escambia Center for the Arts (GECA) is poised to present David Rogers' 'Beverly Hillbillies' in-person at its location at 100 S. Trammel Street in Atmore.

The show will run consecutively for two weekends in a row. Show times and dates for the first week are at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 17 through June 19 and at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 20. The second weekend shows will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 24 through 26, and at 2 p.m., Sunday, June 27.

Tickets are $12 each, $9 for GECA members and available at the door a half hour prior to each show. Guests may inquire about becoming a GECA member at the door. Some tickets are available at Atmore News by calling 251-368-NEWS (6397) and will be held at will call at the theater until 10 minutes prior to each show. Tickets not picked up and paid by that time will be sold.

Doors open one hour prior to showtime, then 30 minutes before to begin seating.

All concessions are $1 and will be offered during a 15-minute intermission.

This is the first play GECA has been able to open to perform since the pandemic began last March. The cast has been rehearsing for the past month or more and Director Jerry Janes is excited to see the building and organization open up to public performance.

"After being shut down for a solid year, GECA is ready to bring back live entertainment to the stage for our area's citizens with this hilarious comedy," said Janes. "For those who are familiar with the name, it will be a walk down comedy memory lane. We hope everybody will come out and get to know what GECA is about."

Actors from Flomaton, Jay, Atmore, and more will be on stage. Some faces will be familiar, others will be new. The cast is as follows: Granny is Sharon Poulsen; Jed Clampett is Dietrich Bondurant; Elly May is Hanna Lilly; George Turner is Josiah Carter; Brewster is Tyler Miller; Cousin Pearl is Priscilla Eby; Jethro is Andrew Barrow; Mr. Drysdale is Joseph Seltzer; Mrs. Drysdale is Sherrie Hursh; Miss Hathaway is Leslie Garner; Mrs. Pennyweather is Neelee Harrison; Percy is Trevor Miller; Gloria Mooney is Karli Alaniz; Emaline Fetty is Katherine Eby Frederika Collins is Alana Shelly/Kiayah Bailey; Colonel Foxhall is Andrew Goble; Mrs. Stokely-Smythe is Samantha Kenney; Mr. Oglethorpe is Tom Jeter; Mrs. Oglethorpe is Priscilla Eby; Groovy Monahan is Jenny Davidson; Frank Richardson is Justus Zundel.

The Technical crew is made up of Micah Mast on backstage; Leah Miller and Amanda Miller are on lighting and sound and set artwork by Gretchen McPherson.

Auditions for GECA's production of 'The Sound of Music' will be at 2 p.m., this Saturday, June 12. The show performance is scheduled for the last two weekends of August, 2021. Those interested in auditioning should be prepared to sing a verse of any song with accompaniment. They will be asked to learn a short dance, so comfortable shoes suitable for dancing are encouraged. Part for ages 6 years and up. A cold read will also be required.