ROCKINGHAM – A month has passed since the Richmond Community Theatre’s final production of the spring-summer season, but appreciation for its director remains.
By all accounts, the last show of fiscal year 2017-18 played to a packed house with only a few vacant seats noted. On the evening of Friday June 29th, 2018, parking anywhere within a block of the venue was jammed as the Young People’s Theatre put on its production of “Fractured Fairy Tales.” This was the last Community Theatre presentation to be made under the auspices of Shelly Walker, at least as full-time director.
After the show, audience members expressed their appreciation for Ms. Walker as well as the level of entertainment quality and precision of the flow of the play’s action. Mindy Schwartz was quoted as saying “It was mind-blowing, it was fantastic! I loved every minute of it, even though I had to sit at the back of the balcony to get a seat.”
It remains unclear as to exactly how the production of future programs will be facilitated – funding limitations necessitated the termination of the position of full-time director of theatre productions – but it was obvious that Ms. Walker’s work was greatly appreciated.
A surprise presentation of a bouquet of roses, supplemented with a heartfelt “thank you” speech read by one of the players, evidenced the effect that her seven years of work at the Theatre had on those who spent time with her, either as players, assistants, and/or members of the audience, in association with the multiple productions that she orchestrated.
Thank you, Shelly Walker, for all that you did for the Theatre in particular and the community in general. You and your work will be missed.
