By Kaitlyn Rigdon
Staff Writer
EL DORADO — Beth James Burns brought actors from the upcoming spring musical, The Addams Family, to perform a scene at the Civitan Club meeting on Thursday. Burns was the guest speaker at the meeting, which was held at the Kozy Kitchen.
Burns is currently the interim director of the South Arkansas Arts Center. She served as executive director from 2000 to 2009 and previously taught high school history and journalism before moving to the arts center.
She has also been the executive news producer at KTVE, executive director for the South Arkansas chapter of the American Red Cross and coordinator for the Stepping Stones Project at South Arkansas Community College.
Burns has received the Governor’s Award for Community Development and is a founder of Hope Landing.
Burns wants to reassure the community that with the new Murphy Arts District coming to El Dorado, the arts center is going strong.
“I had a meeting with Austin Barrow yesterday and we’re trying to figure out how we were going to let everybody know that everything is OK,” Burns said. “I want to make it clear that the arts center’s mission is about this community, and that’s why the arts center has been in existence for over 50 years now. Our mission will continue to be the same.”
Burns’ primary discussion was on the arts center’s upcoming spring musical, "The Addams Family." She brought Gary Hall, who plays Uncle Fester Addams, Hali Pinson, who plays Wednesday Addams and Zachery Gamet, who plays Lucas Beineke, Wednesday’s love interest, to the Civitan meeting. The actors performed a couple of scenes for the club members so they could get an idea of what the play is about.
“The basis of the story is Wednesday wants to marry a normal boy,” Burns said. “And her family is not all that excited about it.”
Pinson is a senior at Southern Arkansas University, majoring in Music Theatre. Gamet is from Dallas and is in El Dorado as a visiting artist. He is also the dance captain for the production. Gamet graduated from Texas Christian University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and has been performing professionally for 10 years.
The Addams Family will be at the arts center on March 3-5 and 9-11. All shows will be at 7:30 p.m. except the Sunday show, which will be at 2:30 p.m. The tickets will be $5 for students and children, $15 for adult arts center members and $25 for adult nonmembers.
“You will meet the rest of the Addams family. Of course there’s cousin Itt, Grandma, Morticia and Gomez,” She said. “So the whole Addams family is back together.”
Burns also talked about the benefits of becoming an arts center member. Individual annual memberships are $25, and every member receives notifications on all events the arts center hosts.
“I would encourage you to put that on your list sometime because it’s only through the membership dollars that we are able to open the doors,” Burns said. “I want you to know that this year, the people of El Dorado and the arts center will spend over $100,000 just in our community putting professional artists in public schools.”
Putting artists in public schools is something that the arts center has developed and it does not cost anything to the students or schools. “We know that the documentation is there. Children who participate in arts programs do better,” Burns said.
Burns announced the arts center’s summer musical is going to be Beauty and the Beast.
When The Addams Family is over, they will clean the stage and then have their children’s drama program, The Jungle Book. After The Jungle Book is complete, they will prepare to perform Beauty and the Beast.
“Think about participating in some of those events because you’re really going to enjoy them,” Burns said. “And consider putting the center on your list for a little membership contribution so we can continue to provide those services that we’re doing right now in our community that makes this place different from any place else.”
The Civitan Club’s auction will be Monday, March 6 at the Immanuel Baptist Church at 6 p.m. For anyone contributing items for the auction, they must be turned in to Mike Dumas by Monday, Feb. 27.
Kaitlyn Rigdon is a staff writer at the El Dorado News-Times and she may be reached at 870-862-6611 or by email, [email protected].