It’s hard to believe that this will be my last blog post as President of the Board of Directors. It has been an honor to both serve and be such an integral part of this tremendous group of people. They are incredibly talented, committed, and hard-working, and I am so proud to have worked alongside them throughout this season.

I hope you were able to join us for our last production, Funny Money! Johnny Peppers‘ perfectly cast show and talented crew provided laughter at an astounding pace. Like an intricately choreographed ballet, an incredible number of moving parts came together seamlessly in a hilarious fashion. Thank you all for such a terrific show!

We had a wonderful turnout at our Annual Artist Membership meeting earlier this month. Many thanks to Leslie Berra and Carmela Hofstee for providing us tasty snacks. The membership had lots to discuss before our election and it was great to see so many of them at the meeting.

The last show of our season, Cabaret, opens on June 9. Set in 1931 Germany, it tells the tale of a society and world about to be altered forever as the Nazis rise to power. Through the music of the Kit Kat Klub, director Leslie Berra and her incredibly talented cast and crew will transport you to that tumultuous time in this Tony Award-winning classic.

As ever, we are grateful to our Artist Members, our amazingly supportive community, and our generous and faithful patrons that allow us all to do this thing we love and love to bring to you. See you at the theatre!

Lynda Gibbs, President
Pull-Tight Board of Directors

At its May 7th Artist Membership Meeting, Pull-Tight elected three new members to the Board of Directors. Board members serve for three years. The newly elected members are:

Here we are with Spring upon us, hopefully with the freezing temperatures long gone. Franklin is a beautiful city no matter the season, but trees and flowers in bloom make for an especially heartening sight.

I hope you were able to join us for our last production, The Book of Will. It was an incredibly well-crafted show that engaged the audience in ways that were both unexpected and rewarding. Kudos to Director Lenny West and his dedicated cast and crew for such a fabulous show experience.

Next up is the British farce by Ray Cooney, Funny Money. I was at rehearsal the other night, and it is laugh-out-loud funny! Director Johnny Peppers and his hardworking cast and crew look forward to entertaining all of you with their fast-paced chaos, and you will not want to miss the fun!

As many of you know, we have announced our 2023-2024 season. In case you missed it, it is as follows. See more information about each show.

Be on the lookout for the opportunity to roll over your season tickets, coming soon!

One of my many privileges as President of the Board of Directors is that I get to say thank you a lot! Thank you to my incredibly committed Board members; to our very hard-working artist members, many of whom work behind the scenes and have done so year after year; and to our unbelievably loyal patrons and the amazingly supportive community in which we live.

See you at the theatre!

Lynda Gibbs
President, Pull-Tight Board of Directors

Kudos to the cast and crew of Cinderella! This Rodgers and Hammerstein fairytale brought to life was a delightful addition to the holiday season. We congratulate Director J.T. Landry and his cast and crew on a job well done!

Opening on February 3rd Is Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will. This hilarious and poignant story will transport you to the world and time of William Shakespeare and reveal just how important the efforts of loyal friends and fellow actors were to the preservation of his words and legacy. Director Lenny West and his remarkable cast and crew (if, as Producer, I do say so myself!) are ready to transport you to the pages of history, literally!

Thank you again to Stephanie and Chris Dillard for graciously opening their lovely home to us for the Artist Membership Christmas party. It was a great turnout and we had a fantastic time!

It’s very hard for me to believe that we are already halfway through our 2022-2023 season. As ever, we are eternally grateful for the continued support and dedication of our membership, our community and our audience members. Thank you all, and see you at the theatre!

Lynda Gibbs
President, Pull-Tight Players Board of Directors

Pull-Tight received the sad news this month that the theatre’s founder, Vance Gordon Ormes, passed away at his home in Delray Beach, Florida at the age of 69.

Vance was born in Franklin to the late Agness and Bill Ormes, who were also very involved with Pull-Tight in its early days. He attended Franklin Elementary School and later Battle Ground Academy, where he graduated in 1970 as salutatorian and was a National Merit Scholar finalist. At the age of 15, Vance participated in a play at the Nashville Children’s Theatre, and it ignited the theater bug. The next year, with the help of some of his parents’ friends, he formed the Pull-Tight Players with a production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, performed in the Franklin High School auditorium.

Vance graduated from the University of Denver, and wore many hats through the years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager, and designer. In 1995, he entered the Royal National Theatre Studio in London, where he took classes in Shakespeare, Greek and Roman Theatre, Mask, Voice & Movement.

After many years of running a professional theatre in Montana, Vance spent some time in Franklin caring for his elderly parents, which allowed current Pull-Tight members to get to know him. He was also able to travel to Franklin to participate in Pull-Tight’s 50th Anniversary celebration, and contributed to our documentary 50 Years a Treasure via Skype from New England.

Heather Bottoms and Ricki Keckley were two members who enjoyed their friendship with Vance at that time. As Heather says, “Vance was funny and smart and always ready to start a new adventure. Pull-Tight thrives today because of the founding principles he helped to instill, and we will be forever grateful for the way he has impacted our community and the theatre we all love. We are so thankful for the legacy he leaves behind.”

Ricki honored his passing by saying, “Every good thing in this life has a beginning and an idea. Vance Ormes had an idea and a great support group to help that idea grow into a reality. For over 50 years, Franklin has been the recipient of that idea and has enjoyed the gift of live community theatre through Pull-Tight Players. I am forever grateful that my path crossed with Vance’s during his time in Franklin caring for his parents. His lifelong dedication to theatre brought with it a plethora of advice and helpful information that will forever be treasured and will help Pull-Tight to exist for generations to come. Vance demonstrated once again that one person can make a positive difference in this world.”