A newsletter from your friends at Pull-Tight Theatre
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In this issue:
Happy New Year to our season ticket holders, patrons, government partners, corporate partners, and volunteers!
What an amazing end to 2023 at the theater. So many great things have been happening over the last few months. We sold out our second show of the season, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, directed by Greg Grimsley, and our Christmastime offering, A Tuna Christmas, directed by Cindy Davis Massey. These two shows couldn’t be more different from each other, and that is one of the best parts of Pull-Tight’s seasonal offerings. You are almost guaranteed to see many different things over the course of a season. The Board of Directors is hard at work finalizing the titles for our 2024-2025 season. Look for that announcement in the coming months.
Next is Home, I’m Darling, directed by Pat Street. This play by British playwright Laura Wade won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy in 2019. It is a real treat to bring new art to the community of Franklin, whether it is born a few miles away or across the pond. I hope you plan to catch this one – tickets go on sale on January 22.
Our Youth Actors Guild and Jr. Youth Actors Guild are preparing for auditions for We Will Rock You, School Edition, to be performed at Freedom Middle School in May. Do you know someone ages 6 to 18 who would like to participate in a musical? Check out the audition page for more information and a link to the sign-up form. Do you know a youth who would like to work with a mentor behind the scenes to learn lighting, sound, crew, or stage management? Email the directors, Leslie Berra or Hollie Osteen to learn about these opportunities.
We saw such growth throughout 2023 in volunteer involvement and personal and corporate giving. It amazes me when I look back at the two hundred volunteers who worked on shows on and off stage, the many hundreds of people who have donated to Pull-Tight in the last year, the thousands of people who enjoyed a performance, and the tens of thousands of memories our community created.
We hope you will join us in 2024 by seeing a show, volunteering for the organization in some way, showing your support with a financial donation, or finding a way to share our love for the arts and the City of Franklin, in which we thrive.
Thank you,
Johnny Peppers
Pull-Tight Board of Directors President
Hello, Pull-Tight patrons, donors, volunteers, and partners. My name is Johnny Peppers, and I am honored to serve as the Board’s President for the 2023-2024 season.
This season will continue the long-standing Pull-Tight traditions of a healthy volunteer base; an unprecedented number of season ticket holders; a continuing financial commitment from our individual donors and corporate partners; and unwavering support from the City of Franklin, its legislative body, its residents, and the community at large.
Pull-Tight boasts a mix of veteran volunteers and new faces every season, and last season was no different. More than a third of the cast and crew members directly involved in shows last season were experiencing their first show with Pull-Tight, either on stage or off.
We sold out our season ticket offering in just 28 days of public sales, with 92 percent of last season’s ticket holders returning for this upcoming season.
Our individual donors and corporate partners continue to support Pull-Tight financially year after year. Going into this season’s calendar, our donations have increased by 32 percent from a year ago. This provides funds to upgrade technical equipment that will allow us to improve our production values every season and continually.
The City of Franklin supports Pull-Tight in numerous ways, and we have loved our City Hall neighbors for almost 40 years of performing in the historical building on 2nd Avenue South. We are so grateful to the City and its leaders, citizens, and businesses for their partnership and for allowing us to be an integral part of the arts in Downtown Franklin. Here’s to 40 more!
We closed last season with Cabaret, a show originally slated for the 2020 finale. Audiences were moved by the performances, delighted by the visuals, and in awe of the transformation of our small space into a nightclub circa 1930 Berlin, Germany. The cast and crew spent years working on bringing this to the Pull-Tight stage, and they did not disappoint.
From 1930 Berlin to Manhattan in the 1950s, our stage is transformed for our 55th season opener, Guys & Dolls. This classic musical begins what is a very diverse offering for all types of theatergoers. The Play Reading Committee and the Board of Directors work very hard to craft a season of shows that make you laugh, cry, think, sing, or wonder – and sometimes all those emotions in one show!
We hope you will join us for our season by seeing a show, volunteering for the organization, showing your support with a financial donation, or finding a way to share our love for the arts and for the City of Franklin in which we thrive.
Johnny Peppers, President
Pull-Tight Players Board of Directors
I hope you all were able to see Pull-Tight’s last production, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. It was a stunning drama, beautifully created by Daryle Tallent and her incredible cast and crew. It literally left audiences sitting on the edges of their seats as they were completely engaged from one scene to the next. We thank them all for a job well done.
Opening December 2 is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. JT Landry and his very talented cast and crew are hard at work bringing this beloved story to life with our own special holiday touches. Join us as we step into the pages of this classic fairy tale, wicked stepmother and all! Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. November 21.
It was wonderful to see so many of our Artist Members at our Fall meeting in October. Thanks again to Beth and Woody Woodruff for so graciously offering their home for the get-together. Thanks too to Leslie Berra for all the organizing and delicious food!
As we reflect on our many blessings, especially this time of year, the Board of Directors and I want to thank you for your extraordinary support. We wish you all a season filled with the love and warmth of family, friends and community. See you at the theater!
Lynda Gibbs
President, Pull-Tight Board of Directors
