Happy 2020 – better late than never! Whether you were out on the town for the last day of 2019 or snuggled up inside watching the annual marathon of The Twilight Zone episodes on SyFy, we hope you welcomed the new year with the same enthusiastic energy we’re bringing to Pull-Tight in this back half of our season.
First and foremost, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the fantastic cast and crew of White Christmas for helping us to celebrate a jolly holiday in the theater and to close out a busy December. The response to the show was magnificent; nothing but praise all around! From Pat Street‘s masterful direction to Lenny West‘s detailed costuming and some exquisite set work from Jacob Heinz and Dan Linney, from the exuberant performances onstage to the wispy snow falling from above, the show set the bar high for future endeavors.
The Pull-Tight gifts don’t stop there! We have recently received some much needed upgrades, thanks to the generosity of some of our most valued volunteers. Stephanie and Chris Dillard dedicated their time to soundproofing the audience seating areas around the band to make for a more acoustically enjoyable experience, and a slew of helping hands – Sean and Savannah Aiello leading the charge – chipped in to paint and clean our backstage green room. We have one or two more odd jobs in the works, so stay tuned!
Our Youth Guilds continue to offer fantastic opportunities to our community. The Teen Youth Actors Guild met Saturday, February 1st to discuss and focus on the Meisner Technique. Natalie Kirk, a professional actor and Pull-Tight friend, helped to teach our teen thespians a way of acting that develops key skills in imagining, listening, and reacting on stage. The Junior Youth Actors Guild graced the stage the next Saturday, participating in a stage combat workshop. Check our website for upcoming events!
Our current production finds its actors and actresses well outside of those age brackets. Waiting in the Wings, helmed by some hack of a director named Matt Grimes, features an all-star cast in Noel Coward’s gentle story of retired performers living out their twilight years in a charity home. Tensions rise as an old feud sparks up again, but not without some comedic flair along the way! Come see some of your favorite Pull-Tight veterans – including Linda Speir, JK Gregg, Jeanne Drone, Bill Jones, and more – along with some friendly fresh faces in this touching tribute to our past regrets and our present hopes for the future.
There’s plenty more on the horizon for us – the opening of The Real Inspector Hound, season ticket renewals, and our 52nd season announcement will be here before you know it! Until then, though, please feel free to reach out to me. The arts matter more than any of us may realize, and we at Pull-Tight are honored to share these stories with you all.
Matt Grimes
President, Pull-Tight Players Board of Directors
james.m.grimes@vanderbilt.edu
