. . . as season has arrived. It’s here and so are we. At the theatre, so much has gone on over the last few months and so much is going on right now, that your editor, hardly knowing what to tell you first, decided to grab a brief story from personal experience. You probably know that. . .

. . . is currently running in Stage II. And last week your editor planned to get tickets for Friday night but was told "sorry, sold out". So your editor said "oh, gee, well then, next Friday" and was told "sorry, sold out" . (Your editor will now see the show on a day other than Friday.) Romance, by the way, is not for everyone. This searing comedy by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Mamet skewers and mocks and downright insults just about everyone, every ethnicity, every minority, every human peccadillo there is. And does it in what we call "adult language" and does it rapid fire and in a fiercely funny style. As noted above, not for everyone. But oh, so funny.

. . . at the 2006 Florida Theatre Conference, where VLT was named ‘runner up’ in the community theatre competition for our festival production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues. The wonderful Monia Joblin was named Best Supporting Actress at the Festival and our equally wonderful Candace Artim and Cara Herman were named to the All-Star cast. This was a beautiful production – and our third completely unique production of The Vagina Monologues in a year! Your editor hopes dearly that the director (Murray Chase) and cast (the above named Monia, Candace and Cara) hold it together and treat us to a short run of the show here in Venice at some point. One of the treats that would be in store for us is the original music by Dorian Boyd.

We’re looking for a few good men and women who’d like to volunteer in our Box Office and work on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons and evenings. Computer literacy helps, but don’t worry - we will train fully. If you’re interested contact Sara Trembly at her email, saratrembly@venicestage.com, or call her at 488-1115 Extension 229.

Last week in Lakeland at the Florida Theatre Conference, our very own Murray Chase was presented with the Distinguished Career Award by the Florida Theatre Conference. He was heard to say "well, at least they didn’t call it the lifetime achievement award - those things make a person uneasy." He can be modest if he wishes; your editor hears that the rest of the VLT community is pretty proud of him.

. . . and the reviews for his show The Great Comedians attest to that. His show is designed to entertain the generations who remember the 20th century’s greatest comedians with authentic recreations of their genius and to introduce new generations to this timeless humor. The greatest of them - Benny, Fields, Marx, Skelton, Rogers - moved from vaudeville to movies to radio and TV and kept America laughing through the Great Depression and two World Wars. And Brad Zinn takes you on that journey! Two shows only on Sunday and Monday, December 3 and 4, at 8:00 p.m.

. . . comes back for a third run in the Pinkerton Theatre. This little show is one of our treasures and the glorious Tamara Sipes and Rebecca Holahan reprise their roles as Patsy Cline and her fan/friend Louise Seeger. It opens December 1 and runs the entire month, through the 30th. Be there. This is too good to miss.

Last season, a visitor to Venice came and saw VLT’s production of Greater Tuna. He liked it quite a lot. And before we knew it, our VLT production was booked (and nicely compensated with real American money!) to travel to Delaware to the Henlopen Theatre Project for three shows in August. Well, we did it - cast and crew (including six dressers - essential personnel for that production) and it was a huge success. We now expect that the relationship that has been established with this theatre company is one that will continue in years ahead. Zack Manna, a New York writer and lyricist who was one of the original producers of the NY production of Greater Tuna, was in the audience in Delaware. He said "I was impressed with the seamless transfer of the Venice production to the Henlopen stage. The lead actors were hilariously in tune with one another, the backstage crew of dressers kept the tempo going, and the audience responded in a big way. What more can you ask?" According to those who made the trip, it was also a lot of fun.

Our volunteer coordinator, Linda Mounce, began a program in July to name an honored volunteer each month. There’s a new plaque on the wall in the lobby near the front doors where you will always see the picture of the current honoree. The biggest deal for honorees is a reserved parking place for the month. Dick Trott, from our backstage crew, who was named the September Volunteer of the Month parked his bicycle there - every day - on a fake grass carpet. Linda Kochmit enjoyed her parking space in July (she was the theatre’s first ever honoree in this category). And Bob Germain enjoyed it in August. He’s here nearly every day too, because Bob is the genius behind our emerging master database. The man knows what he’s doing in Microsoft Access! And last night, we named our newest honoree in the Green Room just before the ‘curtain went up’ on Romance - actor Dan Greene . . .

Why? Your editor will tell you why. Our production of Romance had an interesting journey to opening night. One week before opening, Ronald Krine Myroup, in the demanding and line-intense role of "the prosecutor" broke five bones in his foot! One week before opening!!!

Did Dan step up and step in and learn ALL THOSE LINES and begin immediately turning in a wonderful performance as "the prosecutor"? Did he? He certainly did. With nary a whimper, he got it done and he’s wonderful. And so Dan Greene is without question our Volunteer of the Month for October. (Ron is getting better but he has a long road back; this was a serious injury. We miss you Ron.)

Then, just two days before opening, to spice things up, the actor in the role of Bernard had to leave the show. And saving the day was our own Jeremy Stone So thank you Jeremy . . but you can’t be a volunteer honoree because you’re on staff . . but everyone thanks you anyway. Our people are great people!

Barbara Hart joined VLT staff on August 21 as Box Office Staff and House Manager, working with Sara Trembly. Brad Wages joined the staff on August 14 to become our first-ever full time teacher. Besides directing and choreographing for many MainStage and Stage II productions, Brad is here on a daily basis teaching students from Epiphany Cathedral School and from Venice Middle School. Earlier this month, Chris McVicker came to us as our new Technical Director, to make sure all those sets, lights and props are ready on time. And Cara Herman joined as a part time assistant in Development. Welcome all!

Our neighbors across the street, Geraldi’s, are now open at night for all you theatregoers who need coffee and cheesecake after the show.

Check out the Voelker Art Gallery in the lobby mezzanine - hanging for the run of Gypsy are the paintings of Richard Morton, who for decades was a very active VLT volunteer both on and off stage.

Here’s a cool stat for you: our online ticketing sales have jumped from 7% of total ticket sales last year to 11% this year. Wow!

NOVEMBER 18-19 Auditions: for this year’s production of A Christmas Carol

NOVEMBER 19-20 Annual Venice Symphony fund-raiser concert with Eric Watters

NOVEMBER 23 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

NOV 30, DEC 1, 2 Extended Run of Gypsy

DECEMBER 1 Opening Night: A VLT Cabaret - Always, Patsy Cline

DECEMBER 3-4 Concert: Brad Zinn The Great Comedians - a one man show

DECEMBER 4 Auditions: for the 2007 tour of Troupe in A Trunk’s The Time Machine

DECEMBER 19-21 Concert: The Ditchfield Family Singers

DECEMBER 30-31 Concert: Broadway Show-Stoppers

JANUARY 16 Opening Night: Bedroom Farce in the MainStage

JANUARY 18 Opening Night: Into the Woods in Stage II

JANUARY 21-22 Concert: The Diamonds