An Invitation to Crooked Rivers "Gatherings"

This column was published in the 2.22.06 edition of the Tribune & Georgian newspaper.

Last November, I wrote a column about my experience at the first “participation gatherings” for Crooked Rivers Sisters Three. I remember meeting some warm, interesting and enthusiastic people. I wrote about meeting Lori and her sweet children, Brenton and Kayla. Lori and her kids were joined by Casey and Steve, with their children Ben and Madison; their family was in the initial one-act scenes and can’t wait to share in the full-length event. Alicia, a high school drama student and a dancer, brought her younger sister Chelsea to join; they couldn’t wait to get started. I also met the theatre-loving Marcie. She read about Crooked Rivers and came to be a part of the whole process. And, finally, I was acquainted with Margaret, a distinguished lady, now retired from her career with an Ohio school system.

This weekend I am looking forward to meeting new potential cast members that want to be a part of the Crooked Rivers family and to help tell the stories of Camden County’s history. The second and final round of “participation gatherings,” to recruit and inform possible Crooked Rivers Sisters Three participants, are being held this Saturday and Sunday (Feb. 25 & 26) from 2-4 p.m. at the Camden County High School Auditorium, located at 6300 Laurel Island Parkway in Kingsland. To get a sense of the spirit of the event or to determine your level of interest in performing or volunteering in some other manner, you are invited to attend one of these “gatherings.”

To give you a sense of the kinds of stories that you will experience in Crooked Rivers, last November I revealed a few of the plot elements. I mentioned then a story of how pre-teenage boys used to drive the roads of Camden County, avoiding the state police with the help of local law enforcement. Also revealed was the story of how local white citizens dealt with a bigoted sheriff that refused to “do right” when it came to punishment of a man that committed violence against local black residents. You can also look forward to stories about how locals smuggled booze during Prohibition and the adventures of one resident exploring Cumberland Island as a boy. Intertwined with these stories of personal and civic history, you will find the lighthearted antics of a children’s chorus called the Sand Gnat Choir, and the comic relief of the gator-hatted Alligator Quartet as they loudly reveal the nature of local delicacies for the audience.

Get a sense of the play, get a chance to be a part of the family and explore our community’s history and it’s possibilities at the “participation gatherings” this weekend at the CCHS Auditorium.

Opportunities for this week and upcoming weeks: catch the musical “City of Angels” at JU’s Terry Concert Hall, through 2.24, 7:30 p.m.; enjoy the Huck Finn tale as a musical in “Big River” at Florida School of the Arts, St. Johns River Community College, 2.23-24 at 7:30 p.m. and 2.25 at 2:30 p.m.; classic American drama in “Of Mice and Men,” Limelight Theatre, through 2.28; catch the explosive violinist Mark Wood with JSO at TUC, 2.24, 11 a.m. & 8 p.m.; groove on soul and classic Motown at the “’70s Soul Jam” at TUC, 2.24, 8 p.m.; mellow with The Degas String Quartet, Cummer Museum Concert Series, 2.26, 3 p.m. (Free); make plans to experience Cirque du Soleil’s “Delirium” at the Veteran’s Memorial Arena on April 6&7.

If you have ideas or events you want me to share with readers, send me a note at pkraack1@tds.net.

2.18.06