President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer.
Today’s quote provided by Don Overly: "The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you." John E. Southard (Author)
Thanks to our Greeters today Brad Huffman and Kristin Hutton.
Welcome today’s visitors, Dan Sortman’s wife, Deb & son Brian, and Vince Carone, who has submitted an application to join our club.
Today’s Announcements:
- Please sign up for the Rotary Social on March 17, 5-7:30 pm, hosted by Raj O’Grandhi as we celebrate St Patrick’s Day together.
- Thanks to Sofie, Brian, Arnie and Adam for helping the Interact Club at Agape for Youth, where they made care packages for kids. Foster agency gets 20 kids/day to place. The kids show up with nothing, so the care packages are desperately needed. Mr Lawson, Interact Advisor, was there, too.
- Please support the Rotary for Reading fundraiser for the Imagination Library (District 6670 fundraiser), where every child in Ohio will receive 1 book/month for the first 5 years of their life. Use the QR code for our Club when making a donation. This is a Presidents-elect Training Seminar (PETS) fundraising challenge with 8 Rotary districts in OH. $898 has been donated so far from our Club. President-elect Uriah goes to PETS on Saturday.
- This Saturday, the Springboro Club is hosting a 5K, run/walk at Patricia Allen Park.
- Sofie Ameloot gave an update on our Golf fundraising. It was a good week thanks to our own generous Rotarians donating. She asked, “Where did you write a big check to this week? Ask them for a sponsorship!” We are also looking for experiences for the Golf raffle, so if you have event tickets you won’t use, please donate them.
- Kristin Hutton shared we have two pending members and she is looking for some people to be on membership committee. Let her know if you’re interested. She gave an update on social media - She has been posting a lot of great content. Now we need more likes, shares, and comments to spread the word. She is looking for memes - pop culture, to make our posts more interesting and relevant. Please send all good ones to her to use in Rotary posts. Rotary will have a booth at the April 11 Spring Expo hosted by the Heart of Centerville. We need 6 people to work 2-hr shifts to promote Rotary. It is held indoors. Check the email from Kristin for details and the sign-up link.
- Bill Menker announced our first highway cleanup this spring will be Apr 11, 8 am - noon. Please sign up to help. You never know what surprises you might find!
Happy Bucks this quarter will be donated to The Food Bank.
Pat Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms today with assistance by Brian Hayes.
Happy Bucks were generously given for:
- Pat B attended the first meeting of the Americana Festival committee for this year’s event honoring America 250. It is the largest single day event in Ohio. Next week is spring break so his kids will be home, and he has lots of work lined up for them.
- Brian H celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary and 10 year Rotary anniversary this week.
- Carol K was happy.
- Chuck K was happy.
- Rand O has been here 7 weeks in a row.
- Sofie A is heading to NC right after the meeting for her father-in-law’s birthday.
- Raj G was hoping Brian’s wife shows up at the social so he can understand how she has put up with him for 30 years ;-)
- Ron H for water and sanitation, for a great golf meeting, and knows the Golf Outing will be outstanding this year.
- Dale B celebrated his 5th great grandchild born this week, named Ruby. Congrats, Dale!
- Socks B is still married.
- Jim H was happy to be here.
- Elda GG was super happy to be going to St Louis to meet her newest grandson.
- Harvey S welcomed Deb Sortman to the meeting.
- Jeff S remembered to bring the golf balls he is donating for the Golf Outing. THANK YOU, Jeff!
- Adam M was excited to hear today’s presentation.
- Lee H gave the weekly Farm Report ensuring we all understand about Trade Missions. For every bushel of soybeans sold in this country, a bit of the money goes to promoting and research, and he highlighted a recent Egypt trade mission. Egyptian buyers prefer U.S. soy for fish food over other countries due to the four D’s: Dried naturally; Depleting cracks in soybean husks; better Digestibility; Deforestation (U.S. does not engage in to produce soy.) Almost 100% fish remain in Egypt, mostly tilapia.
- Wyatt T announced that was a new world record for the Farm Report at 3:20 and proposed we do the Farm Report during the meal to allow more time for our speakers!
- Brian S for his wife & son being here today.
- Pat B also mentioned People on the Move in Dayton recognized former member, Pat Turnbull and current member, Wayne Davis, who will be retiring after 9 years as City Manager.
Our speaker today was Christie Cerio, Fine and Performing Arts Manager of Town Hall Theatre.
Christie shared she is originally from the Cleveland area but came here to attend UD, where she received psychology and theater degrees. She has been at Town Hall Theatre for 15 years. She started helping with wardrobe, and worked her way up, including directing and choreography. She took over as Manager when Mark Metzger was promoted to Rec Plex Manager.
Her main goal is to foster the children, helping them develop and grow in acting and life skills.
Christie said she started in theater because she was a shy child. Her mom enrolled her in a theater class where she gained confidence. She said theater gives you an opportunity to be someone else and can bring kids out of their shell, become proficient at public speaking, help with stutters, and build confidence. “If you feel out of place, your place is with us.” Christie said they pride themselves on being a safe space for kids.
The past weekend opened the Charlotte’s Web production, with final performances this weekend: Friday 7pm, Sat/Sun 3pm.They typically do 10 shows per production. Kids in the Main Stage Series rehearse 5 days/week, 3 hours/day. The child actors are 2nd grade to 12th grade and some productions include adult actors. Having adults help provide role models and show kids what to do in the theatre.
Showcase Series kids practice 2 days/wk, for 4 hrs, and are in 2nd-8th grade. This is usually their first time on the stage and a good way to try it out. There are two Showcase Series shows each year.
Upcoming is the play, Beetlejuice Jr., May 1-17. For the plays, kids are required to take acting classes where they learn stage directions and other aspects of putting on a play. They are an educational theater and recently hired an Education Director (Christie used to handle those duties, too.) Now they are able to build on the education offerings including backstage classes.
Christie said they also partner with other organizations: Americana Festival where they provide office space and a place to cool down during the festival; City improv shows; Uptown concerts; and with the Library, hosting an America 250 event - Ohio goes to the Movies, showing The Peanuts Movie on April 11, 6 pm, with the Director present to answer questions and share information about the making of the movie.
Town Hall was recently renovated and has new seats in the theatre.
If you have an idea on a partnership, contact her. They also do rentals - dance studios, choirs, volunteer appreciation night, meetings (have a great projector/screen), also space for baby showers, birthday parties, etc. They have Show birthday parties - come a little before the show and meet the actors. They also provide themed birthday parties.
They have made the theater more accessible with sensory friendly shows. They lower the volume of the show, leave the house lights up, allow audience to shout out, can get up and walk around the space, and provide a quiet space if the child gets overwhelmed. They can come back when they feel ready.
Informational guides are available for people with anxiety, or on the spectrum. It includes what to expect when they come to the theater, explain step by step parking, entering building, where the building is ADA accessible. It was built in 1909, so some areas are not accessible. They recently got a wheelchair lift so they can get up on the stage. They want to be an inclusive theatre.
Christie shared some history of the building: built in 1909 for $14,000. The Doolittle Tavern was in that spot prior. Henry Clay, William Henry Harrison, and Charles Dickens are rumored to have visited there. It had been used for church functions and graduations.
In 1947, the building was remodeled to be a fire station and the Fire Chief lived there. Where trucks were parked is now storage space and where they build sets. It was also used as Township government offices.
In 1985 the Township government offices moved to McEwen Road and in 1991, Town Hall Theatre was created. It was initially a community theater but found a children’s theater was needed. It was one of the first children’s theaters in the area.
Upcoming shows:
Charlotte’s Web - last performances this weekend
Apr 11 The Peanuts Movie
May 1-17 Beetlejuice Jr
They will announce the next season at the Americana Festival
Christie said it is a haunted building and many staff have had ghost experiences. The maintenance man ghost is not nice (once pushed the live maintenance man out the door.) The House Manager ghost flirts with Deb Sortman all the time. The Diva ghost moves stuff all the time and a floral scent can be detected when she is around. There are two child ghosts - a boy in the closet who holds the door closed until you ask him to open it, and a girl who can be heard giggling in the restroom and has been seen floating around the space. The annual Ghost Walk tour includes this space.
After being asked, Christie shared her favorite show was Shrek, which had a cast of 40+. She said the creative characters the kids came up, including backstories for even the smallest parts, made it really great.
The theatre seats 312, which includes 4 seats for wheelchairs. They use the balcony for tech stuff.
