Great theatre - Past and Present
Who is A Classic Theatre?
A Message from Our Artistic Director
What we’ve been up to…
Like most performing organizations, this past Covid Year put a halt to our normal way of operating. Our final production of 2020 was closed down midway through the run, rehearsals stopped for an upcoming reading and the board was left wondering, “What do we do now?”
It didn’t take us long to realize this would be the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at how we operate. We’d been in strategic planning mode already and, with the help of consultant, Diane Mataraza, we decided to use the next 10 months as an Experiment. We invited seven other active ACT members to form a Leadership Team to get together monthly (Zooming!!) to generate ideas for the future of A Classic Theatre.
That team has been enormously beneficial in helping us focus on the mission of ACT and the best ways to continue to be a vibrant part of the St. Augustine arts community. Many, many thanks to Joy Manning, Linda Shamlian, Amy Goldin, Frank Riccardo, Katie Timoney, Harolyn Sharpe and Jen Latka. Their participation generated energy during at time when it was hard just to get off the couch and made us certain that ACT is a vibrant organization with talented individuals with a passion to create.
What does this mean for you, our friends and audience?
We’re back, we’re ready and we’re excited. We have a newly formed board, a season of four full productions, plans for readings and workshops and a commitment to engage you, our audience, with entertaining, thought provoking and relevant theatre for a new age.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR:
Cindy Alexander
Cindy Alexander has returned to her home state having lived in New York and New Jersey for most of her career. While in NY, she worked as a talent agent representing actors for Theatre, Film and Television. She then became manager of a 1000 seat performing arts center in central NJ presenting all forms of touring theatrical shows.
In addition to her work life, Cindy was active in a local community theatre as a director and producer as well as serving on the board as president. Some favorite shows she has directed are Shirley Valentine, The Cocktail Hour, Good People, Ruthless, When We are Married and Love, Loss What I Wore.
Since joining ACT she has produced or assisted on Lysistrata, Democracy, Ripcord, Blithe Spirit and Gertrude Stein as well as directing a staged reading of Motherhood Out Loud. She is very happy to have found a theatre home with A Classic Theatre.
BOARD SECRETARY:
Amy Lauer Goldin
Amy Lauer Goldin moved from Miami FL to St. Augustine in 2014 and immediately found a niche in the local arts community. She has stage managed and worked tech on several shows for A Classic Theatre, including Love, Loss and What I Wore, Threads of Silver and Gold, Lysistrata, Tea with Zora and Marjorie, Six One Acts with Tennessee Williams, 1984, and Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks.
Her original plays include Shrink Rap, Gated Communities, and The Sisters O’Toole, which will debut in the Classic Theatre 2022 season.
Amy is also an active member of Ancient City Poets.
TREASURER:
Tom Rodgers
A native of western Pennsylvania, Tom graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington with a Bachelor of Music degree. He then did his graduate studies in church music at Westminster Choir College (Ryder University) in Princeton, NJ. He spent most of his career as full-time Director of Music at The Presbyterian Church at Bound Brook, NJ. (Founded in 1688) After 44 years of service there he retired to St. Augustine. While in NJ he was also active in The Chester Theatre Group, Chester NJ. There he served on the Board for many years as Treasurer. He also was one of their Musical Directors and a keyboard player in the “pit” for many of their musicals. He has been in St. Augustine for a year and a half and is the part-time organist for Grace United Methodist Church.
He is looking forward to helping in any way at ACT.
MARKETING DIRECTOR:
Glo MacDonald
Glo MacDonald joined us in 2018 after having served as ACT’s graphic designer beginning with the 2017 production of "An Evening of One Acts" by Tennessee Williams. A graphic artist by profession, Glo moved to St. Augustine in 2017 and is now handling marketing for ACT. Glo is also a board member of Romanza and handles marketing for Celtic Festival and Romanza Festivale.
Glo and her husband Mac have an extensive background in television and have become part of the production team.
BOARD MEMBER:
Harolyn Sharpe
Harolyn has been meshing education and drama for 40 years. She has just retired from Florida State College at Jacksonville as professor of Public Speaking and Communication. While there, she created and directed three Readers Theatre productions, Teacher Man, The American Dream (also presented at Cummer Museum) and The Little Prince.
Harolyn is honored to be a part of the TEDxJacksonville and TEDxFSCJ team where she coaches speakers, and a Board member for Orange Park Chorale.
Harolyn has performed for professional and community theatres, and directed 18 productions for adults and children in community theatres in KY, IN and FL.
BOARD MEMBER:
Katie Timoney
Katie has been involved in theatre since a very young age and has appeared with several theatres around the NE florida area.
Some of her favouite stage appearances include: Bus Stop (Elma Duckworth), Private Lives (Sibyl Chase), and Smoke on the Mountain (June Sanders).
As part of A Classic Theatre, Katie has acted in several productions including: Blithe Spirit, 1984, and An Evening of One Acts by Tennessee Williams.
In addition she was Stage Manager for Cross Roads and also serves as ACT's Social Media coordinator.
"If only life could be a little more tender and art a little more robust."- Alan Rickman