Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
A Season That Glitters
Fort Smith Little Theatre finds formula for success
One cannot simply walk in off the street and direct a show at Fort Smith Little Theatre. The community company, marking its 73rd season this year, has a formula that clearly works. Would-be directors must work their way up through the ranks — stage managing, assistant directing, producing — before they’re cleared to fly on their own.
Once deemed ready, a director may submit a show for the next season to the Production Committee, explains Eric Wells, this year’s production chairman.
Then begins the complicated process of selecting a variety of shows that will please all the potential playgoers in the River Valley.
“We really try to find the perfect balance of different genres,” says Wells, explaining that experience tells committee members that the season needs to open strong and close strong.
“We need something big in those spots, something exciting and fun,” he says, pointing to last year’s comedic opener, “Happy Ever After,” and the classic closer, “Miracle on 34th Street.” In between, there’s room for a dark comedy or drama — last year, it was “The Graduate”; a family-friendly musical — last year was “Beauty and the Beast”; and something less well known or more experimental; wrapping up with something guaranteed to sell season tickets for the coming year.
“We don’t want to play it too safe, but at the same time, we don’t want to be too daring,” Wells muses, laughing. “Last year, we did ‘The Graduate’ and ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,’ and we got some complaints. But how are we going to bring new generations in if we don’t take some chances? We don’t want to be stuck in the same revolving door.”
This year, Wells directs the first show of the season, which he chose based on last year’s success with “Happily Ever After.” Having developed a taste for playwright Mark Dunn, Wells went looking for another laugh-out-loud script and found “The Glitter Girls” — which he describes as “Steel Magnolias” meets “Survivor.” The premise is that a group of older ladies — the Sisters of the Gleam and Sparkle — has gathered at the bedside of a dying member, who wishes to bequeath $16 million to one of them.
“Secrets and scandals are revealed, and some of the Sisters seem to be willing to do anything to get the money,” Wells says. “I giggled when I read the script, but on stage, it’s a riot!”
Wells, who by day is a financial analyst for Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, says attending an FSLT show should be an easy fiscal choice, too.
“You don’t have to drive to Fayetteville or Tulsa, you can support your local artists — who are just as talented as anyone in Hollywood or on Broadway — and you don’t have to pay $60 for a ticket at the civic center,” he says. “We do have our limitations, but we make it work. And it makes it more fun seeing what challenges we’ve overcome!”