THE OVER THE RIVER THEATRE COMPANY COMES TO LELAND

When my husband and I moved to North Carolina from the Cleveland, Ohio area, many years ago, we found Leland lacking in one major thing for us--live entertainment.  You can say what you want about Cleveland, but we had the Cleveland Symphony orchestra and Playhouse Square, the biggest theatre district between New York City and Chicago Illinois. So this is something we missed.  Once in a while, we would travel to Wilmington to catch a movie, but for the most part we relied on DVD's and home entertainment. 

But, thanks to the efforts of Michael Schottle and his Over the River Theatre Company, we can now enjoy quality entertainment in the form of live stage productions right here in Leland

Michael told me, “My wife and I have been in Leland for about a year.  All it took was one big snowstorm when we lived in New Hampshire to help us decide that we needed to move to a warmer place.  Once we settled on moving to North Carolina we checked out the Ashville area near the mountains, but quickly decided we moved away from cold and snow, why move to the same kind of weather?  We looked in Raleigh and places around Winston Salem and then thought about Wilmington, near the ocean.  Our realtor found a great house in Leland, so we went to look at it.  My wife, Diana, just fell in love with the place.   While I was talking to the realtor downstairs, she was upstairs measuring rooms and mentally placing furniture!”

He continued, “Leland is a great place to establish a community theatre company. The support we have received here is amazing. With the support of the Brunswick Arts Council and the Leland Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) we were able to put on our inaugural show in Leland on June 27, “The Complete History of America, (abridged.)”  It was a satirical look at how this country came about.  We made fun of historical events and our founding fathers.  The audience loved it. We got a standing ovation. Of course, there were a few people who didn’t like us poking fun at our Presidents but overall, it was a success.  These days you have to be careful when you are selecting material that was written many years ago.  We have to be aware of issues and be reasonably politically correct in what we put on—it’s a fine line to walk.”

Michael said, “We tend to stay away from musicals because they are so expensive to put on, but that may change in the future.  We also try to stay away from stuff that has been done to death.  We want to provide Leland with good entertainment by putting on things that have name recognition to the audience and material that is truly entertaining.”

Michael explained, “I love community theatre, I’ve been doing it for over 25 years.  I’m like a lot of people who get involved with  a community theatre group.  I had a friend in high school who was in a play.  He talked me into auditioning for a non-speaking role—pretty much just a face in the crowd.  I did it and really enjoyed it.  Pretty soon, I was auditioning for speaking roles and I was hooked on theatre.   Now, it’s so rewarding to see people grow in theatre.  To see them practice and work hard to learn their lines and their characters—to see them enjoy themselves so much that they want to do it again.

During his 25 years in community theatre, one of Michael’s favorite productions was “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” a timeless comedy that is the story of aging siblings with Chekhov character inspired names that get tangled up in their “what if” dreams and the rivalries of their youth that spill over into possibly losing the family home, who is really in charge and a career on the decline.

Of this production, he said, “I remember one woman who had never been on stage in a play before, in fact, three of the six people in this particular production had never acted before.  Everyone was pretty nervous, but this woman just knocked it out of the park.  She was really good.  She went on to audition for more plays and had a great time performing.”   

Michael said, “On October 12, as part of the Brunswick Intercultural Festival, sponsored by the Brunswick Arts Council, we will be doing a 15-minute excerpt from one of Chekhov’s plays that we think people will really enjoy.”   

As anyone who has been involved in community theatre knows, Michael and the Over the River Theatre group aren’t looking for seasoned actors or authors.  They are looking for people who want to have fun, who want to be a part of enhancing entertainment options for local residents and who aren’t afraid to try something new.  There is a certain magic in going on stage and becoming a character.  You lose yourself in the character that you are playing—taking on their mannerisms and speech patterns, you lose the day-to-day grind that we often call our reality, and you see things from a different point of view.     

Michael wants the residents of Leland and surrounding areas to “get hooked on theatre,” the way he did.  He said, “I want to get people of all ages involved.  Right now, the company doesn’t offer acting classes or teach people how to put a short play together, but with the support of the Brunswick Arts Council and Leland Cultural Arts Center those things will come. But you don’t have to be an actor to get involved.  We need lighting crews, stage managers, wardrobe and scenery people, too.  We want to get teenagers involved and show them there is more to life than cell phones and video games.  I guarantee, they will enjoy the experience.”

There are so many ways that we, the residents of Leland, can promote and support the arts.  Michael explained, “Grant money only goes so far.  We need support in spirit and money.   I want the people of Leland to know that live theatre is here, and we have come to stay.  We need donations to help us get established here.  Contact your town leaders, let them know that community theatre adds so much value to a place like Leland—ask them to pledge their support for us.”  He continued, “We also want to know what appeals to our audiences.  Let us know what you want to see.  Get involved, you won’t be sorry.”

Michael’s mission is to “educate, entertain and enlighten audiences,’ and I for one, can’t wait to experience live theatre in Leland.   Find out more about the Over the River Theatre group, which is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization by going to their website, www.overtherivertheatrecompany.org, and get hooked on theatre.