Gretna Little Theatre group to perform

Casey Gillis
The News & Advance
Published: May 23, 2008

No matter where life takes her, Janina Shoemaker has to be involved in theater.

“I either teach, direct or write,” says Shoemaker, who has lived up and down the East Coast. “I do whatever needs to be done.”

After moving to Gretna from Florida last year and seeing the need for a community theater, Shoemaker got to work. She put a notice in the local newspaper and attended a few community meetings to get the word out.

“All of a sudden, I found myself surrounded by a core group of about a dozen people,” she says.

Some came from Gretna High School’s drama program, while others were community members itching to get on stage.

“I had some people who had done nothing,” says Shoemaker, executive director of what is now Gretna Little Theatre. “I had some people who have done a little, and I have some people who I’ve dragged in, kicking and screaming, and they’re doing well.”

All the effort will culminate in Gretna Little Theatre’s first production, a romantic comedy called “If A Man Answers.” Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 30 and 31, and 2:30 p.m. June 1 at the Gretna Movie Theatre on Main Street. Franklin Brass, a local brass ensemble, will provide the pre-show music.

“It’s about a young woman who gets married, and how she learns to train her husband,” Shoemaker says with a laugh. “It’s a really cute show.”

The cast of 13 comes from Gretna, Chatham, Altavista and surrounding communities.

“If A Man Answers” is the first of four planned shows for this year and six next year. Next up is the comic operetta “The Merry Widow,” which they’ll stage in July.

Shoemaker is pleased with how things gone so far, and says they plan to incorporate eventually and form a board of directors.

“It brings people together to have a good time and to enjoy what theater is,” she says. “This is a cooperative effort.”

If you’re going
WHAT: Gretna Little Theatre’s ‘If A Man Answers’
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. May 30 and 31, and 2:30 p.m. June 1
WHERE: Gretna Movie Theatre on Main Street
TICKETS: $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for seniors and children 12 and younger
INFO: http://gretnalittletheater.com