The Prizery Summer Theatre Celebration and Bob Cage's Latest Exhibit

One of my favorite aspects of working for Tourism and the Visitor Center is that I get to meet so many people from so many different areas, while learning a piece of their life story and their reasons for traveling to and through our community. Almost every time that I work, I get to meet an interesting person or family with a story and I love forging connections. I believe we are all connected in some way or another, and these two lovely ladies whom I met Sunday are wonderful examples of how far reaching our community is and how the programs in our community can impact and connect us all.

This is one proud grandmother! Meet Barbette Boutté (right) of Mandeville, Louisiana, and her sister Ellen Ann Moore of New Orleans, Louisiana. Barbette told me that this is the furthest North she has ever traveled. She actually flew into Reagan International Airport last Friday, spent July 4th in DC, and then drove to South Boston, where she and Ellen have spent the whole week.  Barbette and Ellen came into the Visitor Center Sunday afternoon, as they were looking for things to do, places to shop, and places to eat in Halifax County during their visit. We talked for well over an hour, and after I filled them in on the local to-dos, Barbette told me all about her grandson, DeAngelo.

This is DeAngelo Renard (right), a student at Northwestern State University in Louisiana, and the light of his grandmother's life. Barbette told me all about DeAngelo, his love of theatre, the high school he attended, how he auditioned for a regional theatre program, his audition at SETC, and how proud of him she is. He sounds like an incredible young man, and I for one am thrilled that she shared her incredibly talented grandson with our community for the summer. DeAngelo played the part of Seaweed in the Prizery Summer Theatre Celebration's production of Hairspray earlier this summer. He will be featured ensemble in Les Miserables, which opens tomorrow night, and runs for nine performances between July 11 and July 20.  Pictured with DeAngelo above is Gia Erichson, a student at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She played the lead role of Tracy in Hairspray and will also be featured ensemble in Les Miserables. DeAngelo and Gia were reunited on the Prizery stage this summer. Although they went to different high schools and colleges, they had both auditioned for and worked together in a regional theatre program while high school students in Louisiana. They had no idea they would be working together on the same stage again until they announced their summer plans on facebook this spring. 

Here DeAngelo is pictured with Claire Kapustka, who played Penny in Hairspray.  Claire joined the Prizery for a second season this year. Last year she played the exercise entrepreneur Brooke Wyndham in Legally Blonde, who amazed us all  with her singing-while-jumping-rope-in-an-orange-prison-jumpsuit skills! I would still be out of breath from doing what she did!  Possibly one of her biggest roles yet, Claire will play Cosette in Les Miserables, opening tomorrow night.

DeAngelo is pictured here with local talent, Angela Fowler. Angela, who played Seaweed's mother, Motormouth Maybelle, brought the house down with her powerful performance of "I know Where I Been." Along with Barbette and Ellen, our family also saw Hairspray at the Prizery Saturday night. On the way home, my husband Mark said about Angela, "The Prizery needs to keep her on speed dial!"  Again, our community is so grateful for the talent here each summer, both local as well as visiting. Barbette and Ellen are just two visitors, but they are examples of the many people who travel to come to our area each summer to support their friends and loved ones and to take advantage of The Prizery Summer Theatre Celebration.

Before they left, Barbette and Ellen shared another interesting story with me. When they flew into DC, they stayed with their cousin, who is also originally from Louisiana. The fireworks they watched in DC were witnessed from the 4th floor rooftop of their cousin's DC home. Their cousin is former NY Times reporter and current ABC correspondent Susan Saulny, who has interviewed such notables as Maya Angelou and just Sunday morning, had been seen on ABC interviewing a lady from their own hometown, famous New Orleans restauranteur Leah Chase, who is widely thought to be the inspiration for Disney's Princess Tiana.  Barbette was kind enough to send these pictures to me that she took of Deangelo the night before, along with this video clip of her cousin interviewing Leah Chase, and permission to post them here.  It was so nice to meet Barbette and Ellen.

Although I was having lots of fun at work Sunday, (the South Boston drawing club had their monthly meeting there that afternoon), I requested permission to leave early. It was for good reason. I headed over to the Prizery, where Barbette, Ellen, Deangelo, Gia, Angela, and our family had all been the night before.  This time, however, was to attend a reception for the opening of an art exhibit by artist, sculptor, tennis champ, tobacco auctioneer, activist, family man, and friend to many, Bob Cage.  The reception was hosted by the Parsons-Bruce Art Association.  The exhibit is located downstairs on the first floor of the Prizery, and is being held in the Robert F. Cage Gallery. Yeah, I know.  

I have been a long time fan of Bob Cage and his artwork, even before I moved to Halifax County. I had a good friend who helped organize an art -on-the-lawn exhibit of Bob Cage's artwork in the 1990s, and I have been a fan of his work ever since. The paintings in this exhibit are reflective of his work as a tobacco auctioneer, with titles such as "Who'll Give Me Five" and "Golden Harvest" and "Bright Leaf Melody" and "Market Day Buzz." His artwork will be on display at the Cage Gallery at the Prizery throughout the months of July and August, and is free and open to the public. I took the picture below, before I left, of Bob Cage and his family. Standing on the left is Robin Cage, who is also an artist, and who lives and works in Richmond. You may have some of her pottery in your home, or may have attended one of her art open houses on Mountain Road each November. Next to her is sister Barbara Cage, co-owner of the Bistro 1888 in downtown South Boston. The next time you're at the Bistro, take a look at her father's artwork hanging on the Bistro walls.  Seated next to Bob is his wife Sandy Rusak, who has been director of education at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, and was formerly deputy director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. 

I have my eyes on a couple of paintings that haven't sold yet. It would be nice to see them hanging in my own home after this exhibit leaves and another makes its way in.  In the meantime, I'll keep enjoying my work at the Visitor Center, continuing to meet all kinds of people from all kinds of places, sharing life stories and dinner recommendations, and writing about it.   I'll let you know how Les Miserables is. Please let me know if you make it to this exhibit. I'll keep you posted on the status of the paintings I have my eyes on. By the way, if you make it to the Prizery for either Summer Theatre or the Bob Cage exhibit, you may see this sign: 

This is a picture of me with Community Arts Foundation Board President Blair Toner at the Hairspray show Saturday night standing by a sign that reads, "20/20 Campaign." An anonymous donor and Ms. Ann Edmunds have each pledged up to a $10,000 match for every dollar that is donated to the Prizery for this campaign, with a goal of raising $40,000 in 40 days!  If you would like to help this cause, you are welcome to make a cash or check donation at the Prizery, 700 Bruce Street, South Boston, Virginia 24592, or if you're like me and don't carry cash or checks these days, just call 434-572-8339 to make a credit card or debit card donation over the phone. It's that easy. Thanks in advance for your support. See you at the Prizery!

 

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