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Education MATTERS By Ryan G. Van Cleave THE MANATEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER REACHES OUT TO THE COMMUNITY When The Manatee Players, Inc. was formed in late 1947, it was little more than a community theater group made up of members of the Bradenton Junior Women’s Club. These days, it’s governed by a Board of Directors and is a year-round, professionally-staffed corporation of 10 full-time employees, numerous part-timers, and well more than 75 contracted directors, musicians, and designers. Their website is clear about their ambitious mission: “We are committed to being the community’s premier theater and the region’s center for cultural, education, and artistic expression. Our team works tirelessly to ensure that we deliver engaging excellence for all ages, through the talent we present, the services we offer, and the experiences we create. Our goal is not just to entertain you... we want to inspire you.” Part of being a center for cultural and artistic expression means that they have a commitment to education through various programs. One of the most successful of these is DraMature, a senior acting troupe now in its sixth year of operation. About 30 seniors — snowbirds and locals alike — participate in the improv events and actual full ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� they’re planning to tackle a special senior edition of “Guys and Dolls,” which promises to be a can’t-miss affair. Christine Marie Elan has been an active DraMature ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2013. “After touring the construction site of the new theater in a hard hat, I was hooked on the vision. I immediately signed up to be a front-of-house volunteer, which I have been dedicated to ever since,” she says, �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� tickets to help generate funds for the theater. One of the things she likes most about being so involved is the unexpected friendships that form. She notes that she now has a 96-year-old friend who was a former Broadway actress who “has witnessed a historical age we can only read about.” 78 SCENE | MAY 2017 When asked to share a favorite experience, Elan has many possible answers. “The CEO and myself standing barefoot atop the credenza in the lobby, mounting a tapestry over the television monitor. Or a teen thanking me — well after midnight — for all I’d done for a celebration that evening.” But the one she latches onto most ������������������������������������������������������������������ 600 youths are impacted each year through all of the currently available programming. tickets for a beautiful necklace donated by Jess Jewelers. A small boy came to me with a dollar for a ticket. I asked him what he wanted to do if he won the prize. His response was ‘I want to give it to my mommy �������������������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������� ������������������������������������������������������ (She didn’t do so, though, she promises.) Director of Marketing and Outreach Brian Craft has been with the organization for 2 ½ years after getting his BFA in musical theater and then working in the marketing ���������������������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������������������������� constantly re-invigorated by all the energy and excitement on the town


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