San Benito Stage Company celebrates 10 years
It was 1999, and San Benito County had no creative outlet for
amateur actors. Just like an old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movie,
the lack of a theater company in Hollister led to a conversation
that quickly led to the founding of the San Benito Stage
Company.
Click HERE to view a slide show of more photos from San Benito
Stage Company productions.
San Benito Stage Company celebrates 10 years
It was 1999, and San Benito County had no creative outlet for amateur actors. Just like an old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland movie, the lack of a theater company in Hollister led to a conversation that quickly led to the founding of the San Benito Stage Company.
Click HERE to view a slide show of more photos from San Benito Stage Company productions.
“It was just sort of like, ‘hey, let’s do this,'” said Amelia Souza-Hatcher, a member of the stage company board.
Mike Smith and Steve Sanders were among those in that first conversation, and they were present when the organization honored its own and toasted its first decade last Saturday.
The company won’t officially be 10 years old until March 23. That’s the date that the founders signed the organization’s bylaws, which had been drafted by Sanders, an attorney and superior court judge.
In the ensuing decade, the company has mounted 35 productions, with children’s and adult casts.
It presents dinner theater and traditional performances each year, all on a shoestring budget using an all-volunteer team.
Just over a year ago, the stage company leased a permanent space at the Granada Theater on Fifth Street in Hollister.
Ron Martin, the company’s board president, described the decision to lease a theater as a historic one for the company.
“We’ve got recurring expenses which we didn’t have before with the Granada – utilities, garbage and stuff like that,” Martin said. But the theater opens opportunities to expand the company in new directions.
“We want to be able to have after school programs, workshops, things like that, and also, to work more with local groups to collaborate more,” Martin said.
Last Saturday’s celebration attracted upwards of 125 people, he said, and the program stretched to four hours. Mayor Eugenia Sanchez proclaimed Jan. 24 as San Benito Stage Company Day, and presented the company board with a signed proclamation.
Looking at the company’s next decade, Martin said he hopes to push for more grant funding, and he’s been in conversation with the Community Foundation for San Benito County.
San Benito Stage Company’s next production is “She Loves Me,” a musical comedy that will be presented as a dinner theater production at Leal’s Winery in February. Tickets are available at Postnet in the Nob Hill shopping Center, and the cost is $40 a seat. Other productions scheduled during 2009 are “Aladdin,” “Guys and Dolls” and a teen production of “Little Shop of Horrors.”
Just don’t look for Martin on stage.
“I work backstage very well,” he said, “but I’m shy by nature. The first reason I do it is because my daughter’s so involved in it, and I like to spend time with Mari.”
