It looks like spring has finally arrived! Now the question becomes: “What to do over the summer?”  Since this is the VP blog, a more apt question might be: “How can Village Players be part of your summertime plans?”

Here are several suggestions:

90^th Birthday Celebration: Kick off your summer by attending VP’s spectacular 90^th birthday party. The party is June 1 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Community House of Birmingham. You should have received your invitation in the mail. RSVP by May 18 to be a part of this exciting festive event.

Season Tickets. Soon you’ll be receiving the season ticket brochure for 2013 -14 . Our fantastic slate includes: “Regrets Only,” “Company,” “Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean,” “Inherit the Wind,” and “Kiss Me Kate.”  We’re counting on a great response.  Consider buying an extra set of season tickets for your neighbors, in-laws, or kids. Or use these extra tickets to invite a new guest to each production!

Membership. The membership renewal also will be sent out soon. Hopefully everyone will re-up, particularly those members who joined this year and already have found VP to be a wonderful place, filled with fun and creative people.

Regrets Only? You’ll have no regrets if you audition on June 24 and 25 for our first show of the next season.  Rehearsals don’t really start rolling until July 2, and then (hate to say this) but the summer will fly by and before you know it, opening night (Sept. 13) will be just around the corner!

Village Youth Theatre. VYT will produce a couple of shows during the summer, starting with “Wizard of Oz” June 20- 23.  Next up is their summer camp production of “Disney’s, The Little Mermaid” on July 17 & 18.  VYT is always a lot of fun, and a great place to scout out young talent for future productions.

Playrights@Work – Don’t forget the popular Playwrights @ Work One Act Festival in July. Auditions for this event will be held on June 2 and 3. The festival opens on July 26 for a three-night run.  Involvement in the festival offers you the  chance to perform brand new works, hear directly from the authors, and bring new characters to life on stage for the first time.

Maintenance & Repair. Are you a Committee Chair?  Summer is a great time to plan and carry out maintenance and repair.  Lights, costumes, make-up, set building, and House and Grounds could all use a bit of cleaning out and sprucing up this summer. Be sure to check your weekly email “VP Postings” for opportunities to pitch in and help out with some of these efforts!

The playhouse will be a busy place this summer…Hope to see you there!! –Gary Mach