Horizon West Theater Company to host first meeting

The Horizon West Theater Company is gearing up to kick off its first season, and it’s inviting the community to its first general meeting on March 31.

The meeting will be from 6 to 7 p.m. at ScribbleSpace, 13790 Bridgewater Crossings Blvd., Suite 1080, Windermere.

Melissa Kratish Depot, vice president of the Horizon West Theater Company, said in the six months since the company formed, it put together a board of directors and began planning the inaugural season.

“The meeting on (March) 31 is to open up memberships (to the community),” Depot said. “People who want to get involved should come to the meeting — whether it’s from a performing side or whether it’s to help out behind the scenes or front of house. There’s different elements the community can get involved (in). (For) anyone who has an interest in the arts, this is a great time to get involved from the ground up and help form what the theater can be in the future.”

In addition to opening up memberships, the meeting will cover the different programs that will be offered at the Horizon West Theater Company. 

Depot added the Horizon West Theater Company Board of Directors already has chosen its first production as part of the planning for the first season. It even has a venue selected for showtime.

“Our very first show is going to be ‘The Music Man,’ and it’s going to take place in October,” Depot said. “Auditions will probably begin in August. We’ll be rehearsing all throughout the Horizon West area. We have a number of businesses that have helped us out with volunteering some rehearsal space for us. As far as our performances, we’ll be down at Windermere Prep. We’re renting the Cypress Center, which is their brand-new, state-of-the-art theater facility.”

The minimum cast size for “The Music Man” is 24; however, the production can have more. The show features characters of all ages, which gives actors of all ages a chance to participate.

“‘The Music Man’ is something that everybody knows,” she said. “There’s songs that resonate with everyone. There’s parts for all ages as well. There’s parts for kids and there’s parts for adults, so it’s something the whole community can come together for.”

Depot said the theater company will offer many ways to get involved both onstage and offstage. Volunteers will be welcome to handle tasks such as promotion, ushering, selling tickets and concessions and more. 

“We have a need for getting the word out there, so that could be — when we get closer to showtime — hanging posters up in local community areas or sharing posts on Facebook (and) things of that nature,” Depot said. “It certainly is (going to count as) community service hours for those in school.”