Theater group will add drama to Unionville

"We've had some really, really good success back in the last few years," said Davis, referring to the sold-out shows the high school productions such as "Grease" had. "Even 'The Crucible,' which is a very serious drama, sold out opening night. It occurred to me the area was ready for something like that."

At 8 p.m. Monday, a reception will be held at Community High's Wheeler Auditorium for anyone in the area interested in getting in on the ground floor of the new drama group.

The reception will feature musical and dramatic entertainment, as well as light appetizers and beverages. Then, plans for the new group will be unveiled and information given concerning the group's first audition.

"It will probably be Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town,'" said Davis. "The play requires a big cast, but the characters are uniformly easy to perform -- we don't have to have any Marlon Brandos to perform -- and the set is minimalist."

Auditions are scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, at Community.

Davis said he learned about being over-ambitious with the first play he helped put on at Community High School, "Wait Until Dark."

"I did it in 1994 as a student teacher," he said. "I was a little naive -- but we pulled it off."

Davis said he has already spoken with the Community High administration about using the school stage, and he plans coordination with The Fly and other local theater groups to prevent overlapping shows.

"We don't want to compete with another theater group," he said. "Our goal is to do two shows for the first show. I want to see how it goes. I would eventually want to do four, one spring, summer, fall and winter."

He's not worried about the talent pool for the new venture, either.

"I'm hoping to draw in some of the kids who have graduated recently and they're still in the area. Numerous times throughout the year, they've requested we do something like this," said Davis. He's hoping other local talent will show up at the reception and for auditions as well. "We'll find out the 28th."

Davis, who is the artistic director for the new group, has had a lot of help getting it together, not only from his wife, Edna, who works behind the scenes, and his daughter, Beth, who also enjoys acting, but from the group's board of directors.

They are Monica Gaines, Keith Williams, Scott Dennis and Earl Adcock.