Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The Tekoa Empire Theatre stands as an iconic landmark of the town.
TEKOA - The Historic Empire Theater is home to several movie screenings, performances and contests. However, a new contest has recently been announced to anyone interested in seeing their stories performed on stage.
The Empire Theater will host the Tekoa Stories Writing Contest brought to the community from the newly created acting troupe, The Crosby Street Players.
Members of the theater team and new acting troupe are looking for stories written by individuals with a story to tell of Tekoa. Those submitting an entry are encouraged to write stories of people coming together and helping one another. Stories can be written in several tones, including sad, funny, inspirational and dramatic.
"People talk about a muse. A muse is just one person, so what if you had a town?" said volunteer and director of the contest, Dan Rosey.
Stories can also be based on old historical accounts and personal experiences. Stories are not required to be non-fictional and are encouraged to be creative while set in Tekoa.
"The script will be developed based on the stories people write and send in. Until we get the stories in, I can't say how the script will turn out because the stories will fuel and inspire the play. I want to do those stories justice and present them in a respected way," he said. "Based on those stories, we can develop the play."
There is no fee to enter the contest, and individuals may submit until October 31.
"Halloween is after harvest, and I do not know how long it will take to organize the stories, and ideally, we would be ready by Slippery Gulch. I want to know I have plenty of time," added Rosey.
The contest is open to all ages and includes prizes for the top three entries.
On top of having a story featured in a script to be performed on stage, the first prize winner will also receive a cash prize of $100, the second place will receive a $50 gift certificate to Tekoa's C&D's bar and grill, and third place will receive a $20 gift certificate to Eclair's for delicious coffee and treats.
"Well, the contest is because of the play. It starts with the play, and the idea developed that we should put on three one-act plays at different time periods in the history of Tekoa. But we do not have a script! Nobody has written about this before here," said Rosey.
Those with a story can send handwritten or typed stories to the Theater via mail or email at P.O. Box 574, Tekoa, WA, 99033 or tekoaempiretheatre@gmail.com.
The Crosby Street Players are recruiting new members for those without a story to tell but want to volunteer and help.
The acting troupe will have its next meeting at the Historic Empire Theater in Tekoa Wednesday, August 30, at 6 p.m.
For new members, the troupe asks individuals to prepare a 5-minute monologue about anything. Monologues can be a made-up story, real-life experiences, a stand-up comedy routine, or a performance based on a play, book, or song.
"Perform, perform, perform, that is the goal," said Rosey.
The acting troupe was recently formed this August and features several Spokane and Whitman County members.
"We are looking for actors. We need people who really love it and aren't too busy to show up regularly to help develop the script and grow as actors," noted Rosey. "We will have a lot of small parts, and it's fun and full of laughter. That's why we call ourselves the Crosby Street Players. It's not really working. It's all fun and play."
Rosey stated he was inspired to host the contest after learning about Mike Lee, a British Director that had actors improvise their roles to create organic and natural stories.
"The response in the community is fantastic. I like the enthusiasm people have shown, which is to be acknowledged and encouraged. It just inspires and drives me. That support is powerful," Rosey said.
Olivia Harnack is a Journalist at the Whitman County Gazette. Olivia is enrolled at University of Idaho and is majoring in digital film studies. She serves in the United States Army National Guard and is proud to serve Whitman County.
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