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FEBRUARY 1, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Susquehanna Stage Will Hold Open House BY CATHY MOLITORIS
usquehanna Stage has a plethora of volunteer opportunities available to members of the community, and the nonprofit wants you to know about them. The organization will hold a drop-in open house called Coffee, Cookies & Committees on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the gallery space at the theater, 133 W. Market St., Marietta. As Aiden Thomas, education committee chairperson and board member, explained, Susquehanna Stage used to hold a general membership meeting pre-COVID. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the theater has not offered an opportunity for the general public to learn
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more about the organization or volunteer. “We liked the idea of hosting something for people to ask questions and find out more about all of the opportunities we have for people to volunteer and become a part of our organization,” Thomas said. “We have a variety of committees that meet monthly, and we thought that the beginning of a new year and season was a great time to get some new people involved.” Volunteer opportunities include helping on the marketing committee, which creates graphics, runs social media accounts, designs print advertising and updates the organization’s website. The development committee leads fundraising, seeking out donors, advertisers and
Audiences benefit from the efforts of volunteers at Susquehanna Stage, where an open house will be held in February.
A Teen Tells A Tale BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Lillian Rule said she has loved reading stories and listening to stories since she was a young child. Now the 15-year-old has written a tale of her own. “A Thousand Stars” was published in December and tells the story of a girl named Hopeful and a boy named Jimmy. “It’s Christian historical fiction,” Lillian said of the novel. “It’s an allegory and it’s set in the 1800s.” Hopeful is on a journey to the Island of a Thousand Stars, and she
Lillian Rule with a copy of her book, “A Thousand Stars”
Sharing Fellowship And Love BY CATHY MOLITORIS
meets Jimmy along the way. He’s trying to escape a difficult past and discover who he really is. Lillian started working on the book three years ago at the age of 12. “I was scrolling through some old Google Docs, and I found this short story I had written,” she said. She worked on expanding the story, keeping the original title. During the writing process, she relied on her dad, Justin, for help with the novel’s “big ideas,” she said, and she asked her mom, Whitney, to help with the editing. She also worked with editor and writer Noah Lynch, who provided professional feedback. Lillian said her novel is geared toward middle and high school readers, and it’s full of spiritual allegory. “I hope people will see the story in the book but also notice the little hidden meanings I put in it,” she said, giving an example of a prodigal son-type storyline that appears in the book. Her favorite authors include C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Edith Nesbit and Louisa May Alcott, and Lillian said some of the best feedback she has received on the book has referenced her idols. See Teen pg 4
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For 35 years, Neighbors Sharing and Caring (NSAC) has provided women with a place to enjoy fellowship and a sense of community. The group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 9 to 10:45 a.m. at Chiques Church, 4045 Sunnyside Road, Manheim, from early October through the week before Palm Sunday. “NSAC fills an unmet need in the community, providing a place for See NSAC pg 8
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 House Of Worship . . . . . . .9 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . .10
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sponsors to fund the theater’s mission. Volunteers with the education committee develop year-round arts education programming for people of all ages, including summer camps, and the events committee manages building rentals, opening night receptions and Susquehanna Stage’s participation in community events throughout the year. Additional committees include the building committee and the capital planning committee. “In addition to these volunteer opportunities, we have more showspecific opportunities that take less time commitment, including set building/construction, costumes and tech/backstage,” Thomas stated. “We also have one-off volunteer opportunities through our Saturday workdays and front-of-house positions, including ushers, box office and concessions.” Information on these opportunities will be available at the open house, and Thomas noted that while experience is appreciated, it is not required to get involved in any way. At the open house, people will have the chance to meet with board members and committee chairs, ask questions and learn more about Susquehanna Stage, Thomas noted. She has been a volunteer with Susquehanna Stage since its inception in 2009 and said it’s a great place to get involved in the community. “Since that time, my parents, siblings and even my grandparents have taken part in some aspect of the organization,” she noted. “I have also had the opportunity to meet and work with so many amazing people of diverse ages and backgrounds, people that I probably never would have met otherwise.” Refreshments will be available for guests to enjoy during the open house. For more information on Susquehanna Stage, visit www.susquehannastage.com.
VOL LXIII • NO 51
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