Loose Leaf Notes

The following, along with more photos and photo captions, was published in The Floyd Press on April 19, 2012.

The Red Queen and the White Queen argued. The Mad Hatter and the March Hare made no sense, and Alice ate heart shaped cookies with children who attended the Mad Hatter Tea Party fundraiser for the Young Actors Co-op (YAC) Saturday evening.

A cast of costumed characters served tea and crumpets and hors d’oeuvres upstairs in the Black Water Loft and downstairs in noteBooks bookstore. The strawberry tarts, baked by YAC mom Rebeka Hicks, were worth the price of admission ($5) alone. Wearing hats was encouraged. Many were zany, and it was hard to tell attendees from the actors, who recreated scenes from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland throughout the two hour event.

The Tea Party was held to raise funds for an upcoming YAC trip to New York.  YAC mom Pat Woodruff, wearing a two of spades costume, said the actors were looking forward to their trip, where they will perform selections from their latest production, Wind in the Willows, at the invitation of Kickstarter, a fundraising platform for creative projects in Manhattan that YAC has successfully used in the past.

YAC is looking for a new director because the current director, Rose McCutchan, will be taking a break, Woodruff reported. She explained that McCutchan founded the group as The Young Actors Project in 2005. When McCutchan moved to New York in 2006, the group was restructured as a cooperative and YAC productions were done under the direction of Laura Byler.  When McCutchan returned to Floyd she resumed her role as director.

McCutchan said she is planning to devote more time to her home-life and family businesses at the Loft and Red Rooster Coffee Roster.  She hopes the trip to New York will mark her years as YAC director on a high note.  While in New York, the young actors will tour Mary Mount Manhattan College, where McCutchan received degrees in theater and where she first directed children’s theater classes.

Many local artists, crafters and businesses donated items for the Silent Auction to help offset the cost of travel, food and lodging for the young actors’ trip.  Auction items included a “Cantankerous Teapot” by potter Mud Bailey, gifts from the Bell Gallery, Red Rooster, Black Water Loft, Republic of Floyd and the Shwenk Family Farm, a free night at Ambrosia Farm B&B, a massage by Kimberly Basham, cheesecake by Kevin and Renee Dipietro, art by Lore Deighan and Pat Woodruff, a hand forged calla lily by Cameron Woodruff, a paper-mache white rabbit signed by YAC actors and pottery by Rick Hensley, Donna Polseno, Eric Bolling, Hona Knudsen and Justine Barrett Figura.

For those who missed the well-received November production of Wind in the Willows, there is a new opportunity to see the show.  Billed as a simple story about friends and home, about overcoming adversity and temptation, the play is scheduled for an encore performance at the Floyd Country Store Monday, April 23, Tuesday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m.  The Country Store has donated the venue for the purpose of helping YAC raise funds for the upcoming trip.   Proceeds from tickets, $8 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under, will help fund the trip.   Donations can also be dropped off at The Black Water Loft, Woodruff said.  Colleen Redman

Note: Watch a video of the Mad Hatter Tea Party HERE and HERE.