Ellington

The Actor's Playhouse (121 Paul Truitt Lane, Pearl) will host its annual Showcase of Talent March 22. The event is open for participants, regardless of age and experience. "They can be first-timers, they can be seasoned performers, it doesn't matter," says Cynthia Stuart, who serves on the theater's board of directors and oversees the event. "Singing, dance, duets, solo, monologue, magic—just anything they'd like to showcase." Stuart created the Showcase at Actor's Playhouse three years ago.

A four-person panel will judge contestants, with trophies awarded to the top 15 scorers.

The event is open to the public for $5, and refreshments will be available. "They can come and go or stay all day," Stuart says. "It's just a real fun time. It's growing every year." About 50 applicants have signed up for the event. The Showcase serves as a fundraiser for Actor's Playhouse, which just celebrated its 10th year.

Actor's Playhouse was founded in 2004 by Lavonne Bruckner, who serves as the theater's artistic director. The goal of the nonprofit is to produce quality entertainment while providing a broadening theater experience and an outlet for creative involvement for the community. Besides serving as a channel for creative expression for the community, the Showcase of Talent provides a major source of funding for the theater's productions. Money raised from this year's Showcase will help fund the production of the Stephen Sondheim musical "Company," which the Playhouse will mount this summer in partnership with Fondren Theatre Workshop.

For more information contact Cynthia Stuart at [email protected].