“Consider yourself – one of the family!”

This is community theatre at its most enthusiastic and rockwellian.  If you visited Leeds, Alabama, you’d be in a place that Charles Dickens probably would’ve never guessed that his London-centric novel, Oliver Twist, would’ve been turned into a musical and performed.  “Located one block past Regions Bank the last building on the left next to Carl Ann’s Florist.”  Yep, really.  I can only hope that Carl Ann likes kids.  And has a tight grip on any wallet or handkerchief.

I sometimes complain that there isn’t much community feel in Birmingham.  Even though one of my friends suggested that we’re “the biggest small town in America.”  And of course you can generate this kind of feeling from personal involvement in various different groups or organizations.  But I don’t know if you can find much “we’re all in this together” kind of spirit generally.

And I often wish I had a more cohesive family as well.  All the way up through my grandparents, we’re about as independent as you can get.  We like space.  Yes, I admit that I like mine a lot of the time.  I’ve had several running conversations with friends about how much distance we like in relationships – everybody’s got a different taste for it.  For example, I think my parents were supportive of my talents and the things I wanted to do, but I absolutely can’t contemplate my Mom and/or Dad acting with me in musical theatre.

So I couldn’t help but notice that the cast of Oliver! – as produced by the Leeds Arts Council – was a family affair.  There were five members of one family: Emily Lunsford (Bet), Lucy Lunsford (Charley Bates/Boy), Joseph Lunsford (Boy), Margarita Lunsford (Mrs. Bedwin), and Michael Lunsford (Mr. Sowerberry).  Direct from Emily: “Most of my family have been acting together since 2000 and it has been such fun!”

Holy cow, I can’t even seriously begin to imagine.

But I’ll admit to being more than a little jealous.  My family was always more “check in with me once a month, okay, or maybe we can talk next year sometime?”  As long as everyone was off somewhere happily doing their own thing, everything was fine.  As a little kid, I’m sure I would have loved acting with my parents.  Somewhere along the way, being onstage with them would’ve become about as uncool as anything gets.  But add a pinch of maturity, an ounce of wisdom, a dash of experience, and those moments would become priceless.

Also related in the cast: Wendy Riley (Mrs. Sowerberry) and Grace Riley (the World’s Cutest “Boy”).  And Caitlin Cartwright (Rose Seller/Old Lady/Ensemble) and Rachel Cartwright (Milk Maid/Seller/Ensemble).  I bet they’ll hold this forever.

With all the kids in the cast, you just know there were parents running around in all kinds of other helpful ways.  It looks like at least two different fathers of young cast members acted as Stage Manger (Rick Beiswenger, Alec Beiswenger’s Dad, and Gary Chapman, Sadee Chapman’s Dad).  As Emily puts it, many moms and dads contributed as “child wranglers” with Barbie Baldone (good name!) credited as the head Parent Wrangler (and the Mama of a well-cast Oliver: Gabe Baldone).

So it’s definitely a family.  The thing about theatre is – so I hear – that, even if you weren’t family going in, you are coming out.  Seeing this kind of warm and charismatic performance makes me want to be involved – and isn’t that the point?

Thanks to Sandi Nicholson, Regina Arnold, and the Leeds Arts Council for not locking the door when they heard I might be visiting.  “Please Sir, I want some more.”