Tuscaloosa Children's Theatre,affectionately know as TCT, is one of our town treasures. The theatre community is know for it's diverse and inclusive nature. They share love and joy through stage productions that not just entertain but encourage. I was able to virtually interview Stacey Messina the Executive Director for TCT. This is an exciting time for the theatre group, Elf the Musical JR auditions recently occurred, and the performance dates are set for December 3-5, 2021. Without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Mrs. Stacey Messina.
Stacey was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She lived in several cities and states after college, then settled in to mid-Michigan after meeting her husband who was a geography professor at Michigan State University. The resided in Michigan for 18 years, until Joe became the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Alabama in July 2019. The Messina's have two children Sophie (13) and Josiah (8), as well as Ivy, a Springer-Doodle.
Stacey's first experience with TCT was when she and her family saw the Annie JR production in the fall of 2019. Stacey says, “I was obsessed with the original movie when I was younger and would rent it almost every weekend back when you could rent VCR players and tapes at the grocery store, during what my kids call the “older days.” My children shared my affinity for the show – both the original and the remake – and we love live theatre so when I saw TCT’s poster advertising the production I bought tickets right away. TCT truly blew me away with that performance. I remember leaning over to my husband during the show and commenting that some of the actors had to be professional – they were that good! My daughter decided then that she wanted to audition for TCT’s next production, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. At that time, she was rehearsing for her school’s fall play and it was only her second time in a musical (the first being a small role in her third grade school play). But she’s been performing in violin concerts and recitals since she was four years old and in choirs over the years so she’s accustomed to being on stage.”
Sophie did get a role in the ensemble. Stacey was able to volunteer and assist in supervising rehearsals. During the early stages of production, she was again impressed with the organization. It was “the talent in the kids involved, the passion of the artists hired to teach them, the dedication of the legions of volunteers who have built and sustained the organization for 35 years. I knew then that TCT was something special and I was glad my daughter decided to get involved with it and that I could be involved through her.”
Unfortunately, once the pandemic hit the show was postponed and eventually canceled even with TCT's attempt to reschedule multiple times. But even during times that look dark, good shines through. “During the shutdown, TCT’s board of directors decided to take a leap they had long desired in hiring an executive director. The timing was perfect: I had taken a break from my career to get my family settled in Alabama and was ready for a new challenge, I had already grown to admire the organization and all it offers to the community, and I knew I wanted to be part of something special.”
In October of 2020, Stacey joined TCT. This past year has been a struggle with COVID preventing productions of a big show. In spite of the difficulty they produced an outdoor variety show, three virtual productions, and an in-person summer camp! Soon you will be able to enjoy Elf the Musical JR on the big stage (December 3-5, 2021), and next up Disney's The Little Mermaid JR (April 29-May 1, 2022).
I love Stacey's optimism, as she says, “Although we didn’t get to start our Season of Celebration as planned after postponing our fall show due to the Delta strain, (Cinderella is now scheduled for fall 2022) we are so excited for our next two productions celebrating our 35th year as the area’s only theatre dedicated solely to children! This is a very exciting time for TCT, not only getting back on stage, but working with the city of Tuscaloosa, the Nick’s Kids Foundation, the Tuscaloosa Public Library and the Children’s Hands-On Museum to plan for the state-of-the-art Saban Center. TCT is thrilled to be part of this amazing project that will be a destination point for families and a real jewel for our city. And in preparation for our future home, TCT is soon going to announce some big changes that will add even more arts programming for children in West Alabama!”
I just love the advice Stacey has to share with aspiring young actors. “Take a chance on yourself! You’ll never know how far you can go or what you can achieve if you don’t try. TCT is here to help. You don’t have to be the star of the show or a seasoned actor to come to us. You don’t even have to be on stage! We have kids who want to work backstage on crew and learn the technical skills of producing live theatre. TCT has a place for everyone!”
The future is most certainly bright for TCT and the actors of this beautiful community. We saw them in the Nick's Kids Celebration parade this summer, the costumes were lovely. The energy could be felt,and the joy on the children's and adult volunteer's faces was evident. I can't wait to see them on stage in December for Elf the Musical JR!
Families interested in learning more about TCT and all we offer can get information on our website https://tuscaloosachildrenstheatre.net or follow us on Facebook and Instagram for updates. We also have a YouTube channel with our virtual programming and videos from previous shows.
