At about 1:00 AM on April 16, a group of approximately 25 people sat in the Green Room at Southwest Playhouse. This group, the cast and crew of All My Sons, had finished their last production and torn down their beautiful set. They were all a little sad, a little relieved, and a lot tired. The leader of this group, Kitty King Fisher, reminisced on the first time she directed this play in April of 1966. She made the group blink away some of that exhaustion and sit up with pride as she told them that this show was just as good as the show in 1966, high praise from our matriarch. All My Sons stands as a reminder that 50 years ago, a small group of people opened Clinton Little Theatre, and now Southwest Playhouse is a thriving community theatre that we are all so very proud of.
Southwest Playhouse saw 507 patrons enter its doors to attend this historical drama. After each show, many patrons had tears in their eyes, or at least were contemplating the truth of their existance. Director Kitty said, "We want our audiences to think about their lives. That is the goal." All My Sons did just that.
This year, the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association (OCTA) will once again be hosting OCTAfest, a festival held every two years, in July. One of the purposes of this festival is a competition to find one of the two best plays in Oklahoma. The Board of Directors at SWPH has elected to send All My Sons as SWPH's entry. OCTAfest provides an outstanding opportunity for Southwest Playhouse to become involved in the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association again. We have not taken a show to OCTA for a few years now, and we are thrilled to jump back in with a show consisting of such talent, history, and content as All My Sons. If – and dare I say “when” – we are selected as one of the two best shows at OCTAfest, we will have the opportunity to move on to regional competition, and perhaps even to nationals. That is an exciting thought.
As with any competition, there are costs to consider. If you would be willing to support our efforts to attend OCTAfest, please fill out the donation sheet linked on this page and mail it with your donation to Southwest Playhouse, Post Office Box 204, Clinton, Oklahoma 73601. You would help send nine cast members, the director, and crew to this state community theatre competition. We also take donations in the form of positive thoughts and your general support. Thank you for any contribution you choose to make.
Without you, Southwest Playhouse would not exist. As actors, we thrive on the opportunity to tell a story. You are our audiences, our fans, our parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, and friends. You are our community, and without you, we would step onto the stage and perform to an empty room. There would be no laughter, no tears, no joy, and no self-examination that is the heart of theatre. We commend and thank you for your part in each and every show at Southwest Playhouse. Thank you for 50 years and we look forward to 50 more!