Dear patrons, season ticket holders, participants, and fans of Clinton County Showcase:

THANK YOU for making the 2005-2006 season phenomenally successful! We couldn't do it without you. As a token of our appreciation, the CCS Board invites you to the Avon theater for an afternoon full of entertainment and CCS information. We are put­ting together a very special program for the benefit of you, our supporters.

As we're busily preparing for the '06-'07 preview show and gala (see the article entitled "Past, Present, & Future"), I've taken some time to reflect on this past season and the trials, tribulations, and triumphs we've encountered along the way.

My term as Executive Director began on June 1, 2005. Some con­cerns about CCS' future included low audience attendance, as well as low turnout at auditions. By the end of the '05-'06 season, these concerns were significantly diminished.

The first show I enjoyed as my term began was "The Music Man, Jr." Under the always-stellar direction of my Exec. Director predecessor Lori Wahl, River City, Iowa never looked and sounded so good. Of course, participation in the youth musical is never disappointing; nor is the size of the audience. Hundreds of people enjoyed the show performed on 4 warm July nights by 90+ community youth. The youth musical is a local treasure we are happy to bring to the community, and I hope it continues long after I'm gone. A special thanks to all the parents who give of their time and talent so willingly to make it a huge success each summer.

First-time director Jill Hodapp brought us "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" in August. Jill was my assistant director in two prior shows I directed, so I knew 7B47B was going to be something special. And it was. Great sets, great cast, great band, great singing, great dancing, and an on-stage avalanche (designed and constructed by our good friend, Assistant Exec. Director Pat Kreher)     Great show!

September arrived, and I had serious concerns about audience attendance. This was our third annual outdoor September show. The two prior years saw fairly small audiences, especially for the amount of work that goes into an outdoor production. "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?" under the direction of our own Production Chair Rachel Luebbers set a new standard of attendance for the September show, thereby proving my theory that "everybody loves singing nuns." This heartwarming tale of two awkward preteens growing up in Catholic schools delighted audiences with its humor and emotion.

The doors to the Avon theater opened in October for a murder-mystery just in time for Halloween, Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians." Several new faces joined this ensemble cast, under the direction of first-time CCS director Hank Crider. I felt lucky to be a part of such a talented group, and even luckier that I was one of the few "Indians" still alive by the end of the show.

I enjoyed watching several per­formances of the Christmas-themed "Winter Wonderettes" in December. An ensemble of four local ladies brought some tight-knit '60s-style harmonies to a variety of well known Christmas songs. Big hair wigs and shiny costumes added visual appeal to the top notch music brought to us by director Melissa Kaegel.

A few months later, I returned to the stage in the musical revue, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." Under the direction of CCS regular Glenn Saltamachia, this was an unforgettable show containing lots of hilarious truths about dating and marriage. It contained many adult themes and language; my own children did not see it. Nonetheless, the show played to some packed houses. Audiences loved it! The clever lyrics and staging left them in hysterics, and many of them returned to see it more than once.

As I finish this letter to you, director Mike Huelsmann (our current Publicity Chair) is busy putting the finishing touches on rehearsals for "Steel Magnolias." Anyone who regularly attends CCS productions will see many new faces on the stage. Mike had outstanding turnout at auditions; he could have cast the show three times. I've seen a few rehearsals, and I can assure you, this is going to be an awesome show.

In between these seven shows, Clinton County Showcase accomplished many other things during 2005-2006. We awarded several scholarships to some deserving talented college students. We cleaned up our storage facility the kind folks at Strat-o-Span allow us to use. We purchased some much-needed equipment for the theater, including usher vests, microphones, lighting equipment, and a very nice costume storage building. We staged a "road show" at several area functions. We offered a basic acting seminar for some future performers. And we organized a Christmas Concert and an Easter Chorale. It was a busy year.

We accomplished a lot, but we've still got a lot to do. To support our core purpose of bringing professional-quality theater and arts-education projects to our community, we would like to do even more! We'd like to start a concert series in the historic Avon theater. We'd like to begin some major renovations on the Avon itself. And we'd like to offer more theater-oriented seminars for both adults and children.

But we cannot do it alone. There are 10 people who sit on the CCS Board of Directors. The ten of us depend heavily on the time, talent, and financial support of everyone who enjoys what CCS brings to the community. Clinton County Showcase is a very worthwhile organization. It adds a lot of value to this community. And we are grateful for your continued support.

Steve Klostermann 2005-2006 Executive Director