It was a long road to this point. I had moved here from California to Ft. Walton Beach in July of 2002 and decided to start up my own acting troupe. In California I was performing with several murder mystery troupes, and had written three shows. The shows had been produced in California, but not by me. Nor had I ever directed a bunch of actors. So when I decided to start my own troupe, there were quite a few things I had to figure out. I needed to establish my business for one thing - I got a dedicated business line, revamped my website, business cards, business license, business name permit... all those little things you have to have to start a small business. Then... actors. Where would I get actors?!
My sister wasn't too thrilled with the show we were going to perform - for some reason she "didn't like it," but she played along and put the word out at a board meeting that we were looking for volunteers to perform for their fundraiser. Lo and behold I got the seven actors needed, so I put together a rehearsal schedule and we were off and running.
I won't go into details, but I was a novice, and had a lot to learn. Despite that, somehow we pulled it all together, and I even added special unique signature touches to that production that are still in place today. Table decorations, table signs, special music, a "death dance," all add class and style to an already memorable event.
But that night, March 13, 2003, all I knew was Horizons had sold over 100 tickets and my troupe was about to go on. I wasn't in the show, so from the side watched as they made their entrances and started what is now one of the finest performance troupes in Northwest Florida. They nailed that show, and it set a precedence - we continue to perform annually for Horizons of Okaloosa County, with my sister as CEO now, raising around $80,000 for them in the past twelve years.
And she even changed her mind about PEACE, LOVE.. AND MURDER, deciding it was a pretty funny show after all!
Since then, I've written a total of 28 shows, we've performed over 400 times for almost 20,000 guests - public, private and fundraising events. We've performed in restaurants, convention centers, houses, condos, back yards, even tents. We've overcome obstacles and difficult economic times, and we continue to grow and thrive. But most importantly, we continue to entertain - laughter is the best medicine, and we are some of the best "doctors" in town! Thanks to Horizons for giving us our start 11 years ago, to the restaurants who bring us in to perform for their events, and to everyone who supports us by coming to our shows, advertising our shows, and hiring us for their own fundraising events. And a special thanks to that first cast of 2003, Marcia WrightReynolds, Jimi Harper, Mark Zaffrann, Mark Violette, Tammy Mixon, Mike WrightReynolds and Kay Yarbrough, who is still an essential actress with Act4Murder today! ~ Paula
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