March 7, 2007 – Pistarckle Theater will honor Trudie and Neil Prior, who are long time supporters and friends of the theater, with the Second Annual Pistarckle Theater-Waring and Carmen Partridge Community Service Award on Wednesday, March 21.
The main purpose of the annual fundraiser is to support Pistarckle’s Education Program, which provides leadership training through theater arts, offers exposure to theater and provides an alternative activity to youth during non-school hours.
The Education Program has grown over the years from a small summer program to a year-round, multiple course study in theater education, complete with two full productions per year. One of which, "Superhero Girls Like Me with the Brotherhood Beats," will be performed at the fundraiser. An important of the program is Pistarckle’s ability to bring off-island talent to work with the youth, which is costly. “Being able to bring in highly qualified drama teachers with experience in teaching children makes a world of difference,” said Nicola Emerich, artistic director.
"Trudie and Neil Prior have been instrumental in ensuring Pistarckle Theater’s success. In 1998 Trudie Prior offered Pistarckle Theater a home at Coral World where they made a comeback after a two-year hiatus following the challenges of Hurricane Marilyn. We were really desperate for a place to start anew. The Priors understood that if the theater did not reopen soon people might easily forget about Pistarckle. The Priors stepped up during our time of need,” said Emerich.
The first of Pistarckle’s annual children’s summer theater camps, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," began Pistarckle’s 1998 season in the courtyard and amphitheater of the newly rebuilt park. That momentous opening was followed by two seasons of productions, which included "Dracula," "Sylvia" and "A Woman Alone" among others.
In March 2000 Pistarckle Theater moved to their present location, the old Pennysaver building in Tillett Gardens. Again, the Priors offered assistance by way of renovations and continuing donations to the summer program. That support has grown over the following years, with the Priors support of the on-going children’s theater programs.
The event will be held on Wednesday, March 21, and will include a champagne reception, a silent auction, a dinner, and a live auction led by auctioneer, George Blackhall. Items available for bidding include a rare, first-edition book: "The Laws of the Virgin Islands Municipality of St. Thomas and St. John from March 10-1917 to December 30, 1926;" a seaside house in Nova Scotia, a house in Santa Fe, week-ends at the Marriott's on St. Kitts, The Ritz Carlton on St. Thomas and much more. For more information, call Pistarckle Theater at 776-3966.
Previous honorees have been Kris and Tom Brunt.