Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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JUNE 29 - JULY 5, 2016 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Local theater is a labor of love. It requires hard work and long hours, usually on top of commitments like holding down a job and taking care of family. It can be grueling, but passion is what drives many in the community to sacrifice their time and energy to create great art right in the heart of Fayetteville. In order to give these dedicated and talented people the recognition and appreciation they deserve, the Gilbert Theater hosts the Pryer awards. The awards are inspired by Lynn Pryer, the founder of the Gilbert Theater and all of the work that he did in support of the local artistic community. This year will be the fifth annual Pryer award celebration. Robyne Parrish the artistic director and co-education director for Gilbert Theater said, "We wanted to honor the actors and designers that give of their time and talents for very little pay. It is a time that the entire Gilbert community and the arts community at large can come together to celebrate and inspire one another." This year the Pryer Awards celebration is on July 1 at 6 p.m. Tickets cast $40 per person. This fee will go to further supporting the Gilbert Theater. Parrish says the celebration will feature,"… door prizes, a full bar with beer, wine and alcohol plus soda and tea as well as an awesome silent auction and delicious food and desserts, entertainment and, of course, the awards ceremony. This year, we will be honoring Lynn Pryer with the lifetime achievement award." Reservations or pre-purchasing a ticket is encouraged, there is expected to be 120 attendees. The Glee Club and the cast of Young Frankenstein, which was the season musical, will provide entertainment. The silent auction is another highlight of the night. Guests can compete to win a number of incredible prizes. Parrish noted that "Anything and everything!" is available. She mentioned that some of the items up for auction include, "Art and sculpture, food and drink, evenings out on the town, theater tickets and spa treatments." The Pryer Awards is a community-oriented event. This is truly an opportunity for the community to give feedback on the performances that they saw throughout the year. According to Parrish, "Throughout the year, the audience votes for their favorite artists from each production. Nominees are chosen and in the end, votes are tallied and one artist gets the award." This year the Gilbert continues a relatively new addition to the awards given. Last year was the very first iteration of the Lifetime Achievement Award. "It is a wonderful way to honor someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep the arts alive in our community and beyond," Parrish said. This award is particularly special with the growing amount of pressure on the arts community. It is often the first community to suffer budget cuts; though the value of the arts is priceless. Supporting these awards through attending, voting and participating in the silent auction supports not only the Gilbert Theater but the Fayetteville artistic community as a whole. For more information or to purchase a ticket visit www.gilberttheater.com. ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 Pryer Awards Honor Local Talent by ERINN CRIDER What's Your Story? by STEPHANIE CRIDER Bob Ervin was a history major in college. He still loves history, but now, it's personal. It all started when Ervin reached out to the Sons of the American Revolution. He wanted to become a member, but to join he had to prove that he had a relative that supported the American Revolution. At the time, his knowledge of his family history went as far back as his grandfather. That was it. With the help of the SAR, Ervin was able to prove his lineage and join the group. Now he sits on the board of the SAR and enjoys helping others find their roots. On July 7, at 6 p.m. the SAR and the Cumberland County Public Library and Information System offer a genealogy seminar to the community. "We have a state genealogist coming. They will do a presentation about genealogy and ways you can get started," said Ervin. "After the presentation, there is a tour of the genealogy resources in the library." Ervin noted that thanks to technology, getting started in genealogy is a lot simpler and easier than it was even a few years ago. He advises people to start with what and whom they know in the family – even if it is just parents and grandparents. With that information, most people can find more that will give them clues about their heritage. "It is a like puzzle. You find one piece and it leads to the next piece," said Ervin. "It has turned into something special for me. It can be exciting to discover things about your family. Sometimes it goes quickly; sometimes it takes years. The SAR we will help people if they want to be part of our organization. The library will help the public, and they are good at what they do." The library has a section of the Headquarters branch that is devoted to history and genealogy. It is separate from the rest of library and is staffed with knowledgeable people, said Ervin. The staff is not only helpful but knowledgeable as well. "They understand how to use the material and can assist you, and they have access to public information for people to use," Ervin noted. Resources include printed files and documents from Cumberland County, as well as statewide and national information. "They have a good cross section of information," he added. While the SAR's spend a lot of time preserving the history of those who served in the Revolutionary War by proving lineages, the organization also has a big impact in the local landscape through community service. "We do grave markings where we identify patriots and record their gravesites with GPS coordinates. We work with the Boys Scouts, and ROTC and JROTC. We host essay contests and poster contests, and we do color guard activities at local events, too," said Ervin. "It is about recognizing history and promoting history and helping to remember the people who founded our country." Find out more about the SAR or the genealogy seminar at http:// lemarquisdelafayette.com. STEPHANIE CRIDER, Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 The SAR works with the Boy Scouts and pro- vides other services to the community, like grave marking.