All the artistic energy floating around West Tennessee has found a new outlet above First Street in downtown Union City – The 3rd Floor.
The 3rd Floor is an innovative and groundbreaking local business that supports all the artistic endeavors in West Tennessee and will be holding auditions 5-8 p.m. June 9 and 10 for their production of Thornton Wilder’s classic “Our Town.” The auditions will be held at 228 S. First St., Union City at Braylee’s Zoo.
There will be roles for both males and females with ages ranging from 11-60 years of age. Participants will be asked to do a cold reading from the script for their audition. “Our Town” rehearsals will begin June 17 and opening night is slated to be Aug. 23.
“Our Town” will be the inaugural production for The 3rd Floor and Jonathan Johnson will direct the play. Johnson, a UTM alumnus and The 3rd Floor board member, is currently directing Masquerade Theatre’s production of “The Odd Couple.”
Rayanna Fleenor, who is a junior in high school, The 3rd Floor board member, and an active participant of her family business, has served in many roles both on stage and behind the scenes of the Masquerade Theatre. She will be the assistant director for “Our Town.”
Ten members make up the board of directors that govern The 3rd Floor. They are: Rob Fleenor, Susie Fleenor, Brandon Fleenor, Rayanna Fleenor and Cassidy Fleenor, owners of the family business Braylee’s Zoo; Linda StClair and Jenny Virgin, both Masquerade Theatre board members who have served many roles on stage and behind the scenes; Jared Hamlin, a UTM alumnus who is currently playing the role of Felix Ungar in “The Odd Couple”; Maggie Olmsted, a UTM alumna who is currently playing the role of Cecily Pigeon in “The Odd Couple”; and Johnson.
The 3rd Floor will be hosting a Festival of Arts to be held the week leading up to the opening of the “Our Town” play. The festival will feature talent from West Tennessee and possibly Western Kentucky including book authors, musicians, artists, craftsmen and photographers. All types of art will be welcome.
In the fall, The 3rd Floor will begin offering a variety of artistic based classes and programs. Some of the classes that will be offered will be in the area of theatrical instruction for children and will be taught by Jenny Virgin. Virgin has been teaching the Children’s Workshops for The Masquerade Theatre in the summer for many years. She is excited to now be able to offer students an opportunity to learn about the theatre over an extended period of time. The details of the classes have yet to be set in stone.
“They will be based on the model of instruction I use for the summer theatre workshops I do through Masquerade Theatre,” Virgin said.
The 3rd Floor also plans to host book signings, poetry readings and many more artistic events in the near future.
“Our Town” performances will be 7 p.m. Aug. 16-17 and 2 p.m. Aug. 18. No admission fee will be charged but donations will be gladly accepted.
For more information on how to be a part of the Festival of Arts, contact The 3rd Floor at 731-335-6488 or email support@the3rdfloor.us.
