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Paula Deen Headed to SASS
Grease is the Word at TOSAC
I’m calling it. The party of the year is happening in need to experience their restaurant because I know that it isn’t just a meal. It is an experience they are offering. downtown Thomasville on June 27 at SASS. How do I know? How could I not know after talking to owners Suzette says, “We want you to leave with a smile on your face. From the feeling when you walk in door to Amy Dupuy Martin and Suzette Dupuy Wagner? Working Talking to them on the phone is a warm hug from a when you leave, we want it to be a fantastic experience... yourthat with one phone favorite relative. If they can in inspire Like going home.” They achieve this by considering www.tcfederal.com everything from the personality of the building to the call, then I can only imagine the guests of their besthow interest. official grand opening party are going to feel. personality of the staff and the style of background music. They are offering a genuine experience just as all These two sisters have “it.” They have personality, they lasting downtown establishments do. have experience, they have passion. Without hesitation, Despite being relatively new to Thomasville, Amy they both answer that what inspires them in the kitchen is you. The patrons of SASS that leave full and happy. and Suzette are most animated when asked what they The people who choose SASS as a place to make love about our town. When asked for three things they quickly spout off 6. A few of the Thomasville favorites memories. Your emails and Facebook comments. These things drive them to keep pouring their love into SASS. of course made the list. They are hard to not love, but, Amy and Suzette also appreciate the details. They see Their Grand Opening party is sure to be the talk to the little things that give Thomasville the “vibe” that the town. The party has sold out of 400 tickets. Guests is often hard to pinpoint. “My husband could not get are making the trek from as far as Key West and North over how people supported downtown,” Amy says of Dakota to be a part of the culmination of a “10 year their initial impressions. Amy and Suzette joke that the dream” as Suzette puts it. Guests of the party will real reason people are drawn downtown is the delicious enjoy a Low Country Boil, open beer and wine bar, live smells of Flowers Bakery. bluegrass music by Amy’s husband’s band, and Paula They haven’t just fallen for the Thomasville charm...they Deen. Paula is a long time family friend of the sisters and will not only be in attendance but also speaking. are charming it right back.
Orr has three goals when it comes to any production. You are probably familiar with Grease. Just picture it First, she wants the kids to have a good time. Second, now—John Travolta with his greased back hair and she wants them to learn something. Third, she wants Olivia Newton John with her black leggings on with them to have a product that the community will enjoy. all the tunes that you have grown to know and love. Working Thomasville On Stage and Company {TOSAC} will in Sheyour describes Grease as awww.tcfederal.com “fun production.” “The kids have its very own production in the ‘Ville starting on the surprised when it came to the costumes. The movie weekend of June 10 and continuing the following weekend.bestwere interest. came out in the 70s, but it was set in the 50s. The girls couldn’t believe that they had to wear skirts and dresses Most of TOSAC’s summer productions, including Grease, to school back then,” Orr said. “The boys seemed happy have mostly local youth-filled casts with area children about wearing jeans until I told them that they had to and teens playing the principle parts. Only a few parts in roll them up and show their white socks! I haven’t told this production will be played by adults, including Dana King as Rizzo. them why Grease is called Grease yet!”
I don’t think they are just going to throw a good party, though. I am going to be so bold as to say they’ll be here for a long time. They have drive, yes…. but they also get Thomasville. With one phone call I absolutely know I
- Emily M.
“We had so many talented kids try out. There were so many high scores, so it was so hard to pick a cast,” said Pat Orr, Director of Scholarships and Board Member of TOSAC. Orr has been in charge of the summer productions at TOSAC for the last 8 years. Orr is a teacher at Washington Middle School {WMS} in Cairo as well as the drama teacher. She does three productions a year at WMS plus the summer productions at TOSAC and other productions with Syrup City Players in Cairo.
St. Thomas is on the southeast corner of Remington and Dawson. A large nondescript white edifice has stood in the middle of a black asphalt parking lot directly across the street from the church for many, many years, but in the 80’s, was purchased by the P. H. Rose Variety Stores of North Carolina and assumed business as Rose’s department store. As a child with a few bucks in my pocket, the name on the front of the building was irrelevant, as long as there were interesting gadgets or what’s-its to buy at this place in close proximity to my mother’s place of employment. I recall, besides Woolworth, Rose’s was the only other store in town to have Pac Man along with pinball. I was usually in the game room tossing quarters in those electronic money traps, leaving only a few moments later, it seemed, broke but somewhat mesmerized after watching those tiny little ghosts chasing Pac Man frantically around a dotted maze as I controlled his fate {and ultimate demise}. A few years ago, long after the romantic notions of my childhood had waned, a friend told me that some people
were planning to purchase the building and perhaps develop it into an event center along with a nature center. I thought that was a grand idea: to educate kids and visitors about the environmental, history, ecology all that fun stuff that helps sustain the area. Let’s plow this thing down NOW, I thought. The City has bought the building, and as a result of its 2014 Economic Development Initiative, appointed Karen Smith as project manager for the initiative to redevelop the property. “The City solicited RFP’s from three nationally recognized urban design and architecture firms,” says Smith. “City staff, consisting of me, Jerry Pionessa, Eve Geyer and Brian Herrmann reviewed the submittals and presented a recommendation to the City Council.” LRK, a design group from Memphis, was awarded the job to make an initial assessment on how to use the space. Steve Auterman from LRK managed the concept and design process. “We were asked to help the City of Thomasville and stakeholders develop a concept for a civic building to host community events, a new visitor’s welcome center, and an interpretive nature center, located on the site of the Rose’s department store,” says Auterman. The company brought five architects and
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civil planners to Thomasville for a design charrette organized by Downtown Thomasville.
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One Monday evening, early in June, people of varying ages from the community gathered in the Parish Hall at St. Thomas. LRK’s Steve Autman outlined challenges and the scope of the firm’s contracted services. In just over two hours people described wants and needs that included things like green spaces, a space that holds 800-plus people and a stage, the desire to demolish the current building and start over, plus to garner sustainability and recycle old materials.
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Two days later, the city and members of the community gathered again to hear what LRK had come up with; the team listened, learned about Thomasville’s culture and developed a workable concept. “The primary purpose of the charrette was to gain input on how the event center would best serve our community,” says Karen Smith
Psst... We're so close to a Relish grand opening, we can already taste the beer and wine they'll serve in the back... stay tuned...
As a designer, artist and curmudgeon I question, doubt and wonder like a child, what if... So in the upcoming weeks and months we will see how the location develops. Keep an eye on the corner of Dawson and Remington, folks. Let’s make it good...
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She has taught language arts for 40 years but has always acted as the drama director during that time. “I was told, ‘If you put the kids on stage, they’ll love it,’” said Orr. She has found that to be true.
Charrette Recap and an Ode to Rose’s My parents moved to Thomasville in the summer of 1976, when I was five years old. We joined St. Thomas Episcopal Church, and my mother began to volunteer there; as a young-un I was downtown… A LOT.
Grease has two casts that will perform in 8 different shows. There are 8:00p evening shows on Friday and Saturday, July 10-11, 17-18. There are 2:00p matinees on Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, 18,19. Tickets are $12 per student and $15 per adult. They can be purchased online at http://www.tosac.com/tickets/. “If you don’t see a show, you’re missing out! It’s a good, fun experience,” Orr said.
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