Woodford County Theatrical Arts Association Inc

Woodford Theatre was born nearly thirty years ago out of a need for and a love of the creative arts in Woodford County, Kentucky.  Woodford Theatre,like so many arts venues has always depended highly on the generosity of patrons.  Today that charity is as important as ever.  In fact, we could argue that it is more critical than ever since these days so much emphasis is placed on science and technology.  And who can dispute the importance of either?  After all, science and technology move us – their study has taken us into the air in planes, across land in cars, and over oceans in ships.   But we are human beings and perfectly capable of being moved in ways that do not involve engines or aeronautics.  Our hearts and our minds are moved in a multitude of ways on any given day by the written and the spoken word; actors showcasing the words of playwrights send our imaginations on incredible journeys. 

That is the truth of the matter then – science and technology do not survive without the power of the theatre.  The fact that we can manipulate our surroundings with words and stories and fantasies and myths, gives us the power to believe we can also change our surroundings with steel and wood and engines and microscopes.  We do not think or progress in compartments.  We are not creatures purely of science or of poetry.  To be whole and full, we need all these things.

Unfortunately, so much has been done in education and the workforce lately that places all our eggs into the technology basket that I think we are missing out on the humanity and the compassion that exists within the theatre.  Our plays are microcosms of who we are and what we think we can become.  I support the theatre because it is endangered.  I support the theatre because it is so often relegated these days and forced to survive on what is left over.  But as, Karen Armstrong, one of my favorite non-fiction writers explained in her book about the history of myth, “Like science and technology, mythology . . . is not about opting out of this world, but about enabling us to live more intensely within it.”

Woodford Theatre needs people to give.  Woodford Theatre is a vibrant, beating heart in the middle of Bluegrass Country where the staff and volunteer actors devote their time, energy, and emotion to providing the people of Central Kentucky an outlet for their mythology -- a way to exist “more intensely” in their lives. 

But Woodford Theatre serves this need on a budget that struggles to break even each year.  The Theatre needs equipment – lighting and sound as well as replacements for outdated computers and office tools.  Our needs are many and our resources few and hard fought.  We are asking anyone who comes to this site, all who know the value in weaving tales of delight and realism, to give to us.  We appreciate donations, large and small, and assure you that they will go to the good cause of stimulating the imaginations of young and old alike. 

Thank you for your support.

Pam Duncan

Woodford Theatre Board of Directors