HCPAC press release
It has been said that the only constant is change. “Henderson County Performing Arts Center is about to experience another change in Executive Directors,” said Board President Dr. Mark A. Roberts. “Marcia Colbert is retiring at the end of the 2016 Season.”
Colbert, only the second executive director the theatre has known, will step down in December to pursue time with her family and to travel.
“It was a difficult decision,” said Colbert, “but I accepted the position when Dennis Gilmore left with the proviso that it would be for only two years. The Board has been very gracious in respecting my decision.”
Having volunteered at the theatre since 2001, Colbert had participated in many aspects of the productions before taking over the helm. She began as the resident choreographer and added lighting designer, director, set designer, sound tech and sometime performer to her areas of expertise at HCPAC.
No stranger to the technical aspects of production, Colbert was co-owner/producer of a theatrical production company in Dallas before coming to Athens. Her abilities in that arena stood her in good stead as she added her creative hand to over one hundred productions at HCPAC.
Colbert continued the children’s programs, volunteer programs and fund-raising efforts in addition to the standard eight shows per season. She added a new Reader’s Theatre program at HCPAC, enabling new actors and directors to try their skills with less than the full time commitment of a fully produced show.
All the productions at HCPAC for the two seasons she has been Executive Director have been plays never before seen at that theatre. “I wanted to branch out a little and give our audiences new theatrical experiences,” said Colbert. “While I truly enjoy the standards like Arsenic and Old Lace, I wanted to bring our shows onto the next plateau; try some things that were totally new and different.”
“I have been very fortunate to work with the greatest group of volunteers on the face of the planet,” said Colbert. “The volunteers make HCPAC what it is and it will continue for decades because of their enthusiasm and dedication.”