Little Theater troupe to present play Magic Man: The Fall of David Grant Colson
Little Theater troupe to present play Magic Man: The Fall of David Grant Colson
A production by the Middlesboro Little Theater of the work, Magic Man: The Fall of
David Grant Colson will be the second full-length play in the Bowling Family Historical
Series. The play is being presented in conjunction with and support provided by Southeast
Kentucky Community amp; Technical College.
The play will be presented Friday through Sunday, September 2, 3 and 4 and from Wednesday through Friday, September 7, 8 and 9 at the Bell Theatre located in downtown Pineville. Performances will be at 7 p.m. and the Sunday matinee is set for 2:30.
Cast members of the production, written by SKCTC faculty member Amelia Simpson, include:
John Bradley, who made his MLT debut last fall in Lady Windermeres Fan, and he provided the music for the 2011 spring production of The Quiltmaker. A professional musician, John plays with a number of bands throughout the area. He earned a bachelors degree in music from Berea College, and he is currently pursuing his masters in higher education from Kaplan University.
Jonathan Spires has been involved in the theater most of his life, including a few plays written by his father. An avid reader and writer, Jonathan is a senior at LMU.
Vonda Mullins is a former Southeast student currently enrolled at LMU. Her recent MLT credits include: The Hurting Part, The Gatekeeper, and Lady Windermeres Fan.
Robin Boatwright Swisher has previously worked with MLT on The Hurting Part and Lady Windermeres Fan. Originally from Decatur, Ind., Robin is a resident of Pineville. She is an English teacher at Bell County High School who believes that the theatre is where every soul has a place.
James-Clifton Spires has worked with MLT as an actor, playwright and director. His favorite role has been the shopaholic preachers wife in The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress. James is the author of several plays, including Four Dead, Four Hurt in Two-Vehicle Crash. He is proud to be appearing onstage with his talented son Jonathan for the second time in 24 years.
Ali Omar returns to the MLT stage after debuting in the spring production The Quiltmaker. He is studying respiratory care at SKCTC. He enjoys acting, guitar, old school Nintendo and a fine cigar.
Douglas McArthur (Mac) Bayless, III is studying the arts at SKCTC. He enjoys playing drums, guitar and any instrument I can get my hands on. This is his first appearance with MLT.
James Hendrickson is a sophomore at SKCTC with plans to pursue a chemical engineering degree from the University of Kentucky. Magic Man is his first theatrical experience.
Corley Kreiter made her debut on the MLT stage in 2006 as Dixie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Since then, she has appeared in other MLT productions, including Marriage.com and The Gatekeeper. A fifth grader at St. Julian Catholic School in Middlesboro, Corley enjoys reading, drawing, singing and playing the piano.
Emma Wiley is another newcomer to MLT. An eighth-grader at J. Frank White Academy, Emma is an accomplished pianist who volunteers with Friends of the Shelter and operates her own pet-sitting service. She also performs 18th Century re-enactments at the Cumberland Gap National Park.
Amy Simpson, recently named MLT director, presents her second full-length play. Her first, which she co-directed with Ken Maciula, wasThe Gatekeeper: Middlesboros History in Four Acts (2010). Other writing credits include one-acts Gratz Street Flat (2008) and Thanksgiving at Daddys (2006). In 2009, she wrote and co-directed The Mystery of the Lost, Lost Boys for the Appalachian Youth Performing Arts Camp at LMU. An associate professor of English at SKCTC, Amy is pursuing an MFA from Spalding University in Louisville.
Tickets are available at the Bell County Historical Museum and at the door, priced
at $8 and $5 for students and senior citizens. For ticket packet information, contact
MLT President Judy Cox at 606-269-1968. 
Cast members and production staff for the Middlesboro Little Theater production of Magic Man: The Fall of David Grant Colson are, from left to right, standing: Amelia Simpson, James-Clifton Spires, Judy Cox, Mac Bayless, Jonathan Spires, Ali Omar; seated, left to right: Cheryl Black, Corley Kreiter, John Bradley and Vonda Mullins. Not pictured is Robin Boatwright Swisher.
Playwright Amelia Simpson gives instruction to John Bradley and Vonda Mullins in a scene from the forthcoming production of Magic Man, The Fall of David Grant Colson. The play will be presented at the Bell Theatre on September 2,3,4,7, 8 and 9. The work is being presented by Middlesboro Little Theater and Southeast Kentucky Community amp; Technical College.
