‘Driving Miss Daisy’ coming to Pell City Center
Published 3:40 pm Wednesday, July 21, 2010
The Pell City Center brings quality entertainment to Pell City with its various productions.
Kathy McCoy, now executive director of the Pell City Center, was hired as museum director in Monroeville for the “To Kill a Mockingbird” production. Years later, she was contacted about bringing the play to Pell City.
“I came to Pell City to negotiate a contract, and I fell in love with the theater, place and people,” she said. Shortly after, she decided to move to Pell City.
While looking for a place to live, McCoy stayed with Bill Hereford, now mayor, and his wife. McCoy got married in 2007, and she said she and her husband “feel like it’s home now.”
As the only paid employee of the Pell City Center, McCoy wants to bring the best plays to Pell City. The center is starting its fifth year, and she said she wants to continue “to bring quality entertainment to this area.”
The center will put on “Driving Miss Daisy” on Oct. 9 and 10. Tickets will range from $15 for students and seniors to $20 for adults.
Other productions include the Alabama Community Theatre Festival from Oct. 22 through Oct. 24, “Sanders Family Christmas” from Nov. 19 through Nov. 21, Glenn Leonard’s Temptations Revue on Jan. 29, Country Royalty: Tribute to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline on Feb. 26, Hooley (Celtic concert) on March 12 and a dinner theatre on April 8 and 9.
She said the theater is gaining patronage, even during hard economic times. About 3,000 people attend the shows during the season, and McCoy said the center “impacts a lot of people.”
“I want to continue to build on the theater audience,” she said. “The more audience members we have, the more plays we could put on.”
She said she wants to direct and produce “Lost Highway,” a play about the true story of Hank Williams, sometime in the future.
The Pell City Center uses the same number of professional and local players and actors. The center depends on about 70 volunteers to produce each play, and they are always looking for more.
People can also become a member of the center, which includes benefits like getting advance notice of productions and first ticket sales.
For more information about membership or becoming a Pell City Player, contact McCoy at 338-1974.