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Bellflower Today
The Official Publication of the Bellflower Chamber of
Commerce
www.bellflowerchamber.org
Volume 12 Edition 8
August 1999
If World's a Stage, Bellflower Should Be on It, Couple
Believe
By Arnold Adler
Staff Writer
BELLFLOWER - Gary and Kathy Dietz, active in community theater for
some 30 years, would like to put local students onstage. And maybe
even in a movie.
Dietz, a real estate agent here since 1971, and his wife last year
formed the Youth Cultural Arts Foundation, which operates out of a
house at 15118 Clark Ave.
Registration is now underway for a series of theater-related workshops
at the house, where the couple hopes to prepare a number of students
and adults for their first production next fall - "Charlotte's Web."
Cost is $10 for a one-hour session. Classes will include dance, drama,
voice, technical staging and student directing.
They will be taught by theater professionals volunteering their time,
the couple said.
Kathy Dietz said they are seeking funds from the Bellflower Unified
School District to finance student workshops.
The movie possibility is an extra attraction thanks to their son
Damion, who graduated from the USC School of Cinematography and plans
to produce a movie this summer with help from college friends and
faculty.
They are seeking local youth as extras, Kathy Dietz said.
Residents of Buena Park, the couple has been active with community
theaters in that city, Cypress and elsewhere in Orange County. Their
volunteer work has been behind the scenes in directing and stage
managing.
They chartered the foundation last year as a nonprofit agency and have
raised about $10,000 for two productions next fall, mostly from
individual donations of goods and services.
Membership in the foundation is open to all at $10 a year.
Why Bellflower? Besides Dietz's business connections, the family lived
in Bellflower for a short time in the 1960's.
But the main attraction is the city's 378-seat William Bristol Civic
Auditorium in the City Hall complex, 16600 Civic Center Drive.
"We believe the theater is under used," said Kathy Dietz. "Jane
Bristol (widow of the man the theater's named for) is supportive as is
the city. They are letting us put on the first two productions for
free. We only have to pay for (city) staff time."
"We hope to encourage more Bellflower residents to become active in
theater. But it is also open to residents of surrounding communities," she said.
Auditions are planned this summer for "Charlotte's Web," a children's
play about a spider, with staging in September. An adult Melodrama -
"Dracula" - is planned later next fall with a musical -"Oliver" -
tentatively planned.
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