PANAMA CITY High school seniors will know going into Gulf Coast State College next year that they ll have $1,400 in tuition covered for the full year.
GCSC announced April 7 the Gulf Coast Guarantee, which grants 2021 high school graduates $700 a semester starting next year. The scholarship was granted for students from Bay, Franklin and Gulf counties.
The thought of paying for college can be stressful for parents as tuition rates continue to rise from what it was decades ago. In Bay County, that s a tougher decision than most because not only have residents gone through the COVID-19 pandemic, they re still recovering from Hurricane Michael more than two years ago.
It s now spring 2021, and they still don t know when they might move into the new facility.
A lack of large performance venues in the area the Marina Civic Center and the Martin Theatre downtown were both damaged by the storm and are yet to reopen has meant using school auditoriums to stage plays in the interim, which has translated to fewer potential ticket sales. And ticket sales are the lifeblood of the volunteer organization.
Then came COVID-19. KT has come a long way over the last half a century by the grace of God and volunteers, but the challenge has never been greater, said Sandy Wilson, a co-founder of the theater. Putting on plays is a challenge in good times. Having to find other places to perform and meeting COVID requirements and trying to tempt audiences to come back is making it almost overwhelming.
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Apr. 15 LYNN HAVEN
November 2019, they expected to be hosting performances again by the autumn of 2020.
Now, they say they don t know when that dream might yet become a reality.
Formed in 1971 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, Kaleidoscope Theatre had mounted about 300 full-cast shows by autumn 2018, when Hurricane Michael arrived. At three shows a week for a three-weekend average run, that s at least 2,700 performances. And that doesn t include special events, summer camps and other functions the theater hosted.
Hurricane Michael damaged beyond repair the community theater s two buildings at
Because its building is still under re-construction after Hurricane Michael destroyed it, the Lynn Haven-based community theater program will perform the play for three weekends at the Rutherford High School Performing Arts Center, 1000 School Ave. in Springfield. We re forever indebted to Rutherford for letting us dance around their (schedule), Wilson said. The performance schedule is a little strange because we re working around things Rutherford had going on in the auditorium already.
The play s cast includes Michael Hunter as Barney; Daphne Lewis as Elaine; Taylor Grider as Bobbi; and Dharma Arthur as Jeanette. Auditions took place in February at the Panama City Beach Senior Center.
SPRINGFIELD Kaleidoscope Theatre s new production, The Amorous Ambassador, is a slapstick farce of mistaken identity and sexual shenanigans that couldn t have been staged without significant community support. I just think it s time for Bay County to laugh, said director Babs Umenhofer, acknowledging everyone who has worked on the show. And laugh out loud, and laugh in a group, and kind of just be part of humanity again. And this offers you that opportunity in an extremely over-the-top safe space.
The show opens Friday at Rutherford High School s Performing Arts Center, 1000 School Ave., in Springfield. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. March 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 26 and 27; at 2 p.m. March 14, 21 and 28; and streaming online. Tickets and other details can be found at KT-Online.org or by calling 850-265-3226.