Dickson Community

If you are like me, you can’t Spell OKLAHOMA without singing it in your head… “O-K, L-A, H-O, M-A”, and you can’t hear the word Oklahoma without belting out “OOOOklahoma where the wind comes sweepin down the plains….” but can’t get any further with the song than that!

The cast of Roger and Hammerstien’s Musical OKLAHOMA, being performed at the Renaissance Center in Dickson, doesn’t get stuck on the lyrics of the overture of OKLAHOMA or any of the other memorable songs in the play. The Renaissance Player’s vocals are robust with every bit of energy one would expect from such an unforgettable play.

The story is packed with fun and romance, with lots of humor and of course singing and dancing. From the first notes of “Oh, what a beautiful Mornin” to the last refrains of “Oklahoma” sung by the entire ensemble, this play delivers an enjoyable evening of excitement and entertainment. This rendition of Oklahoma includes a collaboration with Nashville In Motion, a professional contemporary dance troupe, for a unique dream sequence ballet.

The story takes place before Oklahoma became a state but the tale is timeless: two guys after the same gal. Two plot lines, romance and comedy, make for a lively musical. Curly, the cowboy ( played handsomely by Dale McCoy) is smitten with Laurey , the farm girl (beautifully done by Jenny Norris-Light), but the hired –hand, Jud Fry (powerfully portrayed by James Reyome), has his heart set on making her his girl. In the mean time, fickle Ado Annie- a girl who can’t say no (delightfully delivered by Faith Kelm) can’t decide between her two suitors- Cowboy Will Parker (charmingly played by Luke Phillips) and the peddler Ali Hakim ( played with great comedic delivery by Jesse Davidson) who really doesn’t want to be caught. It is hard to know whether to laugh or cry when Curly describes what love Jud would receive at his funeral and sings “Poor Jud is Daid” while Jud is still alive and standing beside him.

With a cast of 50 performers, there is a lot to be said for what is delivered on stage. Most of the actors and actresses have been on stage at the Renaissance Center before but a few were newcomers for this play. Luke Philips, in particular, has fallen in love with what this Dickson theater has to offer and has high hopes of returning to act in future productions. The returning lead actors find the family atmosphere at the Renaissance Center to be quite conducive to good chemistry which produces great performances.

While the cast has its back stage fun to keep their acting fresh they admit that it is a group effort to make the performances so professional and sharp. From the Director, Pacer Harp, to the stage manager, Jon Kopischke and the highly praised talents of Clint Pilkinton, the lighting designer and technical director, and everyone back stage- the actors feel at peace knowing that on stage as well as off, they are all “family, working to make it all work”.

Live theater is exciting and special in that everything comes together to create a different presentation each night. Don’t think that your attendance is passive, the audience is the extra element that feeds the actors and makes a world of difference in the energy onstage. A gentleman to my right found the role of the peddler to be quite funny. Jesse Davidson, the comic relief, said that the laughter may come at different times during performances and that effects how he moves into his next lines which enriches the play.

The actors I spoke with confess that they are adults on stage using their imaginations while playing pretend and that they are making a living out of not growing up. It was mentioned that the Renaissance Center is a great place for kids and adults to learn, not only how to act but also about themselves.

Make a plan to see Oklahoma, an exceptional play, for your own enjoyment and to support the Arts in Dickson TN.

Show Times:

Friday & Saturday at 7pm, Saturday afternoon at 2pm, and Sunday afternoon at 2pm

Dinner is offered Friday & Saturday nights at 6pm with the show to follow at 7pm. Tickets are $35 which includes dinner, dessert, drink and the show. Gratuity is not included.

Lunch is offered Saturday afternoons at 1pm with the show to follow at 2pm. Tickets are $25 which includes lunch, dessert, drink and the show. Gratuity is not included.

Show only tickets are also available for all shows; $15 adults, $12 seniors, $8 children.

Oklahoma! is sponsored by RAI of Dickson, Woof! Pet Salon, Caris Healthcare, Horizon Medical Center and Mappes Orthodontics.

The Renaissance Center is an arts and technology education and performing arts center just 35 miles west of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172. For more information, call (615)740-5600 or 1(888)700-2300. The Renaissance Center, 855 Highway 46 South, Dickson, TN 37055

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It won’t make front page news, but today some children got a free lunch. Several ladies came together with pots of homemade soup, some PB & J sandwiches, as well as cookies- baked from scratch, to feed children they did not know. They did it just because they wanted to make a difference in someone’s life, to do something nice for a stranger.

Dale Spicer, Director of the HELP Center in Dickson, stated that he is seeing new faces come in to the Help Center seeking assistance. Men and women, who have held regular full-time jobs for years, suddenly find themselves unemployed and in need of help. They NEVER thought it could happen to them; they never dreamed they would be at the local food pantry having to ask for money to keep their lights on or food to feed their children. With the economy as it is, many people are finding themselves in similar circumstances: unable to find a job.

Curious about how joblessness has effected the good people of Dickson County, I have spoken with organizers of local church food pantries as well as people from the Dept of Children’s Services and the School Board and realize that there are, indeed, hungry children in Dickson. They may not be living under a bridge or in a car, but the need is very real just the same. Rachel Carter, director of Dickson Housing Authority’s Community Center, sees children come into the center after school because no one is home and they are hungry. Like many of the local food pantry organizers, Rachel has heard that often children who receive free lunch at school do not have enough to eat on the weekends. Although a Back-Pack program has been started in local schools, whereby students are sent home with some non-perishable food on Friday to get them through the weekend, Rachel has seen generous children sharing their Back-Pack food with friends on Friday afternoons.

It can make a person feel so small while considering how huge the problem is nation wide and so helpless in doing anything about it. One person’s effort can not change the tide for the nation, but can one person help change things in his or her own community? What about several people working together?

Wondering what could be done to help families in troubled times; I decided that I could work within my sphere of influence and revive the spirits and hope of a few families by doing something unexpected and kind. I knew I could not make vats of soup to feed masses of people, but I could make one pot of soup and one plate of sandwiches and feed a few hungry children. I asked a few other women to each make one pot of soup and one plate of sandwiches, and another friend to make cookies, and together we made enough food to feed many children. I wanted this to be a united effort, I wanted to cross denominational lines in the Dickson community, so the womenI invited to join me  are  from different church denominations: Lisa Glaser of Hope Park Church in Nashville, Linda Eppers of Cross Point Church, Dickson , Tawnya Pezzi of Dickson First Assembly and Sandra Chatham of Dickson’s First Baptist Church and I did what we could to reach whom we could. We set up at the DHA Community Center on East Walnut and served what we had to those who showed up to receive it. And it felt GREAT!

I am reminded not to despise small beginnings as we dished out only 25 bowls of soup this time. But with only 4 days notice, I consider that a huge success! Did we change the world? No. Did we stomp out hunger in Dickson? No. We put smiles on faces of children and their parent’s by showing them what the love of a stranger can look like. Just for today. And the leftovers were given to various families with in the community.

Next month, February 20th to be exact, from 11:30 to 12:30 ( or until the soup runs out) we, Soup For the Soul, will be back at the DHA Community Center dishing out more free soup & sandwiches-with a cookie on the side, to any hungry child, in search of more smiles. We will be doing our little bit for the community.

Now, ask yourselves: What can I do to make a difference in my community? Find some friends if you need to and change your corner of the world. Even if only for a day. Do what you can with what you have, nothing more and be satisfied with nothing less.

If you would like more information, you are welcome to e-mail me at soupforthesoul@live.com.

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So what’s with the traffic signals in downtown Dickson? Why are they blinking instead of going through their red, yellow and green light sequence? And then they added STOP signs along with the lights? Admit it, you have been wondering what’s up too.

According to the Office of Public Work’s director, Rydell Wesson, the lights are in blinking mode because the “signal-heads are dilapidated and obsolete” and our city maintenance can no longer find parts to repair them. They have “robbed the bone yard to keep them going” but that is no longer a viable option. The State regulations will not allow Dickson to just install a new traffic signal, the city would have to install a whole new $120,000.00 traffic light system .

Although Dickson has been awarded a 1 million dollar grant to improve downtown Dickson’s streets and sidewalks, “ do we really want to take $120,000 for that intersection” queries Mr. Wesson. It is a “matching grant” from the State of TN, which means that for every 20% of the funding Dickson provides, the State provides 80%.

This being one of twenty-five projects, Phase I is a “multiphase street scape enhancement to restore and beautify, as well as provide new components essential to public safety and comfort while encouraging private reinvestment in Dickson’s Historic commercial center”. It includes sidewalks, streets, signage, landscape, curbs, gutters, traffic signals and the like for pedestrians and bicycles as well as vehicle traffic. The Office of Public works is looking at keeping downtown alive while providing better traffic-flow and parking. Many ideas are on the table including making some streets one-way streets.

But, like any city or state project, there is always red-tape tying it up somewhere. While there is currently an engineering company advising and preparing the Phase I conceptual drawings, there are many “steps, hoops and hurdles”  in complying with Federal Regulations as well as the  TN  Dept. Of Transportation ~ or TDOT. The steps are methodical in allowing progression to the next phase from transportation, to enhancement and historical restoration for the City Counsel of Dickson to move forward with the projects.

However, there is still the need and issue of traffic control in Dickson on Main Street as well as College Street. At some point the city can decide that we need a traffic light or lights in the downtown area and may have to release funds to pay for the new traffic light system.

I find there is a hazard in the blinking light system- as, after going through two traffic lights that were blinking red for me to stop and then proceed as traffic allowed- I went to the next light, and after stopping at the red light, turned left EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT A BLINKING LIGHT! My mind was on auto pilot and I just went through the routine. You can’t get a ticket AFTER the fact, can you?

*Rydell Wesson is the director of the Public Works Department. Kimberly Givens is Mr. Wesson’s administrative assistant. The Public Works Department office is located at 600 East Walnut Street. Normal office hours are Monday- Friday 7:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. The office can be reached by calling (615)441-9506 or by e-mail at kgivens@cityofdickson.com.