Jessamine County has a new theater company offering opportunities for students, their families and the community by providing enrichment opportunities in the arts.

Arts+ Community Theatre is part of the Jessamine County School’s initiative which launched at the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year and offers arts+ classes, workshops and private lessons in all four arts areas including dance, visual art, theater and music.

“The goal of the company is to showcase our Jessamine County students and involve our families in the theatre process while exposing our students to as many theatre opportunities as possible,” Lindsey Carlstedt-Sovkoplas, drama teacher at East Jessamine High School said. “We are working to connect our schools to the community, so this is a great way for Jessamine County Schools to collaborate with our hometown community and surrounding areas to create a really great theatre experience for this area.”

For its first performance, the theater company is holding auditions for its holiday performance of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens and Charles Ludlam from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 29 and 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 30 in the East Jessamine High School auditorium, located at 815 Sulphur Well Road.

The play is scheduled for four performances 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9. Carlstedt-Sovkoplas also said the theater company is planning to have two shows next year which include one play and one musical.

“There are over 40 roles in this show for people of all ages,” Carlstedt-Sovkoplas said. “We will need help behind the scenes. If you are interested in hair, makeup, costuming, stage management, tech crew, set-building, props, lighting, sound, ticketing, or promotions, email (us). It takes a village, and we’d love to have all the help we can get.”

Carlstedt-Sovkoplas has partnered with Amy Harrod, the district arts and humanities coordinator for Jessamine County Schools, who is spearheading the Arts+ initiative and has agreed to be the assistant director in the Christmas performance. After working together for the Jessamine County Creative Art League’s performance of “To Kill A Mocking Bird” earlier this year, Carlstedt-Sovkoplas and Harrod decided to get their team back together to produce the holiday show for the upcoming season and already has plans for a production in the summer of 2019.

“(We) had the privilege of directing CAL Theatre’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in April at the historic Jessamine County Courthouse,” Carlstedt-Sovkoplas said. “Unfortunately, the Creative Art League had to close its doors too soon, but the attendance for Mockingbird showed just how much of a need there is for community theatre in Jessamine County. (We) are extremely grateful for the support and enthusiasm of Jessamine County Schools.”

For more information or to help contact lindsey.carlstedt@jessamine.kyschools.us

For updates, audition information and show announcements visit http://jessaminecountyarts.wixsite.com/info/arts-community-theatre , or visit the Jessamine County Arts Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/JessCoArts/