The Catoosa County Colonnade has been open for more than four years now. The facility has a beautiful 500 plus seat theatre but the problem is a number of fine productions (and several not so great productions) have been performed to a smattering of theatergoers. The young and the old are pouring their talents, sweat and time into each show only to be met by community apathy. To have such a fine facility for stage productions and not utilize it is simply a waste.

Catoosa County may just not be a fertile ground for theatre or any type of broadscale artistic expression or perhaps people have yet to realize the entertainment and cultural value of a live show. Those who have partaken of a play at the Colonnade should do what they can to spread the word to those who have yet to stray beyond a TV or movie screen.

Those who are foreign to the theatre should know that at the Colonnade you don’t have to dress up in fancy clothes or be highly educated to appreciate a play.

Theatre is often an enriching alternative to the saturation of violence, sex, and material worship steadily promoted by TV and movies. The action played out on stage by real people in real time is an enthralling and educational experience.

On June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, The Community Players will put on a children’s production of Cinderella at the Colonnade. While the reviews are not in, this may be well worth taking your children to see and is a great way to kick off summer break. If Cinderella is not your fancy then keep your eye out for other productions at the Colonnade.

One thing is for sure; there is an opportunity to make the Colonnade a haven for theatre, as it is a unique facility in the Northwest Georgia area. The only question is, do people here care enough to make it happen