CONTRIBUTED BY OPELIKA COMMUNITY THEATRE

OPELIKA —
The first orientation meeting of The Opelika Comunity Theatre’s (OCT) Penguin Project will be held on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. at OCT’s new theater headquarters located at 1220 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 216 (USA Town Center).
Opelika Community Theatre was appointed to become the second chapter in Alabama for the National Penguin Project Foundation in November 2022.
OCT needs committed volunteers of “all” ages to become involved with this project, as well as the necessary “penguin” participants. It will take a village to make this project happen.
OCT is partnering with the Opelika City Schools to produce its first Penguin Project production, ANNIE JR., scheduled for March 8 through 10, 2024.
The age range for the Penguin Project is 8 to 25 years old. We are also looking for age-related peer volunteers to help with this project, as well as adults. Please make plans to attend this meeting and find out more about the Penguin Project and how you can be a part of this amazing inaugural journey with OCT. Please bring a lawn chair for seating as our chairs may not be in for the meeting.

OTHER THEATER NEWS
On Oct. 21 and 22, John Emerald Distillery will host Opelika Community Theatre’s Murder Mystery “Death on the Rocks” written by local resident Libby Johnston Herring. Herring is one of the founders of OCT.
This Murder Mystery Dinner Fundraiser will benefit OCT and its new facility.
Come join the crazy mixed up dysfunctional Thorn family as it meets for a “Spirit Challenge” contest to determine who will be put in Aunt Tessa’s (played by Joyce Wyatt) will to inherit the 100 year old family distillery.
Uncle Ezra Thorn, played by Opelika City Council Member George Allen, thinks there’s a whole lot of mysterious things that have been happening at the distillery and invites famous detective Coco Rocher, played by Marty Moore, and her eccentric wanna-be sleuth brother, played by Dr. Shashi Sharma, to join the weekend celebration in hopes of finding answers to the crazy happenings.
And as always, someone mysteriously dies. Join the rest of the cast — Dr. Beatrice Allen, Dr. Nettie Echols, Kaleb Clark, Cameron Whitlow, Alysa Richards, Delia Parham, Kathy Conner, Abby Miracle, Shelia Hadaway and Robbin Brasfield — as they attempt to solve the crime and reveal the murderer.
Tickets are $55 per single or $95 per couple. Enjoy the show and dinner. For more information about either event, visit www.opelikacommunitytheatre.com or call/text 334-400-9660 or 334-559-8597.