The Old Brick Playhouse Company wins State Award

Though it was a particularly cold day in January, wild horses could not have prevented representatives from The Old Brick Playhouse Company of Elkins from a trip to Charleston to attend WV’s annual Martin Luther King Celebration. This year, The Old Brick Playhouse won the “Living the Dream” Service Organization Honor Roll Award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission.

Each year organizations are named to the Honor Roll because they demonstrate one or more of the following characteristics which exemplify principles Dr. King believed in. The honored organizations promote human and civil rights, pursue equality for others, and work for social change. They assist under-served communities and groups and relive suffering and inequities. They promote tolerance and resolve conflict in a nonviolent way as an advocate of peace.

“We were thrilled with this honor” states The Old Brick Playhouse Executive Director, Missy Armentrout McCollam. “When we opened the Old Brick Playhouse in 1992, one of my first caveats for the organization was that we must be inclusive. It has been The Old Brick Playhouse’s goal ever since that time to make sure that everyone feels welcome here and that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate in Old Brick activities. Initially, the Old Brick Playhouse Board of Directors were a bit shocked by idea of including every youth that applied as a member of the Apprentice play. Over the years, however, everyone onboard has been able to see very distinctly the positive change this inclusive policy has made.”

“The one major rule that we enforce here at The Old Brick is that students, staff, and other participants must be kind to each other” claims Old Brick Assistant Creative Director, Diana Vera. “If everyone adheres by that rule, then there is little need for any other rules”

In addition to their every day practices, The Old Brick Playhouse has been promoting tolerance through their original touring productions for children and youth since inception in 1992. All of our original performances promote peaceful resolution to everyday problems, state Armentrout McCollam. “The Groovy Moving Show” written in 2000 focuses exclusively on social and cultural tolerance. The Groovy Moving show has not only been presented in West Virginia, but also over 200 performances in Virginia. The Groovy Moving show chronicles Paulina’s life after her Grandmother is informed that she is being a bully at school. By insisting that Paulina spend her summer working in Grandma’s garden, a place where all the plants and animals who inhabit the garden are experts at collaboration and kindness.

My favorite part of the Groovy Moving Show, states Armentrout McCollam is when a Paulina and a firefly sing “you really gotta know, that if everybody works together, then everybody grows!”

The Old Brick Playhouse was recognized in January during the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Luncheon., in the Great Hall of the West Virginia Cultural Center in Charleston. Twenty-four young people, four individuals, and three other service organizations were also honored. Awards were given for the YWCA’s 15th annual “Project on Racism” essay contest, The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 23rd annual poster contest, the Service Organization Honor Roll and the “Living the Dream” Awards. The event was sponsored by the Martin Luther King, Jr., West Virginia Holiday Commission, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and West Virginia State University (WVSU).

For more information on this and other Old Brick Playhouse projects, contact the Old Brick Playhouse office at 304-637-9090.