Gorman Contribution Leads To Establishment of Theatre Outreach Program At Dreyfoos
Marcie Gorman-Althof is a local philanthropist with a love for children and theatre. Now, she combines these two passions with the establishment of the Marcie Gorman Theatre Outreach Program at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Thanks to Mrs. Gorman’s generous contribution of $10,000 to the School of the Arts Foundation, 1,000 disadvantaged children and parents from across Palm Beach County will experience the magic of live theatre as they are welcomed to the Dreyfoos Theatre department’s fall production of A Raisin in the Sun.
The Marcie Gorman Theatre Outreach Program aims to make theatre inclusive to underprivileged children.When Wade Handy, Dreyfoos’s Dean of Theatre, approached Mrs. Gorman with the idea to establish a fund that would provide complimentary admission to Dreyfoos Theatre productions, she jumped onboard with no hesitation. Handy said, “I know no greater advocate for access to the theatre than Marcie Gorman, and no better play to introduce this program than A Raisin in the Sun.”
Gorman and Handy worked with Bruce Lewis, chairman of West Palm Beach’s Downtown Development Authority and the Black Chamber of Commerce, to develop a list of targeted Title One schools and community-based organizations that serve disadvantaged children. Schools, such as Lake Worth Middle and Glades Central High, and community organizations,including the Boys and Girls Club and the Urban League, are distributing tickets to the children they serve.
“The response has been tremendous! I believe that this really proves that there is a desire in our community for everyone to have access to the theatre,” said Gorman. She continues, “I am excited to meet these children and their parents at the A Raisin in the Sun performances!”
In A Raisin in the Sun, each member of the Younger family dreams of a better life, but domestic and generational conflict arises when differing views emerge on how to achieve that goal. This poignant, classic story explores upward mobility in pursuit of the American dream, a theme as relevant today as it was when A Raisin in the Sun was first produced over fifty years ago.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN was first produced over fifty years ago.
Tickets to the show are available online at http://www.seatyourself.biz/awdsoa.
A RAISIN IN THE SUN PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
Who: AlexanderW. Dreyfoos School of the Arts Theatre Department
What: Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, directed by Garry Q. Lewis
Where: Meyer Hall at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, 550
S. Tamarind Avenue,
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
When: October 26 & 27, and November 2 & 3 at 7:00 p.m.; October 28& November 4 at 2:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15.00, available online at www.seatyourself.biz/awdsoa,or at the door one hour prior to performance; for group rate, please call 561/802-6052.
ABOUT DREYFOOS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
The AlexanderW.DreyfoosSchool of the Arts was founded in 1989 as the premier arts high school in the School District of Palm Beach County, the nation’s eleventh largest school district which serves a county geographically larger than Rhode Island or Delaware. This Choice Program school accepts students based upon a competitive audition process from all public and private middle and high schools in the county. With a current enrollment of 1,300 students, the AlexanderW.DreyfoosSchool of the Arts offers its students intensive study within their art area and a rigorous college preparatory academic curriculum. The innovative program has led to the school receiving a multitude of awards and recognitions on all levels, local to international, including a 2007 No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon School Award, a rank of 37 in Newsweek’s ranking of America’s best high schools (2012), and the 2008 Palm Beach County Cultural Council Muse Award for Arts or Cultural Organization / Budget over $500,000.
ABOUT MARCIE GORMAN-ALTHOF
Marcie Gorman received her Associate of Arts degree from the University of Florida (where she competed in various singing and Thespian events) and her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Memphis State University. Marcie taught fifth grade for four years before returning to South Florida where she began her second career with Weight Watchers. Ultimately, Marcie owned and ran the franchises from Boca Raton to Titusville, the Panhandle of Florida and Southern Alabama. While with Weight Watchers, Marcie became the spokesperson for her franchises to keep her hand in the ‘theatre part’ of business. Marcie retired from Weight Watchers in 2008 and went back to her roots as a volunteer and substitute teacher at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts Theatre Department- her favorite ‘part’ of all.
For more details contact Jane Grandusky, 561.805-6203 or email: jane.grandusky@palmbeachschools.org.
