The Natchez Little Theatre, NLT Board of Directors, and its members, would like to express its profound concern and distress over the pur­ported events recently reported in The Natchez Democrat, especially the ones that allegedly were committed at the Natchez Little Theatre. Our thoughts and prayers are with the minor child and his family, and hope that his journey to recovery from this ordeal is one marked by the greatest of speed and restoration.

Over the years, there have been hundreds of young people who have played a wide variety of roles in stage productions of all kinds and have participated in summer workshops designed to develop both their respective acting abilities and their confidence and self-esteem. In this regard, we feel that we have been successful beyond measure. We have been fortunate enough to see young people who were painfully shy, timid or lacking in communicative skills walk out of the theatre with an air of confidence, a sense of accomplishment and truly know­ing that they are part of the NLT family.

And there is a strong sense of family at the Natchez Little Theatre. It is the true reality in a place where make believe abounds on the stage and illusion welds a cast into a team that forms relationships that last a lifetime. But if a person seeks membership in this theatre family by participating in shows, then he owes each other member a sacred duty to support, aid and protect them from harm. If this duty is breached, then we, as an organization, are all harmed.

The end result of these allegations remains to be seen. However, should the allegations against this one individual prove to be true, then the responsibility owed to our family has been neglected and that trust breached.

We deeply care about our theater family. Therefore, we will continue to do all that is possible to see that the members of the NLT family are safe, secure and free from any danger that could bring this sadness into our midst again.

 

Layne Taylor

Executive & Artistic Director

Natchez Little Theatre