Massey

Upon her move to Meridian in 1985, Ellie Massey found an immediate connection to one of the South’s oldest community theatres – Meridian Little Theatre.

Over the next 30-plus years, Massey not only would work on and off stage for the community theatre, but also serve on its board of directors, co-direct and direct productions for MLT’s youth division as well as direct several of its dinner theaters.

So when the search began for a new director of Meridian Little Theatre, Massey said she put her name in the hat.

“And, I got picked,” she proudly notes.

Massey’s new post with the local theatre will be officially announced today at an event starting at 10 a.m. at the Highway 39 North playhouse.

“Ellie brings a lot of experience with her,” said Ronnie Miller, who is retiring after four years as MLT’s director. “In addition to her extensive

theater background, she also has worked in radio, which gives her an even broader connection with the public. Both of these qualities will be great assets to Meridian Little Theatre.”

As director, Massey said her goals to 85-year-old theatre’s longevity include several expansions.

“There’s so potential in this theatre, and I want to expand it to include the entire community,” she said.

Massey also would like to expand MLT’s youth program.

“There are so many kids in our community who don’t get the opportunity to be in our shows,” she said. “While all the schools are included, we only have students from a few who participate. We want to reach out to more of them.”

And Massey would like to expand the community theatre’s membership.

“We want as many people as possible to come see the shows, to buy season tickets and to become members of Meridian Little Theatre,” she said. “There’s more than one word there: There’s ‘theatre’ and there’s ‘community’ together. You can’t have a theatre that represents the community if you don’t have outreach to the entire community.”

Massey will be MLT’s third director. She also will be the theater’s first female director – a factor she says she had not considered.

“When someone said to me the other day, ‘Oh, you’re the first female director; what a great opportunity!’ I said, ‘Well, yeah, you know I hadn’t really thought about it.’ I think of myself as a director, not necessary a female director,” she said.

Massey will make her directorial debut for a main stage MLT production on May 4 with “9 to 5: The Musical,” which will close out the theatre’s 84th season. She anticipates audiences will be pleased with the production, which will be presented through May 9.

“The talent we have in Meridian in amazing and this production has such a phenomenal cast – some returning after a long absence from the Meridian Little Theatre stage, and some new faces who’ve never been there before,” Massey said. “Every one of them is an outstanding singer and proving themselves to be outstanding dancers as well … Carol Merrill (choreographer) has been working with them on several of the numbers and they are doing such a great job. It’s just a great time and we’re having a good time and I want people to see how much fun it can be in a show.”

Massey’s other Meridian Little Theatre credits include:

• For MLT’s youth division, CenterStage, Massey served as co-director for “The Magical Land of Oz” and “Princess Whatsername.”

• Co-director of the CenterStage Summer Workshops since 2014. In addition, Massey wrote the scripts for each of the workshops.

• Worked backstage for CenterStage’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

• Will co-direct the 2017 Center/Stage production of “Alice @ Wonderland.”

• Served as assistant director under longtime Meridian Little Theatre director the late Jimmie Pigford for “The Lion In Winter” and “Steel Magnolias” (Pigford’s last production).

• Was stage manager for “Hello, Dolly!”

• Performed in “The Odd Couple (Female Version)” and “Sorry, Wrong Chimney.”

• Last spring, Massey directed a star-studded cast for MLT’s 2016 dinner theater production, “The Butler Did It Singing” and most recently was the light board operator for this year’s dinner theater, Honky Tonk Angels.

Massey also taught Theatre Appreciation at Meridian Community College and served as light board operator for their 2016 fall musical, “Aida.”