Many of us are thankful that the smell of grease paint once more permeates the atmosphere around Marietta Square. Thanks to Ed Howard, of “Greater Tuna” fame, the old and much loved Theatre in the Square is once again ablaze with lights and filled with theater goers, as the newly named Marietta Theatre re-opens with a smash hit, one-woman show, “The Summer of Daisy Fay.” based on a character created by Fannie Flagg. Daisy is masterfully portrayed by Veronika Duerr in this story of the journey of discovery from girl to woman

Meantime, in the space known as the Alley Stage, at the rear of the Theatre in the Square building, Cobb County’s master of musical comedy, Rob Hardie, with his Next Stage Theatre, is sharing the venue with two other groups, Act it Out Theatre Company and Out of Box Theatre. All three groups have presented outstandingly talented performers in some wonderful shows. The Act It Out Theatre Company just completed a run of a musical based on the tale of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Next Stage Theatre group is currently rehearsing for “Cabaret”, which will open Dec. 14 and close New Years Eve.

Across Glover Park, at the Earl Smith Stand Theatre, patrons will not lack for Christmas entertainment. Beginning Nov. 29, for three days, the Strand will present the well-known “Sanders Family Christmas.”

Brandt Blocker and his Atlanta Lyric Theatre are getting set to open in Irving Berlin’s beloved “White Christmas.” A stellar cast will sing and dance their way through a heartwarming tale of a special Christmas, The show runs from Dec. 7-23 and, based on past experiences with the Lyric it will be a marvelous show and one you won’t want to miss.

Following the closing of “White Christmas,” The Sanders family will once more take the stage to entertain you, beginning Dec. 27 and running thru the 30th. All this great entertainment is within walking distance of the Square and Glover Park.

Farther down the road, at the Cobb Civic Center, local celebrities are working out the kinks and fighting sore muscles as they rehearse for the fifth annual celebrity charity production of the “Nutcracker”, in connection with the Georgia Ballet, The show, which will be offered on Dec. 2, was featured in a front page story in the MDJ, on Nov. 25.

Community theater groups are busy putting together holiday shows for our entertainment and enjoyment.

Don Goodner’s Young Actors Playhouse is putting the finishing touches on “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” which is being directed by Barbara Rudy and will run Dec. 14-22. This group occupies the space formerly occupied by Blackwell Playhouse in the shopping center at Blackwell Road and Canton.

The Art Place at Mountain View will be the scene of a hilarious “redneck” romp through Christmas, as CenterStage North presents a new Jones, Hope, Wooten Christmas comedy, “Dashing Through the Snow.” The show marks the area premier for this play, which opens on Dec. 7 and closes on the 15th. Set in Tinsel, Texas, where it is Christmas 365 days a year, at a bed and breakfast called the Snowflake Inn, the show relates the stories of four groups of people, with various agendas, beginning on the 21st of December and culminating on Christmas Eve.

A few blocks north of the Square, the Polk Street Players, performing in the Stellar Cellar, in the St. James Episcopal Church, are rehearsing for “Let’s Murder Marsha,” a comedy of errors by the talented Monk Ferris. The show will run from Jan. 25 to Feb. 9.

As I have stated numerous times, Cobb County and the surrounding area is fortunate to have an abundance of talented and dedicated performers, as well as directors, musical directors and all the support personnel necessary to keep community theater operating as a vital part of our culture and our community. They cannot survive without our support. If we want theater to be a part of our lives, then we need to support it. Support is in the form of buying tickets and seeing the shows. Consider becoming a season subscriber to one or more of our great theater groups.

Aside from those talked about here, there are many other area theaters, offering quality entertainment at great prices. They need your help and support and the best way to do that is buy tickets and fill the seats.

Pete Borden is a retired masonry contractor in east Cobb.