The Fort Smith Little Theatre will be a place with young talent, experienced directors, classic tales and new scripts in 2013.

The long-running theater troupe will stage a variety of plays during its regular season and during off-season moments to give area patrons and visitors more drama for their money and time, says Micki Voelkel, FSLT member.

“It really is going to be a great season for everyone because it’s a great mix of things,” she says. “We have a mystery, and we have classic productions like ‘Steel Magnolias’ and ‘Barefoot in the Park.’”

A recent influx of new talent at the theater will give the upcoming season an added quality, Voelkel promises.

“We have a lot of young directors this year,” she says.

“Three of our directors - Summer Ferguson is about 24, and Amanda Elkins and Luke Perkinson both are at or near that age-30 range. It’s exciting to have new directors.”

Voelkel says she is excited to have the chance to direct “Emma,” which is based on Jane Austen’s popular novel but taken from a 2010 script.

“This will be fun because it will be a way to tell a classic story by way of a new script,” she says. “There’s going to be a lot of great things happening at the Fort Smith Little Theatre.”

Selected for FSLT’s 2013 regular season are:

“Hickory Dickory Dead” - FSLT member Rikee Workman Black directs Craig Sodaro’s play, which offers a nursery rhyme-like charm coupled with a dash of Agatha Christie. Present-day NewEngland is the setting, where colorful guests pile into the Hickory Dickory Inn before they find themselves trapped in a massive storm. Show dates are Feb. 14-17 and Feb.

20-23.

“Steel Magnolias” - Robert Harling’s popular story will serve as the basis for the theater’s reprise ofits production from more than 20 years ago. Southern womanhood is examined in this play, with a quaint beauty shop and the buzz of gossip, questions and advice serving as focal points. Truvy, Clairee, Annelle, Ouiser and M’Lynn are among the characters who give depth to the play, which will be directed by SummerFerguson. Show dates are April 4-7 and April 10-13.

“Barefoot in the Park” - Neil Simon’s timeless creation first opened on Broadway in the early 1960s before running for more than 1,500 performances. Called one of the greatest comedies by many, the production holds a biographical factor.

Young newlyweds try to enjoy life’s ups while facing the world’s downs in a third-floor apartment. FSLT member Luke Perkinson will direct.

Show dates are May 30-31, June 1-2 and June 5-8.

“Emma” - “Emma” involves a 19th-century English belief that love is a wonderful game. Merging romance with comedy, the story follows a young woman who obsessively plays Cupid but has a knack for ignoring her own chance at a relationship. The production will be directed by Micki Voelkel. Show dates are July 18-21 and July 24-27.

“Twelve Angry Men” - Amanda Elkins will serve as director for Reginald Rose’s play, which has been called an American classic. Made into popular 1957 film that starred Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman and Lee J. Cobb, “Twelve Angry Men” examines a gridlocked jury, whose fierce debateswill determine the fate of one man accused of murder. Show dates are Sept. 5-8 and Sept.

11-14.

“White Christmas” - This musical from the creative team of David Ives and Irving Berlin showcases a pair of World War II veterans who find cheers and adoration in the spotlight. When the lively duo teams up with two singing sisters, a professional bond quickly gives way to romantic feelings, all while they desperately try to rescue an inn located in Vermont.

FSLT member George Mann will direct. Show dates are Nov. 14-17 and Nov. 20-23.

The opening-night galas will begin at 8 p.m., while regular evening performances will start at 8 p.m. and matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Season-ticket packages are available in two forms. The first package is the opening night gala package, which costs $100 and includes hors d’oeuvres and champagne prior to each performance, while dessert is available at intermission.

The other season package is for regular performances.

It costs $50 and gives the ticketholder the choice of seven performances.

Individual tickets are $15 and $30 for musicals and $10 and $25 for non-musicals.

FSLT’s off-season productions will include Three One Acts: “A Time of Farewells,” “Stacks of Wax” and “Riders to the Sea,” April 18-20; “Smell of the Kill,” Sept.

26-28; and “It’s a Wonderful Life/A Living Radio Play,” Dec. 12-14. Admission to off-season shows is $5 at the door.

“It’s exciting that we have a lot of off-season shows, too,” Voelkel says. “It’s really a combination of having experienced directors and new directors, and great, old classics with new scripts.”

Whats Up, Pages 17 on 01/04/2013