Theater of the American South returning

About 1,600 people enjoyed the Theater of the American South, which was held in May in Wilson. About 20 percent of theater-goers were out-of-towners.

In other words, the theater did more than well enough to warrant another year.

"I think the response we got from Wilson was enthusiastic," Judi Thurston, interim director of the Wilson arts council, told the Wilson Daily News. "Of course, it was the first year, and it takes several years to build up a festival like this.

"The Theater of the American South was a great opportunity for not only the Arts Council but also the city of Wilson to introduce people to a taste of Southern hospitality through the arts." Although some people have wondered if holding the first festival during the busy May season hurt attendance, organizers are planning for the same time next year.

For the 2007 festival, [Raleigh's Gary] Cole[, the theater's director] plans to follow the same general format — two plays, cooking demonstrations, lecture series and gospel services — with some fine tuning and more local promotions.Plays haven't been selected yet. This year, some patrons objected to the strong language in one of the featured plays, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

"We of course will be sensitive to the community's sensibilities in choosing plays for next year, and in making our selections next year, we will consider all comments," Cole said.