Shakespeare & Love

From staff reports

Wimberley July 18, 2008 10:46 am

— One decade ago, Norm and Ann Rolling turned tragedy into triumph.
In 1996, their daughter EmilyAnn was killed in a car accident. The Wimberley High School student was active in the drama department with a passion for Shakespearean drama.
To celebrate her life, the couple founded the EmilyAnn Theatre in 1998. The EmilyAnn will celebrate its 10 year anniversary with special events Friday, Aug. 1 and Sunday, Aug. 3.
“It has been a remarkable adventure and a true witness to what love can build,” Ann Rolling, executive director, said.
The outdoor theatre, located at 1101 FM 2325 in Wimberley, initially provided a permanent home for Shakespeare Under the Stars, at the time a program of the Wimberley ISD drama department. The theatre has since expanded its programming to include a variety of cultural and community events.
The festivities will begin Aug. 1 with cake and celebration at the theatre and a performance of The Comedy of Errors. The event continues on Aug. 3 with a Starry Night 10th anniversary celebration at Highpoint Manor. Tickets for the Starry Night event are $50 per person.
Entertainment for the night will feature a preview of the EmilyAnn’s upcoming show Broadway Under the Stars and a performance by Adrienne Haan, star of From Berlin to Broadway.
Haan, a native of Germany, sang previously at the EmilyAnn in 1998, and actually stayed with the Rolling family in 1995 as part of the Lions Club Youth Exchange Program. She later attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and has appeared in many Broadway and off-Broadway productions.
“The whole Rolling family became ‘my own family’ and its as an honor to have been asked to sing at the grand opening in 1998,” Haan said. “As always, I am dedicating my performance on Aug. 3 to my beloved ‘little sister,’ EmilyAnn Rolling.”
For more information about the theatre and tickets visit www.emilyann.org or call the theatre at (512) 847-6969.

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