Many people view acting as a way to express yourself and for small-town Searcy there aren’t many opportunities for actors. One local  non-profit is changing that.

Lauren Lawson explains that Center on the Square is a non-profit organization that is part of the Arkansas Arts Council.

“We do community theater,” Lawson said. “Lot of fun, especially if you like to act.”

The Center on the Square crew puts on performances throughout the year for the community.

“There’s a program for kids called ‘Kid’s Stage’ and then there are shows throughout the season that are dinner theater shows, and there’s a musical usually once a year,” said Lawson.

This organization is open to kids or young adults who enjoy acting.

Kid’s Stage is an after-school theater program which is open to high school students as well as children.  Not everyone has to act though, people are needed to run the technology, build the sets, and make the costumes.

“I know when you are in high school and you hear ‘Kids Stage’ it makes you feel like we are patting you on the head,” Kaleb Keese, program director said. “But if I could think of another name for the classes I would. Behind the scenes and building sets and even costumes are part of the summer tech class we offer to teens.”

Keese said every summer they produce a musical with all the ages combined and in spring and fall they offer classes for all ages.

The current production is called “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” by Steve Martin. The story has Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso meeting in a Parisian café in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism.

“It’s a really funny play written by Steve Martin and it just plays on Picasso’s art and Einstein’s brain power,” Lawson said.

For more information check out the Center on the square at  http://www.centeronthesquare.org/