Julie Barnett
As time goes on, community members of Cordell add new things for its residents to do, and one of Cordell’s newest faces hopes to do exactly that.
Julie Barnett has been working in theatre for 25 years, and now hopes to be able to bring a community theatre group to Cordell.
“I want to create some arts in Cordell. I feel like it’s lacking in that. I know that it used to be very strong in the school system,” she said. “I would love to get a community theater going to see what we can shake out, see if people are interested in doing that… My goal is to have family-friendly productions. I want to have something that no one will have problems bringing anyone to, and they’ll be uplifting.”
Barnett has had plenty of experience putting on plays throughout the years as well as having had her hands in every facet of theatre.
“I’ve directed at every house around here from Southwest Playhouse, Red Carpet Community, my home theater Shortgrass at Hobart,” she said. “I’m fast approaching my 97th play. So I’m getting on up there. I’ve either been in, directed, or costumed 97 different productions.”
First and foremost, Barnett must find a venue to be able to facilitate rehearsals with a potential theatre group and ultimately put on the show.
She hopes to continuously keep looking for a potential venue, and also hopes to hear input from the community for where she could potentially hold shows.
“I think ideally if it was an old church or some older building, maybe that is already set up with seating,” she said. “I am totally lost on that idea as to where to start on that… I just need a space.”
While finding a venue is a major part of Barnett’s plan, finding participants is just as important to her, and she said that her hopes in finding them are high.
“There usually are some thespians out there somewhere, and you usually just kind of open the door and they come,” Barnett said. “I might have to advertise in the school system or social media to find out if there’s any interest at all.”
Regardless of the venue, Barnett said she is ready and willing to begin forming a group if there are people in town who are interested.
“First thing is to find out who they are and where they are,” she said. “Maybe we could even meet at the library or here at my home, I don’t care! But if there’s a group of people that want to be involved we’ll get together.”
Barnett encourages anyone to reach out to her regardless of if they have any experience in theatre or not.
“You gotta start somewhere! I feel like it’s just like a baby learning to crawl and then tottle, walk, run, and fly! They’ll just start out with a smaller part,” she said. “Don’t be afraid is to be ensemble cast! To be a part of a group! If you’re afraid, ‘I’m scared to death to even talk on stage.’ One word. That may be all you do is one line, and that is all you need. You need just that bump to, ‘I love this. I’m going to do this.’”
Though acting is not the only aspect of theatre as Barnett says that there is something for everyone to partake in since it takes a diverse team to put on a show.
“They can be tech people! We’re always needing tech people to run lights and sound. They’re the kind of the people behind the stage,” Barnett said. “What is your niche? What do you really like to do? You can find it in theatre. You can find something that you really like. Set design is nothing but a ‘let’s play pretend.’ If you have a niche that you feel like you really would love to do. Come on. Let’s go. Let’s do this.”
Barnett got her start at Hobart’s Shortgrass Playhouse in 1996 where she went on to host an after-school theatre program.
“In that program, I realized, I love this. I want to do this. I think I’ll go back to college and do this,” she said. “I’ve always been a show-off kid. So it just kinda did it from there, and I say, show off kid, it’s those kids that are born with an extra hambone that are always like, ‘Hey me! Watch me! I can do this!’ That is what a thespian grows up to be. They usually want to be the entertainment instead of watch the entertainment.”
She then went on to student Communication Arts with an emphasis on Theatre at SWOSU where she studied under Professor Steve Strickler.
Some of Barnett’s most recent theatrical endeavors include directing a newly formed group for a show in Altus and one of her shows for ‘Annie’ recently had an audience of 1100 people. Barnett’s latest endeavors include her upcoming show of “The Addams Family” at the Southwest Playhouse in Clinton on October 8 through the 10 and October 15 through the 17.
Despite still looking for a venue, Barnett continues to make moves where she can as she already has plans for a concert in the park.
She has the Wichita Mountain Bluegrass Band performing on September 26 from 8 to 10 p.m. at the park pavilion here in Cordell.
The show will be free to the public with donations being accepted, and this comes from Barnett’s efforts in bringing the arts to Cordell.
“I started something that I hope continues. It’s just a matter of way of, we have got to bring the arts. We have got to bring music to Cordell, because you and I both know that music is healing. It’s a healing power.”
Overall, Barnett has high hopes for Cordell and said she will continue to try and find those who are interested in a potential theatre group.
“We got to start small and start here. I feel like there’s someone in this community, there’s a small group. You gotta start somewhere, and I really feel like this would be a perfect place. I want to make arts available in this area to whoever,” she said. “I know they’re out there. Some are as close as Rocky and some at Clinton. I don’t know if they’re in Cordell, but I would hope to find them. I hope to find the ones that want to be.”
Barnett’s plans for a theatre group in town, as well as any other shows, are led solely by her as she plans to produce things under JKB Productions, a trademark of hers. Along with this, she said she hopes to one day have a playhouse for Cordell the likes of those in Clinton, Hobart, and Elk City.
“Wouldn’t that be wonderful to say 50 years from now and generations to come, that we started it here? That’d be cool! That’d be part of the process of saying, ‘let’s get together, and what are we going to call ourselves?’ We’ll find that menu and start doing it.”
If you have any interest in being part of a theatre group or you know of a potential venue for Barnett, you can contact her at juliekbarnett@yahoo. com.
“I think with theater, you either hate it or love it. You know quick that ‘this is not for me’ or’ this is not something I would do’, but give it a try! You never know,” Barnett said. “Come prepared to work because we’re going to work. It’s going to be fun, but we’re going to work at it, because I believe in putting on the absolute best production that you can.”