On its 30th anniversary,

support RRT and

its programs

Robidoux Resident Theatre is celebrating its 30th anniversary in show business. Thirty years ago a small group of caring artists and community-minded people got together and formed what is now one of the most recognized community theater organizations in the state. Last year the organization was named the Best Community Theatre in Missouri and received five national awards by the American Association of Community Theatre.

In a time when other arts organizations are cutting back and trying to hang on, RRT has added a professional series, The Bravo Series; and is about to launch the Theatre Academy in the spring. The new academy will bring theater classes to both the young and young-at-heart in a three-semester curriculum.

During the past five years the organization has gone from a four-play series to one that produces 18 productions a year with more than 78 production dates.

RRT has resurrected the dinner theater venue, Robidoux Landing Playhouse. This three-year-old venue has played to 110 percent capacity. RRT runs the most successful dinner theater in the state of Missouri - professional or otherwise.

The community has embraced this gem of a group with open arms and with rears in the seats. RRT enjoys more than 25,000 patrons a year. This number is huge when you compare it to the 2,750 patrons just five years ago. What is the secret?

It is great entertainment by a group that plays a major role in the community. This year RRT gave more than $20,000 to local schools in discounted tickets. More than 4,000 children saw a Broadway style musical or play this year. RRT also has donated more than $2,000 to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, committing itself to a health and/or social-related cause each year by producing a play that makes us think about our own health and social positions. This year RRT will work with Heartland Heath in producing "Steel Magnolias" for the cause of diabetes.

Robidoux Resident Theatre is in the midst of its development drive and needs you to give what you can to keep this community theater moving forward with great plays and musicals and an educational academy that is going to be the envy of any fine arts program in the state. Your dollars will go directly to programming. You can be assured that if you give to the development drive your dollars will directly impact the quality of art and life here in our historic community.

You can call RRT at 232-1778 or go to www.rrtstjoe.org and donate to your community theater today.

Jeff Haney

Executive Director

Robidoux Resident Theatre

The 1950s were not

such happy days

for everyone

This is in answer to a letter to the editor from Bobbie Despain, where he laments the "good old days" of the 1950s. I'd like to take issue with a few of his assertions.

For starters, numerically there are more "God-fearing" Christians now than at any time in history. If Mr. Despain thinks we were so godly in the '50s, that our nation was "blessed," let me refresh his memory just how "godly" we were as a nation.

In those days it was OK to hate someone based on the color of their skin. Remember Jim Crow? Segregation? Hangings, lynchings, church bombings and all sorts of ungodly acts, based on race, were carried out in those days. Doesn't sound too "godly" to me. Also, let's not forget in that day and age, we were in the middle of an arms race that threatened our very existence on this rock we call Earth. Now, tell me how building nuclear bombs is "godly," Mr. Despain.

Oh, and if you're so eager to bring back that time in history, let's bring back the scourge of TB, polio, a multitude of birth defects and a whole host of illnesses we don't even hear about anymore. Were we truly that blessed?

He also goes on about the violence, nudity and other such things in today's cinema. Yes, there are those things, but you don't have to go see them. I've seen several movies the last couple of years that were action-packed, yet I never saw so much as a bare breast and the swear words were at a minimum, if any at all. Maybe he needs to quit looking at the negative and be thankful that we live in an era of unprecedented medical advances, social tolerance and affluence. Not too many people in the fifties even had a phone or a car, let alone a cell phone or a car that is as safe as the ones we have today.

Randall L. Huston

St Joseph

Close the borders,

and stop foreign aid

to save the country

Our Founding Fathers would be rolling over in their graves if they knew how the country has become the kicking block of the world. We don't protect our borders, we let foreigners withe green cards take jobs away from our own people and we let proud young Americans die on foreign soil without a direct threat to our freedom.

Finally it is time to stop all foreign aid to anyone! We are broke and I don't see anyone coming to our aid. If I remember correctly, Europeans would be speaking German if not for the U.S. and I believe they owe us a lot of money for rebuilding their cities. Well, it is time to collect.

How to protect our borders: Build a fence with big signs informing anyone crossing the border illegally they will be executed. We would not need thousands of Border Patrol agents chasing down illegals and sending them back only to catch them again. Do you think you might think twice about crossing?

How to improve our unemployment dilemma: If there is a foreigner holding a job that a U.S. citizen can do, they are exported. Sorry, but it's time to take care of our own, don't you think? If a foreigner does work in our country then they will be assessed a 20 percent tax rate for that privilege.

Bring all U.S. troops home unless we are at war, period! We are not at war with Iraq or Afghanistan and most of their citizens don't want us there anyway.

Do not send one cent of foreign aid to anyone. We simply don't have it. With a trillion-dollar deficit, who can anyone afford to just give money away to another nation?

America, it is time to look out for U.S. We can do it. Let's go!

Scott Stefankiewiez

St. Joseph