Student volunteers time to improve hometown
Twitchell volunteers his time on the American Fork Theater Board. Photo by Gilbert Cisneros/UVU Review
Scott Twitchell has found a way to give back to his community using the skills he is learning here on campus.
Last year, Scott Twitchell ran for city council of American Fork. Though he made it to the primaries, he wasn’t elected. However, this didn’t stop him from continuing to serve his community.
Twitchell, a sophomore Theater Education major, is on the American Fork Theater Board. Made up of ten members, the board volunteers its time to bring community theater projects to the city of American Fork. “Right now I’m working on flyers and programs to notify the city and citizens of what’s going on,” Twitchell said.
Currently, American Fork does not have a community theater. Most productions put on by the board have to rent out venues. Another challenging aspect of being on the board is financing their projects. The American Fork Theater Board has teamed up with Highland City to produce “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat” this summer. The reason for combining was mainly to pool funds. “That’s one of the challenges we face on a city level,” Twitchell said.
While both American Fork and Highland are producing the play, people wanting to audition or volunteer for the show do not have to be residents to do so. “One of the great things about our show is we’re not strictly city based,” Twitchell said. “We want anyone to audition.”
The board normally produces two shows a year. However, scheduling conflicts and finances forced the board to cancel their show in February. Now, all the focus is on “Joseph” in August.
Leadership is nothing new to Twitchell. In high school, he held leadership positions in student government, drama club and FCCLA. Twitchell plans on being a theater teacher after graduating. He was inspired by his own drama teacher, Neil Johnson, at American Fork High School. “I wanted to teach cause I wanted to give back,” Twitchell said.
Audition for American Fork’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dream Coat”
Contact: Marie Sharon