Augusta, GA
JENNIE: Augusta Players Capital Campaign underway for city’s longest-serving arts organization
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)– The Augusta Players is the longest existing arts organization in the CSRA, providing professional theatrical experiences for adults and youth for 80 years. And for 80 years they’ve been without a home of their own– but that’s about to change!
Scott Seidl is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Augusta Players.
“This has been a five year journey for us. I mean, we’ve been looking for a place like this since before the pandemic happened. And so when this one was brought to our attention, it was a no brainer. We were just so excited because it’s right there in the heart of the theater district. Literally across the street is the Miller Theater. A block away is the Imperial Theatre on the same block as Le Chat Noir. On the same block is Jessye Norman School of the Arts. And so there’s just a synergy and a energy of community that is a part of just the location itself.”
While the Augusta Players offices have been at Sacred Heart Cultural Center for years, everything else has required Seidl and his team to be quite the nomadic bunch! From rehearsals at the Kroc Center and Jessye Norman School of the Arts, to building props and costumes in other locations, to a warehouse in another location– they are scattered all over the place. Even performances happen in different venues around town.
“And it just limits us because even though all of those places and organizations are very kind to support what we do, we’re also at the mercy of their schedule. And so we have a very finite and specific amount of time that we can be in any one of these locations. And so it kind of limits the offerings that we can present to our community and in the ways that we can help our community as well.”
The Augusta Players is also a social services organization, offering programs like Augusta Readers Theater, for senior citizens…. and Camp Wonderland, for young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. There’s also a new program on the horizon called Enchanted Stages, which is interactive theater for families that have people with disabilities.
“And our ARTreach program bringing over 12,000 kids into the theater on an annual basis. And that material that we present to them supports the curriculum to all the area counties. Like those are things that we do — I think the shows also serve the community in its own way, but these things are specifically designed and detailed to support the needs of our community.”
The community can support the capital campaign in several ways.
“Financially, of course, and when it’s time to move in about 11 months, we can use a lot of hands as well! We have a website, theapcampaign.com, and you can see photos of the renovation and the designs of the renovation and explain some of our programming. And then it offers you a long list of ways you can contribute. There are still opportunities for naming opportunities. If you happen to have the resources to contribute at a high level. But you can buy a brick too. I’ve done a couple of those in the name of my grandmother and my parents, who are both deceased but were so supportive of me. And lots of folks are choosing that path. But also, you know, $5 helps.”
Grand opening for the new home of the Augusta Players is projected to be in May or June of 2025.
You can support the Augusta Players capital campaign by donating here.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Several artists came together for a Mother’s Day concert Bethel Community Church Family Life Center.
Lucresha Thomas with Psalm 100 Entertainment said the event honors mothers.
“I think that is very important to honor the mothers because there’s some people that don’t have mothers due, the mothers passing away and mothers not being local,” Thomas said. “So this helps bring them together and they’re able to fellowship with other mothers and just be positive, bringing some gospel to the community where they can fellowship together, be blessed and maybe receive a blessing.”
Host Tommy Ingram said groups from across the area participated in the concert.
“We got a live, a lot of groups coming from all over the area to make sure that all the mothers in the area have a good time today,” Ingram said.
Host Adrian Monet said the free concert gives back to the community.
“Well, okay, yeah, a lot of mothers enjoy some good gospel singing. They love gospel concerts,” Monet said. “And this one is a give back, you know, to the community because it’s completely free. And so it’s a chance for people to bring their mothers to enjoy the music that they love so much.”
Erica and Jessica Harris, co-owners of Sophisticated Soul Food, said they wanted to celebrate mothers.
“Okay, we’re out here today for this pre-Mother’s Day event, and we’re just, we just want to give back to the community and celebrate all mothers,” the co-owners said. “And so we’re so excited to be out here. And we have great soul food for everybody that wants to come out.”
Kenneth Medlock, Tyrell Gibson and Gary Durham of The Country Boys, a gospel group from Thomson, said they were honored to participate.
“So we’re just so grateful to be here and honored to be able to stand up and let the world know how good God is through our songs and our praise,” the group said.
Anthony Gallant and Lamont McDowell, members of a gospel group from the Carolinas, said celebrating mothers is important.
“Oh yeah, I think it’s extremely important because mothers work hard throughout the year. They’re very diligent,” Gallant and McDowell said. “And I think at least if you could celebrate them one time, just make them feel special and that the queens that they are, I think it’s important and they’ll feel that love.”
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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