If you were anywhere else in the world and not inside the Warren County Middle School gym last Friday evening (May 30), you missed out on a historic event in our community.

Under the directorial helm of Nichole Gibbs and Cherita Smith, the WCMS Musical Theatre 8th period class stepped into the spotlight and performed A Little Bit of Magic in front of their families, Warren County Schools staff, and community theatre enthusiasts.

A LITTLE BIT OF MAGIC, a stage production written by Gail Golden centers around “Do-Nothing Dale, a little picked-upon wizard, who wants to know what her little bit of magic is. On her journey to find out, she meets people like the laughing Coco the Clown and the singing Marilyn Melody, and she finds that she’s just as special as everyone else in the world.” (Source)

The magical night kicked off with a preshow featuring monologues from students, Lilly Byrd, Zha’niya Clark, and Elijah Pettus.

Nichole Gibbs, WCMS Theatre Arts teacher, prepped the audience for what would turn out to be an engaging and interactive event by breaking down Theatre Production 101 and what it takes to run a show by soliciting responses from the knowledgeable audience. Little did they know that, later in the evening, they, too, would be joining the actors on stage.

Overall, the show was amazing! There was singing. There was dancing. And best of all, we were so honored to witness these young talents at work. And with any good story, there was a lesson in the end: We all have that “something” that makes us special.

Who knows? Today, we’re applauding them in a school gymnasium. Tomorrow, it could be Broadway, and we can say we remember them when they got their start in Warren County.

Tickets for the show were $7, or $10 if one wanted to make a special shout-out.

Proceeds from the event helped cover costs for scripts, royalties, and security. Their future goal is to provide a starter fund for future WCMS Theatre Productions in order to produce shows on a larger scale.

If you’re interested in becoming a community partner or volunteer, contact Nichole Gibbs at ngibbs@warrenk12nc.org.

A Little Bit of Magic was presented by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Denver, Colorado.

Preshow Feature Monologues/Scenes
Lilly Byrd, Zha’niya Clark, and Elijah Pettus

Cast of Characters (By Order of Appearance)
Player One – Keymoni Fuller
Player Two – Madison Aycock
Player Three – A’shayla Hawkins
Jonathan Primiano, Jr.
Pianist – Caleb Hargrove
Wonder Wanda – Ameerah Steed
Magnificent Mervin – Elijah Harris
Do-Nothing Dale – Amaris Yancey
Marilyn Melody – Serenity Henderson
Coco the Clown – Kira Cunningham
Depressed Daisy – Veronica Stewart
Flowers – Players and Audience
The Weatherman – Zyier Belcher
Kalabash Turnbull
Princess Patricia – Arely Gandarilla

Ensemble
WCMS Musical Theatre 8th period class and The Audience

Production Staff
Artistic Director – Nichole Gibbs
Musical Director – Cherita Smith
Choreography – Nichole Gibbs, Kayla Smith
Stage Manager, Lights, Ensemble – Jimmy Thorpe, Jr.
Sound – Kira Cunningham, Nichole Gibbs
Costume, Props, and Set – Nichole Gibbs and Cast
Publicity – Pioneer Drama, Jimmy Thorpe, Jr. and Production Stff
Production Assistance – Kayla Smith, Ayaina Blake, Kierra Townes
Box Office – Robin Closs and WCMS Staff

WCMS Musical Theatre Troupe Presents "A Little Bit of Magic" (5/30/2025)

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Artist Max Dowdle will begin installation of the new mural on the Magnolia Ernest Recreation center pool building in Soul City on June 2nd. He is inviting community members of all ages to join him in the painting process. Individuals or families can participate for a one-hour shift between 3:00pm – 5:00pm on June 2nd through June 4th.

The new mural is part of the Legacy NC Mural Project by Dowdle, NC Main Street, and the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. The project aims to create a mural in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties that highlight the unique history and legacy of each county while creating a unifying thread that ties all of North Carolina’s counties together through art.

Dowdle worked with a committee of Soul City residents, community leaders, and members of the Warren County arts community to create proposed designs. These designs were then presented to the community and voted on. The winning design can be seen below (this design is still subject to minor changes from Dowdle).

Contact Hannah Jones at hannahjones@warrencountync.gov or (252) 257-3115 to sign up. To accommodate space, each shift will have no more than 10 people. No experience is necessary!

The Magnolia Ernest Recreation Park is located at 252 Duke Drive, Norlina, NC off Soul City Boulevard.

Learn more about Max Dowdle and to view his work, visit NCPublicArt.com.

For more information about the Legacy NC Mural Project, visit https://www.ncmainstreetandplanning.com/blog/categories/legacy-nc-100-murals-100-counties.

RELATED: Warren County Residents to Vote on New Mural Design for Soul City

The Warren County Artist Market (WAM) hosted a hybrid book launch for their latest anthology, TEN last Friday (5/9). Comprised of poems, short stories, and essays incorporating the theme of “ten,” the collection celebrates the successful, decade-long run of First Friday Poetry Night hosted by the creative group in Warren County, NC.

Anita Lynn Williams, who co-edited the anthology with her friend and mentor, Kim Schroeder, emceed the festivities in The Hive, located in downtown Warrenton.

In 2013, WAM was co-founded by Thomas Park and Arlene Bice and, today, includes members Williams and Sterling Cheston, Jr. They host the monthly event every first Friday of the month at 7pm at The Hive (108 S. Main Street). It is free and open to the public. For more information about the Warren Artist Market, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WarrenCountyArtistsMarketBirdland.

TEN is now available in paperback and Kindle ebook: https://amzn.to/3GQk8CJ

TEN Book Launch Party hosted by Warren Artist Market

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