"New" drama program at Colony taking off

The drama program at Colony High School recently got a facelift, and the public can see the results tonight and tomorrow, as the first production of the season, The Sting, wraps up it's two-weekend run.

Two years ago, longtime Colony drama director Dave Pelto retired, and after one year of an interim director, VPA veterans and teachers Steve and Kerry Ann Byrd took it over.

Their first effort is The Sting, which includes a 36-person cast.

"It's very entertaining. We've had people say how surprised they were that it was a high school group doing it," Steve Byrd said. "We chose an outstanding series of plays this year because it was our first year. We wanted to get the excitement level up there."

Next up is Flowers for Algernon, and in the spring, Grease will wrap up the season.

"We've had a good response so far. We picked a pretty full production for our first run, but it has worked out," Steve Byrd said.

The public can check out the department's first production at 7:30 p.m. both today and tomorrow.

The show opened last weekend to positive reviews.

"We want to raise the profile of the drama department in general," Steve Byrd said. "Hopefully, with this first production, we're starting that. Kerry Ann and I are both VPA veterans, so we said, 'Let's take a shot at this.'"