Fandangle board elects new officers
Veteran Fandangle performer and supporter Lanham Martin was recently elected as president of the Fort Griffin Fandangle board of directors and is already working to increase involvement both on the stage and in the stands.
Martin was one of several officers elected at a regular board meeting earlier this month.
Cody Leech is serving as vice president, Cori Bezner as treasurer, and Lauren Willen as secretary.
New marketing director Rebecca Bridges of Abilene is also seeking ways to promote the annual summer production and is currently in the office on Friday afternoons, as well as working remotely the rest of the week.
New President
Martin, who is Shackelford County Precinct 3 commissioner, became active on the Fandangle stage at a young age. He remembers watching his parents perform in the late 1960s, and then he began square dancing with the children.
Martin was soon given a microphone, and he performed “I Know An Old Lady” as the first of many solos.
Since then, he has sung “just about every man’s song” there is.
The new board president’s father, James Martin, grew up at Lambshead Ranch and also became involved in the Fandangle at an early age.
“He was an Indian in the days when Robert Nail made them wear loin cloths and body paint,” said Lanham. “He helped with livestock, driving them from the football field to what is now the Casey Ranch. He drove wagons, rode in the flag parade – you name it, he probably did it.”
James Martin also served on the board of directors for a number of years.
Lanham’s mother Marilyn was a featured soloist and sang many duets with Midge Nail over the years.
The family was living in Old Glory at the time, but seldom missed rehearsals despite the late practices.
Except for three years from 1983 to 1985, Lanham continued to perform every summer. He came back in 1986 and now lives with his wife Holly in Moran.
“I raised all my kids in the show, and at one time, there were three generations of us,” said Martin.
Martin was asked to be on the board of directors about four years ago and is enthusiastic about serving as president.
“I’m all for using modern technology to increase ticket sales and get the word out aimed more toward the smartphone and social media generation,” he said. “I also want to help make the show as historically accurate as possible.”
He commended the other directors.
“They are from different backgrounds, but they all have Fandangle green running through their veins,” he said.
Marketing Director
Bridges hit the ground running when she was hired last fall as “seasonal marketing director.”
She first came to Albany as registrar at The Old Jail Art Center in 2008, then left in 2012 to work at The Grace Museum in Abilene, where she is now head of programming and interpretation.
She has continued, however, to serve on the board of Albany’s Aztec Theater.
She is also founder and owner of Bridge PR, providing public relations services to artists.
“We are very lucky to have Rebecca working in marketing,” said Martin. “She has great ideas and we will try our best, money allowing, to make her job as easy as we can.”
Bridges can be reached by email at info@fandangle.org.
