Fandangle Sampler practices to begin soon
By Sam Waller
Fort Griffin Fandangle Association members are responding quickly to letters that they received a couple of weeks ago, purchasing memberships at seven different levels ranging from Pioneer at $25 to platinum at $5,000. The Pioneer membership is open only to those age 65 and up.
Memberships may be purchased online at www.fortgriffinfandangle.org or by calling the Fandangle office at 325-762-3838.
Rehearsals Start
Fandangle director Lorna Ayers is issuing an open casting call for this year’s Sampler, which will be making a return to Reynolds Bend after a quarter century.
Rehearsals begin 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, at the Aztec Theater. Ayers said the cast will have five weeks to prepare for the Sampler, which is scheduled for April 16.
“Please don’t wait to come,” Ayers said. “Come to the very first rehearsal that we have. We’re going to hit the ground running.”
The Sampler hasn’t been performed at Reynolds Bend, located on the Lambshead Ranch, since the death of Watt Matthews in 1997. Last year’s Sampler was planned for Reynolds Bend, but moved to the back area at the Jackson Warehouse after heavy rain hit the site.
“It was going to be kind of a revival going out there,” Ayers said. “After Watt Matthews’ passing, we have staged the Sampler in several different locations.”
Ayers hopes weather won’t be a factor this year.
“We’re excited that we’re planning to have it out on the ranch,” she said. “There’s a lot of buzz about it. People were just so disappointed that we didn’t have it out there last year, but it worked out wonderfully thanks to Clifford and Lynne Teinert coming to our rescue and allowing us to set up at the Jackson Warehouse on very short notice.”
Road Show
Ayers announced that the Sampler cast will also perform on Saturday, May 28, as part of the Memorial Day weekend events at Frontier Texas! in Abilene.
“We’re going to be in the throes of the big show at that time, so it’s only the people who are in this Sampler who will be going to that one,” she said.
The Frontier Texas! show will be the first Sampler performance outside of Shackelford County since one in Haskell in 2018.
“The Haskell event has been the only road show we’ve done since the last time we went to the LBJ Ranch,” Ayers said. “We’re expecting a really good crowd. We like to partner with Frontier Texas! because they include a lot of our history over there.”
