Though she rarely appears on stage, Anna Wiggins is clearly the star of the Impromptu Players Community Theater in DeRidder. The diminutive 75-year-old dynamo is constantly on the go, managing the theatrical company and operat-ing the Wooten Theatre facility on East First Street - all while tending to her Curious Cargo gift shop just a few blocks away. How does she do it all? How does someone who ought to be comfortably perched in a rocking chair run circles around so many who are half her age? “My secret is to never stop. But I wouldn’t be able to do anything without all the many people who have a love and passion for the theater,” Wiggins said, speaking in her distinctive rapid-fire fashion. “That’s what’s so great about this community. We’re all like a family. All you have to do is ask and people are ready to step up and help out and volunteer however they can.” One of those many volunteers is DeRidder City Councilman and BECi member Gordon Jenkins, who helps build sets and props and performs maintenance projects as needed. Jenkins became a fan of the theater when he saw the impact of the program first-hand. “You can’t be around Anna for very long without get-ting excited about the program and all she does for the community. If it wasn’t for her, I think the theater might have folded back in the 1990s,” Jenkins said. “This pro-gram has really done a lot for our young people, espe-cially.” Jenkins said one example of this positive impact on local youth is the Summer Drama Camp led for the past 11 years by Kari Ifland, who also serves on the board. Ifland directs two weeklong summer camps, which have become so popular there is a waiting list to enroll. Ifland, who works as the pubic relations director for the local school board, said that while the camp teaches drama and the finer points of the performing arts, stu-dents learn much more than the process of memorizing lines, overcoming stage fright and gesticulating more demonstrably. (Acct. No. 15630-002) “Drama teaches not only theater skills but also how to be more confident in the classroom and how to proj-ect when you’re speaking in front of an audience. They become more sure of themselves and they learn skills that will help them in life when they’re having to com-municate with others,” Ifland said. “We have students who have learned theater here and have gone on to do well in college theater.” That’s a path that Emily Smith plans to follow. Emily is a 17-year-old junior at Singer High School. When she was 6, she went to the Wooten Theatre to see a play and was immediately smitten. She approached Ifland about getting involved and the next year had a role in Doo-Wop Red Riding Hood. This summer’s Drama Camp will mark her 13th play. “Whether you’re a kid or an adult, this is an amaz-ing program that DeRidder is blessed to have,” she said. “When you get involved, you experience so many dif-ferent things and you discover things about yourself that you never knew. It’s really great for kids because it gets you out of your shell.” Emily admitted being a little nervous at first, but Ifland coached her through it. She’s so enthusiastic about drama, she plans to visit a theatre academy in New York City and visit other college drama departments, working around the Drama Camp schedule, of course. “This is something I plan on pursuing for the rest of

my life,” she said. “In theater, there’s such a sense of family. You’re instantly accepted. You work hard but you have a lot of fun.” Wiggins added that there is also a scholarship pro-gram for theater students. “A lot of what we do is all about the kids,” she said. “They need something to be passionate about, something they can enjoy and get engaged in. It helps them bring focus and purpose into their lives.” Wiggins keeps her focus on making the Impromptu Players and the Wooten Theatre a successful operation that is unique in that it is one of only a handful of the-aters in the country to still offer a dinner theater. One guess as to who actually cooks the dinner. “I cook everything,” Wiggins said. “I want it to be good and I want it to be served warm, so I just do it myself.” The one thing Wiggins couldn’t do herself is com-plete the renovations required before the Impromptu Players moved into the old West Brothers Building on First Street. In the early days back in the ‘80s, the group rehearsed, built sets and created props in the BeauCare Building on High School Drive and presented plays at

DeRidder High School. The group later moved to the K.C. Hall at St. Joseph’s Church for a spell and in 1990 began renting space in the Old VFW Building on Lindsey Street. After 12 years, the building owners announced their decision to sell the building, so the search was on for a new facility. The company took a deep dive when leaders decided to borrow $250,000 to refurbish the West Brothers Building. Local businessman Johnny Wooten issued a challenge grant to pay off the debt along with a request to name the theater in memory of his parents, John and Bernice Wooten. It took two years of hard work from dozens of volun-teers to renovate the building, but in 2004 the Impromptu Players had a new permanent home. Today, the Wooten Theatre is a prime venue for a variety of events such as reunions, proms, concerts, receptions and other public and private functions. Wiggins enjoys working with people to produce plays or organize receptions, but what she doesn’t like is a big ego. If anyone comes around the Wooten Theatre with an ego, she has some advice: “We’re in this to learn about performing, to have fun and to entertain our audiences. If you have an ego, then you can just go to New York.”

BECi News Kevin Turner, ManagerDale Peterson, President

Beauregard Electric Cooperative, Inc.P.O. Drawer 970, DeRidder, LA 70634 (800-367-0275)

Page 6 • Louisiana Country • May 2017

Beauregard Electric is offering its members an opportunity to win the Co-op’s Lucky Account Number

Contest by publishing four account numbers some-where on pages 6-7 of Louisiana Country.

Look for your account number hidden somewhere on these pages.

To win, you must locate your account number (listed on your electric bill) on these pages and then contact the Co-op. To claim your prize, call

800-367-0275 or 463-6221 by June 15.

You could win $50!!

May 2017 • Louisiana Country • Page 7

Impromptu Players take the stage for fun and education

Photo by Teresa Hunter

Photo by Teresa Hunter

From top, clockwise: performers take the Wooten Theatre stage for a recent production of Little Women; Emily Smith has been involved with the Impromptu Players since she was 6 years old; Kari Ifland, Gordon Jenkins, Anna Wiggins and Tony Dobson are pictured in the theater’s reception area; President Anna Wiggins (left) tells Jenkins and BECi representative Danielle Tilley about the Peanuts painting displayed on a wall in the backstage area. BECi recently announced the top 10

winners of the 2017 Youth Tour Essay Contest. Students entered the contest by writing an essay addressing the most important issue facing their generation. BECi received over 100 entries and awarded four of the top 10 winners a trip to Washington, D.C. Winners of the con-test are as follows: 1. Shelby Powell – East Beauregard High School 2. Colton Tilley – Pitkin High School 3. Savannah Jackson – Rosepine High School 4. Kristopher Evans – East Beauregard High School. BECi would also like to offer its con-gratulations to the following students for placing in the top 10: 5. Shekinah Jordan, Westlake High School 6. Kelly DeHoven, DeRidder High School 7. Peyton Daniels, Rosepine High School

8. Sydney Meissner, DeRidder High School 9. Maygen McMahon, Rosepine High School 10. Harry Hooker III, DeRidder High School. Abigail Newton, English Teacher at Rosepine High School, won the $100 teacher incentive for having five or more of her students submit an essay into the contest. (Acct. No. 26347-001) In June, the students will travel to Washington, D.C., where they will join over 1,500 students from 36 states. While in Washington, they will visit the offices of Louisiana’s representatives and senators, the U.S. Capitol, the Smith-sonian Institution, the Arlington National Cemetery and many other monuments and historical sites and will take a riverboat cruise down the Potomac. BECi invites the public to visit the NRECA Youth Tour website to view pho-tos of current and past tours. To keep up with the latest news from BECi, visit our Facebook and Twitter pages.

BECi announces top 10 Youth Tour Contest winners

Three directors have been elected to the BECi Board without opposition during the 2017 Board of Director Election. According to BECi Bylaws, Sec-tion 4.04, “When there is only one nominee from a par-ticular Directorate District, secret balloting may be dispensed with and that nominee may be declared elected.” The three direc-tors officially began a three-year term Saturday, March 25, 2017 during the BECi Annual Membership Meeting. Donald R. Bush, District One Incum-bent Director and a resident of Pickering, has served on the BECi Board in District One since 1989. Bush, a retired school ad-ministrator and teacher, holds a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Science from McNeese State University and is a mem-ber of the Pickering Lodge #477, Cooper Baptist Church, and is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite and Shriner. Mr. Bush has also served as a board member, president and vice president on the West Louisiana Forestry Festival Fair Board. Bush is a NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Direc-tor and has a NRECA Board Leadership Certification. (Acct. No. 144501-001) Incumbent Director, J.R. Hickman, was re-elected to represent District Three. A resident of DeRidder, Hickman has served on the BECi Board in District Three since 1993. Hickman is a retired educator with 33 years of teaching experi-ence and attended McNeese State Univer-sity, University of Louisiana-Lafayette,

and Northwestern State University and holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s de-gree +30 in education. Hickman hails from a Beauregard Parish Pioneer Family and is a member of Grace Church, the Beaure-gard Parish Fair Board, member and past president of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives (ALEC), a NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director, charter member, past president and past state board member of the Beauregard Parish Association of Professional Educators in Louisiana (APEL), past board member of the High School FFA Rodeo Association and Beauregard Farm Bureau, and is a 32nd degree Mason and Shriner. Hickman is a former assistant principal of DeRid-der High School and former agriculture teacher at DeRidder High School and Mer-ryville High School. L.W. “Peto” Sellers, a resident of Moss Bluff, was re-elected this year and has served on the BECi Board in District Nine since 2005. Sellers is a real estate developer and a member of Moss Bluff United Methodist Church, Moss Bluff Civic Club. Sellers is a former member of the Moss Bluff Economic Board and past president of the Moss Bluff Gravity Drain-age Board.

BECi directors elected

Bush Hickman Sellers

For 24 years, BECi has randomly selected students within its service area to receive a scholarship to attend a Louisiana university. These funds were made possible through legislative changes in 1993 to allow unclaimed funding to stay in local communities assisting families to further their educa-tion. (Acct. No. 65527-005) Since its inception, BECi has awarded 138 students more than $185,000 in scholarships. The results of the scholarship drawing were announced Saturday, March 25, during BECi’s annual meeting at the cooperative’s headquarters in DeRidder. The following students were chosen for the 2017- 2018 academic school-year: • Bailey Westlake, senior at Evans High School • Chandler Hine, currently attending Sowela Technical College • Peyton Cournoyer, currently attending Louisiana Tech University • Roy Carroll, senior at Merryville High School • Bailey Gotz, senior at Sulphur High School • Sabra Hanna, currently attending University of Louisiana - Monroe • Sarah Kellogg, senior at Westlake High School • Kiana Savercool, senior at of Pitkin High School • Sarah Salpietra, senior at Pitkin High School • Aaliyah Reed, currently attending Southern University • Summer Atkins, senior at Pickering High School • Leanne Chapman, currently attending Louisiana State University • Kary Wilson, currently attending LSU- Health Science Center - Shreveport • Alexis Westlake, senior at Leesville High School • Elliott Reeves, currently attending McNeese State University. For more information on BECi’s scholarship program, visit www.beci.org.

Scholarship winners announced

Atkins Carroll GotzCournoyerChapman

Hanna Hine reevesreedKellogg

salpietra savercool WilsonB. WestlakeA. Westlake

BECI NEwS May 2017 • www.beci.org

Impromptu Players and Wooten Theatre stage

local productions for fun and education

LOUISIANAC O U N T R Y

YOuR COOPERATIvE CONNECTION

Leesville High School senior Dania Hunter performs in the play Little Women at the

Wooten Theatre in DeRidder. She received a full scholarship to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and plans to

continue her music studies there.Photo by Teresa Hunter.