Roger Edmonds with Hailey Katherine Laidig
SLCT Awards Scholarship to Rising Star
Chandler High School student Hailey Katherine Laidig can add one more award to her long list of achievements in the theater arts: a $1,000 scholarship to assist in continuing her education. An accomplished actress, dancer, and singer, her training encompasses years of experience in tap, ballet, hip-hop, and show choir. Her most recent role was as Jo March in Little Women. She delighted Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT) audiences with both a monologue and a song from that show when she appeared with other CUSD high schoolers at the February general meeting. She went on to wow the audiences who attended the show at Chandler High.
“Hailey is an amazing talent,” says Roger Edmonds, SLCT’s school liaison. “She’s appeared for many youth-oriented theater groups and always wins accolades for her work,” he continued. “She was an obvious choice for the award, although every high school in CUSD has an outstanding theatre arts department.”
Sun Lakes Community Theatre is committed to encouraging young talent and invites high schoolers to perform for members and HOA residents each February. Eighty-four students showcased their talent at the most recent gathering.
Rick Strohl and Nancy Patterson in the game “Movie Critics”
The ImproVables Are No Joke!
The ImproVables’ April Fool’s dinner show at Oakwood was a huge success. The sold-out show audience showed their appreciation with loud laughter and ringing applause. Everyone enjoyed the Taco Tuesday taco bar prepared by Oakwood, as well as the ambience created by MJ Clement and volunteers from our improv group.
The audience was a mixture of folks who have been to a number of our shows and those for whom this show was their first exposure to our antics. A regular attendee noted, “We love you guys, and we try not to miss any of your shows.” One first-time attendee stated, “This was so much fun. We can’t wait for your next show!”
The ImproVables’ next show will be on May 6 and will be performed for people who take part in events at Chandler Senior Center. Their director saw our performance at the recent Neighbors Who Care conference and invited us to perform at the Center.
Additional ImproVables’ shows include:
Sept. 27, 2025: Fall into Laughter dinner at Sun Lakes Country Club
Oct. 29, 2025: 4th Annual Halloween dinner show at Cottonwood, Saguaro Room
Jan. 14, 2026: New Year’s Resolutions dinner show at Cottonwood, Saguaro Room
Feb. 14, 2026: Valentine’s Day dinner show at Sun Lakes Country Club
April 1, 2026: April Fool’s Day dinner show at Oakwood Country Club
… and more to come! For more information about The ImproVables and Sun Lakes Community Theatre, visit our website at www.slctinfo.com.