Thank Yous

The following are some Thank You notes and letters that we have received over the years.

Dear EPAC,

I wanted to thank you for the generous Devin Spears Memorial Scholarship. It truly makes a difference as I attend the Crane School of Music in the fall.

Sincerely,

Dear Lou & Pat,

EPAC ... a “TRADITION” of excellence! Thank you both for sharing your tremendous talent and commitment with us.

With Best Wishes,

Thank you so much for being my director and a good friend. I’m gonna miss Willy Wonka but we’ll start an awesome new show again.

Thank You,

Dear Mr Foti & Staff,

We cannot find words to express our appreciation for the Kids’ Theater Workshop. Your patience and kindness toward our son were remarkable. It was magical to see the transformation he made in just 14 weeks. What a wonderful experience! EPAC is a true gem in the Triple Cities.

Sincerely,

To EPAC:

I (heart) EPAC.

Love,

Dear EPAC,

Thank you very much for the Devin Spears Memorial Scholarship check. Your thoughtfulness and generosity will me immensely in furthering my education.

Sincerely,

Pat and Lou,

I thank you so much for giving me the chance to play in La Divina Avventura. The experience alone is something that has definitely opened my eyes even more tot the long road ahead of me and my violin playing. It is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. Well, once again, I thank you both for everything and I hope I have the chance to do it all again sometime.

Pat,

Thank you for dancing with me on “Livin’ in the USA”, it made a fun song even better.

Thanks! You’ve got a heard of gold. Keep it up and pretty soon and it’ll go platinum.

(signed by the entire cast of a recent show)

Dear Mr Foti and Miss Noelle,

I watched my sister on the “Willy Wonka” play and it looked great. I am very sorry I quit. It was an experience of a lifetime.

Love,

Hi,

This letter is directed to Mr Pat Foti. I am writing to you regarding my daughters’ experience this year with EPAC and the Willy Wonka production. This letter is long overdue but, now that the kids are off to school, I finally have time to sit down to write you this note. I have two daughters who participated in EPAC this summer (they also participated in “Suessical” the summer before). They both had a great experience at EPAC this summer. My youngest was an Ooma Loompa and she loved it but, I especially want to thank you for the experience that my oldest daughter had there. She was elated to get the part of “Ms TeeVee” and from a parent’s perspective, it was heart-warming to see her transform from a shy 12 year old girl, who was initially afraid to take the risk of auditioning for a part, into a 12 year old girl who felt like someone (besides her parents, she would say that parents are biased) thought she was good enough ... and from that point on, I felt she “blossomed” -- she learned a lot and gained self-confidence (but, not to the point of being bratty) that a parent just can’t provide for a child once they get beyond a certain age. She needed someone to believe in her. Thank you for that. When other Moms ask me about my thoughts regarding EPAC, and about my daughters’ experiences at EPAC, I have great things to say. Thank you!!

Dear EPAC Devin Spears Memorial Scholarship,

Thank you so much for your consideration of me in awarding your scholarship. I am extremely grateful for your generosity and I know this scholarship will help me tremendously. Thanks again!

Always,

Dear EPAC,

I have spent more than half of my life between these walls, & I have come to consider this place more of a home than any house I have lived in. I want to thank you so much for helping me start off my new life in the big apple. Not only will this scholarship help me but also the immense knowledge that I have gained from everyone involved in this institution. I am forever grateful for you support & for the lessons I have learned here that will take me to bigger & better places. Thank you so much,

Pat & Lou,

Over the past 11 years, you have both helped me to grow so much. When I performed in “Any Dream Will Do”, my first show -- with Saint Anthony Players in 1998, I was the shyest, quietest person. Through everything I’ve learned at EPAC, I have gained the ability to express myself and I am so much more outgoing. Thank you for all of the amazing opportunities you have given me. I couldn’t have gotten them anywhere else. I’ll never forget anything you’ve taught me.

To Everyone on the EPAC Board:

Thank you for granting me the Devin Spears Memorial Scholarship. It means so much and is extremely helpful toward my next few years at college.

Always,

Lou,

It was so good to see you at the ... session yesterday. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to our group about EPAC and all the wonderful arts performances & training that you provide to our community. We are so lucky to have you.

Hi,

Just a note to let you know how much I enjoyed being part of the cast in “Fiddler”. From Pat’s directing to Rene’s choreography to Maureen’s music to Tom’s great lead performance. This was a tribute to this time-honored production. I fully appreciate being part of an EPAC show.

Warmest personal regards,

Thank you very much for choosing me as one of the recipients for the Devin Spears Memorial Scholarship. I’m very honored and extremely grateful. Thank you again for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Lou,

Just a note to thank you for the very informative program you presented at ... on Thursday. It’s amazing to hear all the shows, performances and classes taking place at EPAC. Endicott is truly blessed to have individuals such as yourself and your volunteers who care for our quality of life in the Village.

Dear Pat & Lou,

Thanks so much for this opportunity and for believing in me and my work.

Love,

To the EPAC Board of Directors:

Thank you for the gift basket and thank you for the opportunity to serve with such outstanding members of the community. To be part of EPAC at the beginning and help it grow is a very rare privilege.

Many thanks to Teresa & Gary Battestin, Johnny P., Lorraine Tennant, Laurie Scheben, Jeff Bartlett, Pat Foti, and everyone who assisted with the recent EPAC Beautification Committee's great job of "freshening up" the lobby of the theater. It was done just in time for the renaming of the theater to the Robert Eckert Theatre on June 26. We think that the Robert Eckert Theatre is one of the "coolest" theaters in the area.

08-09-10 -- after Shakespeare in the Park

What an incredible effort by a fine group of people. Set up, run the boards, tear down, over and over for a week solid. A superhuman effort on everyone’s part. I have heard nothing but good things about the production including sound and lights. Thanks to you all for representing EPAC so well! I nominate the entire team for an EPAC “Bravo Award”

Lou

08-17-10

Many thanks to webmaster Tom DeForest for doing such a great job of updating and maintaining the EPAC web site. If you haven't seen it lately, click HERE and check it out!

AND... Many thanks to Volunteer Coordinator Joe Hauck for doing such a great job of coordinating and filling the many volunteer "slots" for EPAC's many shows! If you'd like to become an EPAC Volunteer and assist at shows, just click HERE.

AND... Many thanks to Technical Coordintor Lorraine Tennant and her lighting and sound crew (John Sebesta, Joe Hauck, Rick Cranston, Bill Nurse and Mike Ziemba) who did a fantastic job providing lights and sound for Shakespeare In The Parks! Find out more about EPAC Lights and Sound by clicking HERE.

AND... Many thanks to the backstage crew of Alice In Wonderland on a fine job (picture follows)!!

Volunteers are the lifeblood of community theater... They are our greatest asset...

Many thanks for all they do...

Lou Ligouri

Alice in Wonderland 2010

Backstage Crew

08-20-10

Amber Bowen submitted a Bravo Report with the following (about work on the Alice in Wonderland show):

Theresa Battestin has been back stage (down stairs) with the kids every night and I think she deserves a lot of thanks for all the help!

08-20-10 -- Amber Bowen submitted a Bravo Report with the following (about work on the Alice in Wonderland show):

Marcy Bowen has been working downstairs with Theresa for a while & I think she needs a lot of thanks for all the help!

08-20-10 -- An anonymous person submitted a Bravo Report with the following:

Theresa Battestin has done a great job in costuming 140 kids for Alice In Wonderland. She is always the first one here and the last one to leave, making sure everyone was always comfortable in their costume and happy with their experience. She has put in countless, thankless hours

09-23-10 -- A local company held a business meeting at the theater on this date. We received this afterward:

Lou, I just want to say a BIG THANK YOU to you, Tom, and Lorraine for all you did to help us pull the live video together. You went above and beyond to make this a success, even while preparing for your own opening night. You have some very talented and dedicated people there, and they made it fun for me and my staff. Thank you again, JPG

11-19-10 -- Reviewed by Nicholas Linnehan (from the Broome Arts Mirror)

Normally, I don’t like musicals. It just seems pretentious to have people break into song and dance out of nowhere. I do not expect much when I attend a musical, but, to my surprise, I was immediately drawn into “Oliver” at the Endicott Performing Arts Center. From the moment the curtain opened to the last note sung, I was enthralled by EPAC’s outstanding production of this timeless tale.

The story of Oliver Twist is simple: an orphan boy searches to find a home and a family. Alex Kosick (Oliver) plays his role with remarkable honesty. Not only can this young man sing brilliantly, but he has the acting chops to back it up. Kosick’s talent is undeniable, which makes him a treat to watch. His counterpart, Alex Marciniak, (The Artful Dodger), is also impressive. Although a bit hard to understand at times, his energy and passion shine. This makes the dynamic duo unstoppable and infectious.

Even though the kids steal the show, the adults in the cast are undeniably strong. Joe Foti (Fagin) is deliciously delightful with his clever interpretation of the villain with a conscience. He handles himself well and delivers a top-notch performance. Also, Matt Gaska (Mr. Bumble) is noteworthy. Gaska has great comic timing and a voice to match, which makes him a pleasure to watch. Rebecca Spencer (Widow Corney) has a remarkable voice that blew me away. Chris Nickerson (Bill Sykes) is fine as the villain. He is menacing and mean, thus delivering the necessary qualities of his character. (Note: I attended the pick-up rehearsal on Nov. 18, and Terri Jo Zimmer, who plays Nancy, did not sing, because she is recuperating from laryngitis.)

Director Pat Foti understands this play well and aids his actors in finding their roles. His staging is effective, making his cast able to capture the dramatic moments well. Because I went to see “Oliver” during a mid-run rehearsal, I expected the actors to be rusty. Instead, I found that the show was very much intact, which makes me believe that it will get even stronger during this final weekend (Nov. 19-21). With affordable tickets, this show left me asking, “Please, sir; may I have some more?” You don’t want to miss this one. Simply superb!

11-21-10 (from a Letter to the Editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin) -- EPAC brings Broadway to Endicott

The Endicott Performing Arts Center is truly a diamond in the rough.

In October, I attended EPAC for the first time. It was a superb performance of the musical “Exodus.” Although the physical setting cannot match the Forum in Binghamton, the performers were professional in every aspect except their pay. I was surprised to learn the performers were there simply to perform and not for the money.

“Exodus” was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the flowering voices and wonderful talent we have in the Southern Tier, while at the same time opening a book from the Old Testament. Perhaps God does work in strange ways; the Rev. Dorothy Penird was the catalyst in bringing the play to EPAC, and her son, John, was the director.

Three weeks later, I returned to EPAC for the performance of the musical “Oliver.” I read the book, saw the play on Broadway and saw the movie. The EPAC performers were outstanding.

For less than the price of a meal, you can be entertained for two hours while enjoying the best of Broadway. Harold J Barent, Vestal.

12-04-10 (from a Facebook post by Tom DeForest) --I just attended the Saturday night Christmas Show. And it was great. This community is truly fortunate to have the gem of EPAC and EPAC is very lucky to have Lou, Pat, all the performers and all the volunteers. This truly *is* community theater at its best and I'm very glad to be part of it. Thank you everyone... tomdef

12-15-10 (from a Letter to the Editor of the Press & Sun-Bulletin) -- EPAC Christmas show was another winner

I highly recommend the shows at Endicott Performing Arts Center. I was quite impressed with the play “Oliver”, so I decided to go to the EPAC Christmas show. It was quite amazing. I was a delightful blend of singing, dancing, acting, humor, colorful costumes and adorable children. There is a lot of extraordinary talent in the Southern Tier.

My congratulations to everyone involved in the conception, organization and running of the show. Cindy Freed, Harpursville

01-28-11

Hi Tom,

You have done a fantastic job with the EPAC website. It's visually appealing, information rich and easy to navigate. I particularly love the history of the theater, news on the restoration and in reading the vast collection of accolades the EPAC staff, volunteers and performers have earned over the years. My children are EPAC kids and love every minute of the time spent there. I am lucky to experience EPAC life from the sidelines and see the joy in the faces all who come through those double doors. I find myself visiting the website more than ever these days.

Keep up the good work!

Chris McCloe

01-30-11 (from a Bravo Report submitted by Carl Beno)

Johnny Pinard made us all look great with his great make up and all for Dance Stories Night of Dralion. Thanks Johnny.

01-30-11 (from a Bravo Report submitted by Lou Ligouri)

Tom DeForest is the EPAC webmaster and has done a phenomenal job revamping the EPAC Web Site! It has a tremendous amount of information about the Endicott Performing Arts Center, its mission and history and is presented in a way that keeps your interest. Also love the jigsaw puzzles (took me 15 minutes to do the African Queen). Bravo Tom DeForest!!!

01-30-11 (from a Bravo Report sumbitted by Lou Ligouri)

Joe Hauck is EPAC's volunteer coordinator and has done a terrific job of recruiting, training, and scheduling volunteers for EPAC's many events and performances. He always has a smile on his face and makes new volunteers feel at home. Many thanks Joe for doing a great job!

Click HERE to go to ‘Contact Us > Bravo Report’. Fill out the form to submit a Bravo Report about someone who has done a good job at EPAC...