We'd like to welcome all y'all to "The Lone Star Truck Stop".  In case you haven't figured it out yet, we are from Texas.  The image of all the beautiful young people that you see alongside this text, are students of the Grayson County College Drama Department in Denison, Texas.  These talented young actors were the first cast to bring this show to life. And what a lively show it was!  It was officially performed for the first time on September 10th, 2011 at 7:00pm at the Black Box Theater in the Arts and Communication Building on the East Campus of GCC in Denison, TX.

The Lone Star Truck Stop is the story of a snooty British socialite who inherits a Texas truck stop in the tiny town of Possum Flats.  When the Brits and the Texans get together for the first time...well, it's interesting.  Not only is it interesting, it's downright funny, y'all!  Several audience members stated that they never knew what was going to happen next!

Complementing Gene Lenore's side splitting dialog is Gil Nelson's ten kickin' tunes.  There's a western swinger called "There's A Little Bit of Texas Deep Inside You", A foot stompin' title tune, "Heaven is the Lone Star Truck Stop" and the Elvis-imitator-inspired; "Viagra Blues" and that's just to mention a few.

The show is still a work in progress and we invite all y'all to follow the progress of our work on this website and our FaceBook page.

Grayson County College theatre students are gaining first-hand experience with this process as they prepare to present a staged reading of “The Lone Star Truck Stop” on Sept. 10. Written by Gene Lenore with music and lyrics by Gil Nelson, both long-time residents of Grayson County, the musical is a collaboration between the college’s Theatre Department and the local playwrights.

“It’s a brand new musical that has never been presented,” said Robin Robinson, GCC’s theatre director and professor of theatre and speech. “Our students get to participate in the same process that everything that ends up on Broadway does. For them to gain exposure to this process while in college is a clear advantage, especially for those who intend to pursue professional theatre careers.”

Staged readings can be as simple as actors gathered around a table to read the script. GCC’s production is a bit more complex because it includes some lighting and the suggestion of costuming and set design. The college’s presentation is not intended to be a polished piece; rather, it is more of an elaborate workshop production.

“All the choices we’ve made are intended to showcase the script,” Robinson said. “There will be some technical direction and staging, but even that is geared to promoting the script itself. Everything we’ve chosen to do is designed to help the audience better experience the script and for us to see what works in front of a live audience and what doesn’t.”

The students have only had two weeks to prepare for the staged reading. This production is more complicated because, while it is a musical, there is no music on paper; the students are learning the songs from a sheet of guitar chords and a home-produced CD.

“They are experiencing what it is to work on a production during its earliest, roughest stage,” Robinson said.

Lenore and Nelson were on hand when the students met for the initial read-through. It was the first time they had ever heard their work read by others. Likewise, feedback from the playwright and composer is an invaluable learning opportunity for actors. For the playwrights, a staged reading is critical to the further development of their work. Often, it is the first time they’ve heard the dialog spoken and the songs sung by actors.

Another advantage for GCC students is that the choices made for the staged reading – such as costuming suggestions, assigning songs to specific characters, and a myriad of other decisions – could make their way into the final script.

“Things our students do in the character roles they originate could very likely be incorporated by the playwright and composer in the production’s final version,” Robinson said.

While GCC theatre students and the playwrights are sure to benefit, they are not the only ones. Audience members also have a unique opportunity to be part of the production’s development process by providing their input during a talk-back session after the show. It is possible their reaction may shape the final production as well.

“The playwright and composer learn a lot when they see and hear the audience’s reaction during the staged reading. The talk-back session offers more information,” said Robinson. “This feedback will help them further fine-tune the musical.”

Audience enjoyment is the most important goal for everyone associated with the staged reading of “The Lone Star Truck Stop.” It is a tip of the hat to a totally Texan story with totally identifiable characters that are near and dear to all things Texan. As the only living relative of her Texas uncle, Lady Belmont of England inherits her uncle’s truck stop in tiny Possum Flats. A recent widow herself, Lady Belmont intends to sell the business to pay the back taxes on her husband’s estate – but that’s before she meets the quirky Texans who frequent the truck stop and the slick-talking lawyers from Big D.

“It’s your basic Texas two-stepping comedy between loyalty and the almighty dollar,” said Robinson.

Freshmen Whitney Bierilo of Ivanhoe and Blake Rice of Savoy lead the cast as Lady Eleanor Belmont and Sam Houston Crockett, respectively. Sophomore cast members include: Justin Roberts of Bells as the Rev. Albert Wilson; Kalvin Douglas as R.J. Tatum and Albany Knight as Nell Black, both of Denison; Maggie Bergener of Denton as Narrator; Noah Scheibmeir of Sherman as Zeb Tucker; J.J. Battles of Tom Bean as Jay Ray Foley; Elizabeth Holland of Trenton as Bobbie Jo Walker; and Judson Wall of Whitewright as Chuckie Reed. Freshmen cast members include: Jose Gomez of Denison as L.P. Latham; Nathan Owens of Essex, England, as Nigel; Wes Hayes of Howe as Roy Potts; Dillon Wooten of Trenton as C.D. Higgins; Stephen Stimpson of Whitewright as Ed Earl Crane; and Antwan Howard of South Bend, Indiana, as R.W. Roberts.

In addition to Robinson, the production staff includes Tenna Matthews and Thea Albert, GCC professors of theatre and technical directors, and Pam Gauthier, a community volunteer who serves as musical director. Douglas also serves on the crew where he’s responsible for set design. Other sophomore crew members are: Amber Patrick of Colbert and Skylar Fulton of Tom Bean, makeup design; Fabian Garcia of Community, light design; Lexi Lehberg of Frisco, music assistant and light board operator; Miranda Shell of Gainesville, stage manager; and Jessica Huffstetler of Whitesboro, assistant director. Freshmen crew members are: O.T. Mitchell of Denison, sound board operator; Levi Hardin of Denton, props; and Kassandra Poindexter of Whitewright, assistant stage manager.

The only presentation of “The Lone Star Truck Stop” is set for Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre of the Arts & Communications Center on GCC’s Main Campus in Denison. The production is free, however reservations are strongly recommended since the Black Box is configured to accommodate 96 audience members for this 105-minute production. For reservations or more information, contact the GCC Theatre Department at 903-463-8609 or theatre@grayson.edu .

Gene Lenore and Gil Nelson have a working relationship that goes back some 35 years.  Gene, as an award winning journalist and Gil as a radio broadcaster of 25 years.  It was during this period that their paths crossed and a friendship was formed.  In 2009, their paths crossed again.  At this time, they were both working on separate writing projects and decided to get together at least once a week to exchange ideas and try to gain new ones.

Gene Lenore had the beginnings of a movie script he had been working on with a British partner.  A setback occured and Gene was left on his own with the project.  It was on the back burner and still in the back Gene's mind when he and Gil were in one of their early meetings.  Gil read the partial script and declared it "funny".  Not only funny, but why not throw in a few toe-tappin' tunes and let's make it a live stage musical.  "The Lone Star Truck Stop" was officially a "joint" project and the "comedy writing team" of Lenore and Nelson was born.