Terry LeCompte - Your Joyful Drama Lady

Today I had the loveliest first voice lesson with the sweetest 9-year-old.

After we warmed up our voices and explored a few new things, I asked what she wanted to sing. Without hesitation, she said:
“Do a Deer. Do you know that?”

Of course, we listened to Julie Andrews sing it together. Then my new little student sang it for me — with the tiniest hint of a British accent peeking through.

I asked, “Did you do that on purpose… or do you just sing the words that way because that’s how Julie Andrews says them?”

She thought for a moment and replied very seriously:
“Well actually… I’m a little bit German and Sioux.”

To which I naturally responded:
“Oh yes. That explains it.” 😉

And then we made plans for next week.

One more thing.
This little sweet pea’s name?
Liesel.

Sometimes the universe has a sense of humor. 🎶

The last time worked on Twelfth Night, the stage collapsed beneath our feet…

So of course she chose it again for her directorial debut at Eckerd College.

And she delivered—entertaining, engaging, and so much fun.

Always inspired by and proud of Grace. 💛

What an absolute honor to be featured by WCJB TV20 this weekend!

A meaningful moment for Community Stages Trunk & Trek Troupe as we wrapped Wildly (re)Told—and a glimpse of the storytelling they brought to life.

We’re so proud of this group and all they’ve built together… and we’re already looking ahead to what’s next. 💛

Ocala youth troupe invites people to watch ‘Wildly (re)Told: Stories for the Ages’ this weekend Young actors in Ocala are inviting their community to experience age-old stories from a fresh new perspective.

Well… imagine that.

Front page of the Ocala Gazette’s cultural section—
titled “People, Places and Things.”

If you’ve ever seen Trunk & Trek Troupe, you already know…
that’s exactly what our actors do.
(And if you haven’t—you can this weekend!)

They don’t just play characters—they become the world.

We’re so proud of this group and grateful to see their work captured in print—with gorgeous photos by Bruce Ackerman.

Take a look at a few highlights here, and read the full article below:
https://www.ocalagazette.com/well-imagine-that/

They became the world.

Talk and Baba Yaga and the Black Sunflower at the Literary & Poetry Festival.

So proud of our Trunk & Trek Troupe.

Thank you, City of Ocala!

📸 Full album: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BE6pvybi6/

🎭 Summer Drama Camps Registration is OPEN!

• JUNE: General Theatre Camps – Page to Stage to Screen
Grades entering 4–9

• JULY: Performance Camp – Moana Jr.
Full-day: Grades 4–12
Half-day: Grades 1–3

All campers must be available to perform at the Dassance Fine Arts Center on Saturday, July 25, 2026.

Join your favorite team of arts educators — Terry LeCompte, Greg Doss, Roberta Smith, Grace DeClerk, and Robert Skipper — for a summer of storytelling, music, movement, and theatre-making.

Registration is through our partners at Cornerstone School of Ocala.

✨ We’re excited to be part of this beautiful celebration of local art!

Heartstrings & Harmonies will be providing live acoustic music during the Spring Festival of Art Opening Reception at the Chelsea Art Center this Sunday.

As guests explore the gallery and the vibrant work of local artists, we’ll be adding a layer of music — expressive vocals, rich harmonies, and songs that celebrate creativity, connection, and the spirit of spring.

🎨 Spring Festival of Art – Opening Reception
📅 March 8 | 1–3 PM
📍 Chelsea Art Center, Ocala
🎤 Terry LeCompte, Roberta Smith, Greg Doss, and Megan Hilt

Come enjoy an afternoon of art, community, and live music. We'd love to see you there.

It was great having Ashley and Amber from 352today on our VIP tour! Enjoy their article about the Sculpture Stroll!

Sculptures, Sunshine and Symphony: Ocala Unveils 10 New Works at Tuscawilla - 352today As part of the Art Park Series, Tuscawilla Park unveils 10 new two-year residents.

✨ What a day at the 2026 Tuscawilla Sculpture Stroll. ✨

Our Sculpture Stroll Conversation Guide Cohort showed up ready and proved once again that with Joyful Drama, work can be play… and play is powerful.

The Community Stages team led engaging, dynamic tours through Tuscawilla Park, inviting guests to slow down, look closer, and enter into conversation with the art and each other. There’s something extraordinary about watching strangers become a temporary community in front of a sculpture, sharing observations, stories, questions, and laughter.

I had the privilege of developing and launching the conversation guide program and training our cohort to lead inquiry-based tours designed to spark connection, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue around public art. Seeing those conversations unfold in real time is always the magic.

Deep gratitude to the City of Ocala -Cultural Arts for the partnership and for trusting us to help shape the experience. Collaborations like this are why we do what we do. 🎭🌿

And congratulations to this year’s award winners:
👑 Red Queen
🌊 Riverbank IV
✨ Fully Realized

Each piece sparked meaningful dialogue and reminded us that public art belongs to all of us.

If you joined a tour --thank you for walking with us.
If you missed it -- see you next time! 😉