From the Porter Report March 2008 - AMATEUR THEATRE'S BIG NIGHT OUT

Belinda Green and Ian Peters with Mary at the CAT Awards

Almost 900 people, many of the them from as far away as Parkes, Orange, Wagga and Merimbula, packed the Canberra Theatre for the 2007 Telstra Country Wide Canberra and Area Theatre Awards.

It was the 13th annual occasion that the awards have been presented and patron Mary Porter again thanked Telstra General Manager for Capital South East, Ian Peters, for Telstra's ongoing support.

Three years ago it looked as if the awards would fold because their founder and driving force, Coralie Wood, could no longer afford to continue to fund the award's presentation night and the accommodation costs of the volunteer judges who travel to regional areas to adjudicate on the shows presented by member companies.

As the area serviced by Ian Peters was similar to that of the CATs, Mary approached the Telstra GM with a proposition that his organisation become the naming rights sponsor.

Having a personal interest in amateur theatre and believing that Telstra had a role to play as a good corporate citizen, as well as looking at the commercial benefits of reaching such a large audience, Mr Peters agreed to come on board and the rest, as they say, is history.

Among the winners on the night were the Parkes Musical and Drama Society with their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

In his acceptance speech, Neil Westcott a farmer and the production's Musical Director told the audience that in the dire months of one of the worst droughts the area had experienced the show kept the town's spirits up and gave people hope that together they would get through it.

"This is the sort of community spirit that amateur theatre produces" said Mary Porter. "Of course we all love to see great shows but the really important benefit is the value of people working together and producing something worthwhile."