Shades Valley’s Theatre Academy was nominated and through a rigorous application process involving 1500 high schools throughout the world and was selected to be a part of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  Only 64 schools were chosen.  The Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world with more than 1,000 companies performing in various cagetories.

The original play Once A Pond. A Time was written by Roy Hudson for the book and lyrics and the music is by David McNeeley.  During this past season, Pond has been performed in four different venues.   Performing in Scotland will become the fifth venue.  Representing ACTA Theatre in Trussville, the show won the Alabama State Community Theatre Festival with Nicholas Burroughs being named the Outstanding Male Performer.  When the show was  performed at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Jamie Grimes was named as the Outstanding Choreographer of the SETC Community Theatre Festival.  The first complete full-length version performed for the public was at Virginia Samford Theatre on May 21.  The full play will be performed four times on the main Stage of the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland, on August 10,11,13, and 15.

A live auction coordinated by Virginia Samford Theater was held before the performance to help defray the costs of the trip.  Eighteen local businesses made possible the jewelry, “Dinner Around Town” package, “Pamper Me” package, an evening of entertainment with Big Daddy’s New Band, and a four-day cruise for two on Carnival Cruise Lines to the Western Caribbean.