The heart of the Dust Bowl Motel project is its volunteers. Over the next few weeks we are going to highlight some of the people who have given so much of their time and talent to produce a show that will be entertaining and leave you with a sense that it was an evening well spent at the theatre. Today we spotlight one of the playwrights, Jim Roth.
Jim Roth, Co-Playwright
Jim Roth came to the theater arts after completing his career from which he retired as Chairman, President and CEO of GRC International (GRH on the New York Stock Exchange), and as a Director of a number of other Corporations.
Jim makes his home in San Clement, California with his wife Marilyn and spends part of the year in Southern Arizona.
Having been bitten by the theater bug, he first tried out for and appeared with his wife Marilyn as leads in Dorothy Parkers “Here We Are”, followed by the leads in a four act Christmas musical, written for the Performing Arts Guild (PAG) in Quail Creek—a retirement resort in Southern Arizona.
He was an original member of “The Rusty Zippers”, a musical trio still performing in Southern Arizona. He appeared with that group in a number of musical reviews and is still active as a soloist in various musical productions.
He also served as President of the aforementioned PAG for two years and as a Director for the Community Performing Arts Center (CPAC—A Pima Countytheaterfacility in Green Valley AZ) for three years.
With this background, he began to try his hand as a playwright. Parenthetically, he had done no creative writing since his junior high days, when he penned some deep and heart-rendering poetry dedicated to a likely lass named Gwendolyn. Failing to win any literary awards—or Gwendolyn for that matter—he allowed his talents to ferment for fifty years or so.
His first two plays were presented by the PAG. The first was a short comedy sketch, entitled “Goobers”, and the second, “Holiday’s Inn”, was a full length Christmas musical produced for dinner theater.
He was induced to write a play for the Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts (in Westcliffe CO) as an entrant for their “New Rocky Mountain Voices” play writing competition, open to all writers in the Rocky Mountain States, annually. His award winning entry, “And the Winner Is…” was produced and presented at the Jones Theater in Westcliffe CO, and on local radio.
Jim Roth’s one act and short plays are available to high school and college drama classes in exchange for information regarding their presentation and reception. The list includes among others:
· In search of Prince Charming
. Better Gnomes and Gardens
· Fool on the Hill
· And the Winner Is…
· Goobers