PAUSE FOR APPLAUSE! HERE'S TO CHARLIE

Written by Nancy Barden for the 9/30/26 edition of the Mecklenburg Sun

     Charlie Simmons is the face of the multi-year drive for the preservation of the Fine Arts Center. For 53 years, the life span of the Clarksville Community Players, Charlie has been front and center as a leader to bring entertainment to the people of Clarksville and surrounding areas. With CCP’s Capitol Campaign completion in sight, his fervent wish is to finally finish all the upgrades and renovations. To that end, he is willing to be “roasted” at the Clarksville Fine Arts Center October 17, with light refreshments and drinks from 6-7, and the Roast from 7-8 p.m. Everyone who has ever enjoyed a show at the Fine Arts Center, everyone who has ever participated in a performance at the Fine Arts Center, every friend of Charlie’s - all are invited to this gala night. All are welcome, along with donations of any amount to fulfill Charlie’s wish.

     The timing of the founding of the Clarksville Community Players in 1973 was perfect. Burlington Industries was bulging at the seams, and there were dozens of young adults looking to make friends and fill their off-hours. There was no shortage of participants. In fact, according to a company newsletter, it was reported that 31 employees had participated in a CCP play and they had been joined by 20 children or spouses.

     When Simmons and like-minded folks launched the new organization, he says that none of them knew what they were doing and so the first few shows were “a little rough around the edges. OK, maybe a lot.” While some members had acting experience, finding a director was another matter. But keeping on keeping on was the key to gaining experience in the skills necessary to put on a play and Charlie, who had never directed one, accepted the call after a couple of years to direct Lil’ Abner.

     The Players tasted success with three sold-out performances and validated Simmons as their new-found director. Successes followed as he directed Annie Get Your Gun, 1776, and Man of La Mancha. Taking a time-out for several years, Charlie was lured back with the opportunity to direct Into the Woods, which he calls “a joyful experience with a wonderfully talented cast.” He went on to direct Man of La Mancha a second time and also reprised South Pacific in 2024. With the happy coincidence of Francis and Pauline Decker moving to Clarksville, and the Deckers introducing The Last Supper, CCP began presenting the enactment every three years, with Charlie directing it 14 times.

     In the years when he took a break from directing, Simmons never paused from serving CCP in some way.

Producing plays within adequate systems and improvised equipment was enough to keep a team of folks busy. The old school with hard seats, leaky roof, and sound challenges forced inventive ways of making sure the show went on. Charlie describes the stage lighting using a row of cut-out soup cans with a light bulb inside as adequate but casting a rather “spooky looking glow on the actors” as the lights only went one way - up.

     However, a more serious concern faced the Players when there was talk of demolishing the building to make room for more parking at the planned shopping center in 1981. Efforts by the Players and the late Town Manager Carl Dean, himself an actor, managed to save the building from the wrecking ball, but it seemed that at every monthly meeting of CCP’s Board of Directors, new concerns arose about something needing replacement or repair. The aging building, constructed in 1934, needed more than tender, loving care to serve the citizens of Clarksville long term and an account was opened for the Fine Arts Center Preservation Committee February 21, 2008.

     Donations began but Simmons suggested that CCP needed to show Clarksville citizens a specific improvement that would be of benefit to them. It didn’t take long to choose the goal: new seats to replace the second-hand ones donated 25 years before. The seats’ iron frames were still good; they just needed reupholstering. The “Sittin’ Pretty” Campaign was off to a running start, complete with the familiar thermostat sign in front of the building recording individual donations and numerous fundraisers.  It took years, but finally the day came in 2013 when the reupholstered seats were put in place.

     With the people of Clarksville showing their support for the Players and the Clarksville Fine Arts Center, the Town Council wanted to preserve the building, but it was obvious that the renovation costs could not be borne by the town. As a solution, the Players asked for a 40-year lease, with the understanding that CCP would raise the money for the improvements. These improvements have exceeded $1 million to date.

     Thus, we come to the Roast! Though Charlie is an accomplished actor, he is more accustomed to being behind the scenes, but he is willing to be coaxed out in front of the curtain if it will encourage his audience to open their hearts and their wallets in support of this fine old building. On October 17, come out and pause for a hearty round of applause for Charlie and a donation to the Clarksville Fine Arts Center!