Mr. DODD. Mr. President. I rise today to pay tribute the Wethersfield Teen Theater Company, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. This company was founded in 1988 by 15-year-old Bill Fennelly who was frustrated by the lack of opportunities in the theater for young people in the Wethersfield area, and the name of the company that Bill created indicates what makes this group so unique and special--it is run by and for teenagers.

Whether it's the director, the choreographer, or a member of the lighting crew, every member of the company must be between the ages of 11 and 21. The company members have complete artistic control over their productions, and they are also responsible for raising money and doing publicity for each play. Not only has the Wethersfield Teen Theater given hundreds of young people an opportunity to express themselves artistically and experience the feeling of performing live on the stage; but this company also gave many young people leadership opportunities that people their age don't traditionally enjoy. People who participate in the Wethersfield Teen Theater learn lessons about personal responsibility that they will carry with them throughout their lives.

When the theater company was founded there were many doubters. Not only were people skeptical that a group of teenagers would be able to put on a quality theatrical production, there were questions about their ability to raise the money to stage a production. The Wethersfield Teen Theater put on a spring review called `On Broadway,' and they were able to raise the money to stage a production of `Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.'

`Joseph' was major success, and in 1990, the teen theater gained the official sponsorship of the Wethersfield Recreation and Parks Department. While the sponsorship provides the company with free rehearsal and performance space, the theater company is not a budgeted program and the teens still must earn all the money required to produce each show.

Since its founding, the Wethersfield Teen Theater Company has put on a major summer and spring production every year. In addition, the company also sponsors children's workshops that are designed to get children interested in theater. They also perform at local community events, elementary schools, and hospitals.

For a decade, people have been enjoying the talent, enthusiasm, and creativity of the Wethersfield Teen Theater Company, and on January 3, 1998, the group will celebrate its 10th Anniversary with the performance of a production called `Our Time.' I am certain that this production will be a great success, and I hope that this wonderful theater company will continue enriching the lives of young people in the Wethersfield area for many decades to come.

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