Donation Benefits Opera House

The Thompson Opera House in Pioche has been successful in promoting the venue as a unique destination for performers to visit and present their shows, and has been well received by the public, according to Les Derkovitz, member of the Chamber of Commerce who volunteers promoting the opera house as a guest/tourist information center on the weekends, as well as organizing performances held at the opera house. Over the past year of the opera house hosting performances, the need for its own sound system was overwhelmingly apparent, according to Derkovitz.

He explained, ?It is important because it opens up greater possibilities to host entertainment. Often, the traveling entertainers don?t travel with their own sound system, expecting the venues that they perform in to have a system.?

The long, slow process of obtaining funds, ?took a huge jump start when a donation came in from the Pioche Historical Society. It allowed us to do a complete state-of-the-art system all in one shot,? Derkovitz said.

Peggy Hone, member of the Pioche Historical Society, said she?s been pleased with the shows Derkovitz has made available to the community. ?I loved the shows he?s been putting on. That?s what the opera house should be for.? She said, ?Seeing Les, and his excitement, his efforts to get people in there, that?s the project we want to give to.? The money raised by the historical society has helped in years past with scholarships and assisting different communities when they provide something of culture. However, ?we thought the sound system was something we couldn?t come up with easily with a bake sale,? and that the sound could be improved. ?Our purpose was to go forward and promote culture in the county, the fine arts.?

Hone explained the Heritage Society and the Pioche Historical Society go hand in hand, and both support the refinement, and sophistication of culture within the county.

Dozens of boxes and packages arrived starting last Tuesday, and the last of it coming last Thursday. With cords, adapters, a sound board, monitors, and the works, Derkovitz installed the system, and even gave the system its first sound test earlier this week.

The Trinkle Brass Works traveling orchestra has received their performance grant again, and were planning on visiting the opera house again this November, but the holidays have proved to be difficult for scheduling the group as a whole. The performance is on hold, but the orchestra is still planning on performing at the opera house again.

Derkovitz next project is to gather local talent from northern Lincoln County. ?My idea is to find talent of all types and ages to do a number or two which would add up to a fantastic evening, showing those of us living here just how much hidden talent we really have in our own backyard.? Derkovitz hopes to find individuals or groups, from children to seniors, to perform their talent. ?No matter what type of talent you have, such as singing, playing music, dancing, comedy, cowboy poetry, magic, or whatever you do,? he said.

Derkovitz said, ?I really need help from the community to find and approach this talent to put together a show.? For more information or to help develop this idea, Derkovitz can be reached at 775-962-5426, and invites all public feedback.

When asked what she thought of the idea, Hone said, ?I think that would be great to go see. We?d probably go see everything the Thompson Opera House does.?

?All of us working with the Opera House are very appreciative of this donation and what it was able to do for us. Thank you Historical Society,? Derkovitz said, and asked for anyone who is ?interested in helping put an evening of fun and entertainment together,? to be involved in, ?showing off our local talent to those of us who never knew.?