Recently at the sellout opening performance in the new home of SRO-Brickworks Community Center- president/director Cheri Hutchison's mom and dad, Wanda and Bobby Beard, were overheard pondering how their daughter came by the ability to pull together something like this.

"Don't you remember," Bobby told his wife, "she was doing this when she was in grade school. She's just getting better at it each time."

When Cheri was a little girl growing up in Louisville, she wrote plays and "made" the neighbor children learn their scripts. Her brother Ken had to play just about every part imaginable. Cheri had a little Singer sewing machine and with her mom's guidance, she remembers making costumes for her cast even then. Their home had a concrete patio which soon became her stage, and all the neighborhood parents were invited to come as the audience - and pay - to see the performance. She sold popcorn, too. At Pleasure Ridge Park High School Cheri acted and wrote several plays.

"Now, as an adult," Cheri says, "as a mother and wife, I've come full circle again with the shows and costumes. My husband Larry is so supportive, and our children too. They do what I need. I produce, Larry builds and takes up all the slack. I do admit that this cast is much more talented than the one I had in my younger days."

SRO was originally started as Productions by Cher-Lin, with a July 4th Fashion show on the square. The last Cher-Lin production was "Drop Dead Diner" performed in 1993. The name was officially changed to Standing Room Only Productions after enjoying several sell out performances of "Kickin' Country". The new name came from the fact that there literally was standing room only at the Columbian Theatre.

Their work life includes Cheri's designing and management of her Costume Hutch in Columbia. Larry is a construction superintendent for Scott & Murphy Construction in Bowling Green.

ASHLEY MERRITT is the daughter of Linda and Richard Mallory and Doug Merritt, and a freshman at Lindsey Wilson College majoring in Special Education. She hopes to be a professional singer.

ROB COLLINS BELL has been a member of SRO for 3 years. He works as Program Director and morning personality for WCKQ-FM, Commonwealth Broadcasting, in Campbellsville and is also a private voice instructor. Rob has a BA in speech communications and human relations from Eastern Kentucky University. He also spends time working as a comic/motivational speaker for various schools and organizations in central Kentucky. He has a life goal "to encourage creativity and expression in young people interested in performing arts."

CHARLENE PIKE daughter of David and Pauline Akin, married to Jeffrey Pike. She is a Special Education Teacher at Knifley Grade Center who has been with SRO from the very beginning. She hopes to continue teaching and singing/performing with SRO.

Charlene is currently enrolled at WKU working toward a Rank II in Special Ed (K-12). She has a BA degree in K-4.

GREGORY BLAIR'S goal in life is to be an instrument of God, a big part to fill, and to love as Christ did. He says, "I would love to work in the performing arts and help all people non-discriminately." His motto is Carpe' Diem: "Seize the Day-Seize one day and the moment, to live and love as if there is no tomorrow."

He is the son of Ronald and Joyce Blair from the Pellyton community of Adair County. Greg is a college grad now working as a Library Assistant at Lindsey Wilson College.

TERRENCE W. BRIDGEWATERS, "Sweetpea", loves to sing and "would love to make it big in show business someday. If not me, then my daughter, Lauren, and I'll manage."

NEAL SNEED says, "My goal in life is to do whatever the Lord has for me to do. I believe He lead me to this group, and He has surely blessed us to have such a facility. I'm grateful for the community's support. God bless." Neal is a Columbia native, the son of Chester and Mae Sneed, and is Vice President of SRO.

He is the Technical Supervisor for CellularOne where he has worked for four years.

JUDY SOMERVILLE is a 1976 graduate of Campbellsville University, BS, Elementary Ed, who works as Postmaster of the Marrowbone, Kentucky post office. She chose to put efforts at becoming a professional singer on the back burner when an audition with Mercury Polygram records made it clear she'd have to pull her kids out of school and go on the road. Judy felt like motherhood was the most important for Kim, Chris, Jason and Beth. Still wanting to utilize her creative gifts, Judy joined SRO in 1995. Her goal is to retire from the post office job and perform with SRO for as long as she can be an asset while also developing writing and directing skills. Judy wants to, "glorify God in all I do."

LEVON BOMAR is a 98 graduate of Adair County High School who sang with Change of Heart quartet and is a member of SRO. He is the son of Darla White and an employee of Hadley Motors and says he would like to make singing a profession.

YULANDA BRADSHAW can be found in the daytime at her work at First National Bank in Columbia. She is a graduate of Adair County High School, Western Kentucky University and Lindsey Wilson College.

She says she loves SRO and loves entertaining. She says, "I hope to continue bringing joy to the people of Adair County through SRO."

Yulanda's goal in life is to do her best at whatever she encounters and to always remember the morals that her parents have instilled in her. "I never forget that all I am is because of God, and all that I am not is because of me."

JASON SOMERVILLE first started singing in the Gospel Quartet "Change of Heart". He has been a member of SRO for a year, now, and says he plans to continue as long as he's able.

"My goal in life," Jason says, "is to keep my eyes focused on God no mater what - and never let anything come between me and God's plan for my life."

Jason is a graduate of Adair County High School who works now at CellularOne in Columbia.