Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry
Christmas Banquet 2000

A Festive Evening of Holiday Fun Featuring
Jeannette Clift George
Founder and Artistic Director of the A.D. Players,
The Houston-based Christian Theater Company

by Theresa Hyde
TheresaHyd@aol.com
December 5th, 2000


(L-R) Copperfield Baptist Church Christmas Banquet 2000 Organizer Ms. Lisa Davis and AD Players Founder and Artistic Director Mrs. Jeannette Clift George.


On Tuesday December 5th, 2000, the Women's Ministry of Copperfield Baptist Church located on 8350 Highway 6 North celebrated Christmas 2000 with a catered dinner banquet, live music, time for fellowship and featuring an incredible speaker Jeannette Clift George. My friend Lisa Seale invited me to this festive evening of holiday fun as she served as one of the table hostesses. As one of the hostesses for the evening, she was responsible in decorating one of the several beautifully decorated tables with the Christmas holiday theme for the event.

Christmas table hosted by Ms. Peggy Davis, who is in the Drama Group at Copperfield Baptist Church.



The charismatic speaker for the evening, Jeannette Clift George, is a well-known actress, author, playwright, Bible teacher and has been a speaker for several national events. Jeannette Clift George is the founder and Artistic Director of the A.D. Players, the Houston - based Christian Theater Company which offers plays throughout the world. Mrs. George has received the Matrix Award for outstanding contribution to the community through her playwriting, the Delta Gamma Fraternity Shield Award for distinguished achievement, an honorary membership in Alpha Delta Kappa International Teacher's Sorority, and the Rotary International's Jean Harris Award. She is a member of Phi Beta Fraternity and was named to the Omicron Delta Kappa Society. She received the 1998 Texas Baptist Communications Award, as well as the CITA (Christians in Theater Arts) organization's Outstanding Achievement Award, and was honored by the Theresians of the United States. She holds an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Dallas Baptist University and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Houston Baptist University.

Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Her extensive background in professional theater includes acting Off-Broadway and touring with the New York Shakespeare Company. She has performed at the Playhouse in the Park in Philadelphia, and the Arena Stage in Washington. In Houston, she has performed at Stages Theatre in A DELICATE BALANCE, and in the Alley Theatre productions as Mrs. Campbell in DEAR LIAR, as Maggie in RING AROUND THE BATHTUB, as Juliet's nurse in ROMEO AND JULIET, as Mrs. Malaprop in THE RIVALS, and in the title roles in DRIVING MISS DAISY; LETTICE AND LOVAGE; RACHEL, A WOMAN OF MASADA; AND JULIAN, as well as portraying: Amanda in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Lady Bracknell in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and Carrie Watts in Horton Foote's THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL. Mrs. George recreated that role with California Lamb's Players Theatre and at Wheaton College in Illinois.

Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Her film debut was in the World Wide Picture's THE HIDING PLACE, portraying Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch woman who saved the lives of scores of Jews during the Nazi occupation. Since the general release in 1975, the film has shown to large audiences worldwide, and enjoys continued popularity through video sales and rentals. Mrs. George was nominated for a Golden Globe Award by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a Golden Apple Award by the Hollywood Women's Press Club, and as Most Promising Newcomer by the British Academy of Arts and Sciences. She appears in the award - winning film A PALE HORSE, and in the A.D. Players' videos: LIGATURE (on marriage enrichment), and JOSHUA AND THE TA RA, TA RAA, TA RAAA (a children's video about Joshua and the fall of Jericho).

Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Jeanette George is equally well - known as author, playwright, Bible teacher, and national speaker. In her radio program, JEANNETTE CLIFT GEORGE FROM CENTER STAGE, her unique wit and keen insights illuminate Biblical principles. She is author of the books DAISY PETALS, TRAVEL TIPS FROM A RELUCTANT TRAVELER, and SOME RUN WITH FEET OF CLAY. In addition to her books, she has contributed articles for various magazines and published collections. She is an associate member of the Dramatists' Guild and her scripts are available through Manor of Grace Publishing and Lillenas Publishing's A.D. Players Series. Her plays have been performed in Houston's Grace Theater as well as the Globe of the Southwest, the Tucson Community Center, the Galveston's Opera House, Theatre Three and the Plaza Theater in Dallas, the Orlando Theater Project, and the Lamb's Theatre in New York City. She is a Staley foundation Distinguished Christian Scholar Lecturer and travels extensively speaking for conferences, schools and professional workshops. Mrs. George is married to Houston businessman, Lorraine George.

Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



WWW.ADPLAYERS.ORG

INTERVIEW WITH JEANNETTE CLIFT GEORGE
FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE A.D. PLAYERS
THE HOUSTON-BASED CHRISTIAN THEATER COMPANY


Jeannette Clift George


by Theresa Hyde
TheresaHyd@aol.com
December 5th, 2000

Theresa: Are you from Houston, originally?
Jeannette: Yes, Houston's my home, I was born here. I left after I graduated from High School, I went off to college at Stevens College and then, the University of Texas (I majored in Drama). And then I went from there to New York and lived in New York for several years and came back here, visiting at home. And then I did a couple of shows at the Alley (Theatre) and then went back to New York and then they brought me here in the Ensemble Company and I came in and stayed. I met my husband and married and started the A.D. Players.

Theresa: How long has A.D. Players been in existence?
Jeannette: It's their 34th Season, which is just astonishing.


Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000


Theresa: Does A.D. Players presently mostly religious plays?
Jeannette: No. It's a Christian Theater Company, we do secular theater, we do regular theater. The reason we're Christian is because that at the time I was at the Alley, and I was working full-time there, and I am Christian and I was looking for ways to make some statement in theater of my faith. I was teaching in Houston Baptist University, and I started a group to do improvisations and when we became the AFTER DINNER PLAYERS, 'cause I hoped somebody'd feed us (laughs). Then we'd drop the words, and it ended up with the initials.

Theresa: (laughs) So, that's where A.D. Players' name came from.
Jeannette: Isn't that funny?

Theresa: (laughs) Did you used to perform in places to eat? In restaurants?
Jeannette: That was our intention, was that they would bring us in, and we'd have dinner and then we'd do our little performance.

Christmas Table Hostess: Cindy Cox at The Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Theresa: What inspired you to have founded the Theater Company?
Jeannette: I was teaching in the Drama Department and I was growing in my own faith and was looking for ways to offer some of the Truth of God and his influence on my life through Theater. Also, as a way to get the drama out of the Bible. There's great, great drama! There's Great Drama in the Bible!!!

Copperfield Baptist Church Christmas Banquet 2000



Theresa: And literature.......
Jeannette: And literature, and poetry. I was just trying to, sort of, do that through this program. It was a very simple venture when it started. I never dreamed that it would be what it is today. We have Grace Theater here, which is playing a wonderful show right now called The Sanders Family Christmas and it's a wonderful, wonderful show. Occasionally, it's sold out, so I encourage people to get their reservations. And then the Children's show, is a delightful play called Christmas Went Thataway and it's just really grand. I saw it and had the best time watching it, and then we have groups that tour and go to Churches. They're travelling, they're in New Jersey now, playing a series of programming theatre.

A scene from A.D. Players' production of Sanders Family Christmas



Christmas Table Hostess: Lisa Seale. (L-R) Shari Smith, Ms. Bennie Lovelace, Lisa Seale, Theresa Hyde and Heather Phillips at The Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Theresa: You do so much! I saw all the things you've done: you have tapes, you have videos, you've written plays and books, you're a film actress who's been nominated for a Golden Globe award, you also have a radio talk show.....
Jeannette: Yes, I have a radio talk show at KSBJ. It's called Jeannette Clift George from Center Stage and it's about a minute and 28 seconds and it's various topics. Sometimes, I'm talking about something that has impressed me, that gives me a reflection on some teaching that I've gotten. Sometimes, I'll talk about a verse and sometimes I just talk about something that happened that day.

Theresa: Do you take calls from listeners?
Jeannette: No, it's not really a talk show. It's just a minute and 28 seconds of ME! (laughs).
Theresa: Oh, wow. Where do you find the time to do all these things that you've done?
Jeannette: Time sometimes stretches and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's a kind of.....I think, I'm not very organized.
Theresa: How can you say that? How can you accomplish all these things if you're not organized?
Jeannette: As a not very organized person, I can butterfly. I can do this, I'll do that, I'll do that and the organized people are the ones that hold me up and hold it all together. And I have wonderful people that I work with. I have a kind of prioritizing and my prioritizing generally leads me back into Theatre. And I believe first in the Lord. I believe absolutely in the Sovereignty of God and I just think it's exciting to be able to speak through the voice of Theatre of God, Who's the Ultimate Creator!!! And He brings such meaning to Life, not only the eternity of His Gifts, but today is fresh because of Him!

(L-R) Mrs. Jeannette Clift George, Theresa Hyde and Ms. Cyndi Crittenden



Theresa: I also had the fortunate opportunity to interview Ms. Cyndi Crittenden, who is with Mrs. George tonight.
Jeannette: And Cyndi Crittenden, who is with me tonight was in our first company. She works part-time with us. You might enjoy asking her about our Theatre.

Theresa: (to Cyndi Crittenden) You are with A.D. Players too?
Cyndi: Over the years, I have been. I was in the very first company, I sure was.

Minister of Arts and Worship Mr. Austin Ryan singing Christmas songs at The Copperfield Baptist Church Christmas Banquet 2000



Theresa: How did you become a part of Theatre, of A.D. Players?
Cyndi: I had just become a Christian. I wanted to be a part of Theatre that presented hope, and not only the human condition.

Theresa: It's very rare to find that.
Cyndi: Well, I've never heard of anything like that. Well, here I am, 19 years old and I happen to be invited to a house in River Oaks at a breakfast. And as I was eating, she (Jeannette Clift George) was talking and sharing her testimony and my mouth fell open. And when she started talking about the Company that she had, I just knew that I had to be a part of that. So, I kinda felt like the door opened up. My heart leapt 'cause that's what I wanted to be a part of . So, that's how I started.

Oh Christmas Tree! Christian Ladies in gorgeous festive evening gowns at The Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000



Theresa: What do you do for A.D. Players?
Cyndi: Right now, I'm working for Mrs. Jeannette Clift George personally, in her office. But in the past, for A.D. Players, I have directed, I used to run the Children's School, so I've just done a little bit of everything over the years. Right now, I have a family, so I kind of come and go.

Theresa: And so with this evening's festivities, I was able to share the Christmas spirit with the Women's Ministry of Copperfield Baptist Church. I was able to meet new friends and hear the inspiring words of the great speaker and Houston Theatre personality Jeannette Clift George.

(L-R) Lisa Seale and her aunt and guest for the evening Ms. Bennie Lovelace. Lisa Seale created the Christian wall decor, (except for the lettering!) at The Copperfield Baptist Church Women's Ministry Christmas Banquet 2000.