Jennifer Voyles, a Bainbridge High School senior, has been selected as a new member of the 2010-2011 Thomasville Music and Drama Troupe.

Voyles enjoys singing and dance and has been in the BHS band program since sixth grade. She was first chair clarinet for three years and then moved to the danceline as a freshman and has been there ever since. She also enjoys singing in her church youth group and occasionally performing as a soloist for Sunday worship.

Coley Voyles, her father, was a six-year member of the Thomasville Music and Drama Troupe and is proud for her to have such a wonderful opportunity.

“The professional instruction in performance and dance is second to none in this area. She will have to sacrifice time away from her friends and family for the trips to Thomasville and the two-hour rehearsals, but the life-long memories gained from the experience and performances will be priceless,” said her dad.

The Thomasville Music & Drama Troupe is preparing to kick off its 39th performance season and has announced its schedule of auditions, rehearsals and performances for the 2010-11 year.

Troupe Co-President Rick Ivey said the group of singing teen entertainers for the Thomasville Music and Drama Troupe is made up of ninth- through 12th-grade students from area high schools, and the Junior Troupe is made up of seventh- and eighth-graders.

Troupe started weekly rehearsals on Sunday, Aug. 29. The group’s annual Christmas Show is set for Tuesday, Dec. 7, and the 2011 Spring Show will take place on its traditional Mother’s Day weekend, May 6 -7, as it has since the group’s first performance nearly 40 years ago.

The Troupe traces its history back to 1972, when Fred Allen, having recently relocated to Thomasville after a decade in New York, envisioned a group that would allow him to share his talents and experiences with a small group of young people.

With 20 charter members and his wife Winnie by his side, Allen began sharing skills gained from an education at the prestigious Juilliard School, professional experience on the New York stage and a career as an artist and repertory producer with RCA Records.

Now under the direction of Lisa Asher Davis, the group is made up of junior and high school students representing all area schools and even home-schooled students.