12/2/2020 5:51:00 PM Reflecting on a quarter century of laughter and fun
Aaron Rocklyn played the Russian peasant Perchik in the 1998 Stewartville Community Theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. Laura, Rocklyn’s future wife, smiles up at him.
For a quarter of a century, Aaron Rocklyn has been the artistic director for Stewartville Community Theatre. Since 1996, thousands of local and area residents have enjoyed the 46 plays Rocklyn has directed, including comedies, musicals and dramas, most of which, beginning in 1999, drew good-sized audiences at the Stewartville High School Performing Arts Center. Considering that long and impressive history, it was with mixed emotions Rocklyn recently announced his decision to resign as Community Theatre director. "It just felt like the right time," he said in an email. "I had given it my all. With the pandemic suspending our productions, it seemed like a logical time for a smooth transition. And I still have a large bucket list of theatre projects I would love to try when the theaters can open up again." The decision to resign didn't come easily, Rocklyn said. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," he said. "It's been a quarter century of fun, laughs, and many a warm-fuzzy moment. I can never thank everyone enough for what it has meant to me to share this time with so many of the finest people I have ever met..." For more on this story pick up your copy of the Dec. 1 Stewartville STAR.