As with any great production, first comes the writing, next comes the performance that brings it to life.

Dear Tamaqua is a collaborative effort, spearheaded by the Tamaqua Safety Initiative and its coordinator, Leona Rega, who is also the director of the Tamaqua Community Art Center. During the first phase, past and present members of the Tamaqua Community were asked to write their memories and hopes about the borough."Dear Tamaqua" mailboxes were located at various places, and people could also share stories online via

www.deartamaqua.com. Rega and other representatives also reached out with visits to schools and senior citizen centers."Phase 2 begins with the reading and viewing of almost 600 letters, stories and artwork which we collected from March through October," Rega said, adding that people may still contribute. "We said we wanted the good, the bad and the ugly, and we got just that from bar coasters to kids' drawings, we have a better-than-expected representation of all demographics in the community."The public production of Dear Tamaqua is scheduled for Aug. 4, which is National Night Out. Through the help of Touchstone Theatre, Bethlehem, the Dear Tamaqua project will be presented in a visual production complete with actors and actresses, cameras and plenty of action."We hope to show people a past rich with culture and prosperity, and showcase the hard work and development of the town over the past 20 years," Rega said. "We also want to instill a new hope for the future of Tamaqua, and help people feel they have a role in that and opportunity to be a part of it."The entire community is encouraged to participate, and help is needed, she said."Volunteers are needed to research and validate the stories that have been collected," Rega said. "We also need street performers, with or without experience and of all ages, for the final production.""We also need individuals with experience or a desire to learn backstage crew roles, such as operating equipment, moving sets, rolling lighting and prop carts," she said. "We need seamstresses, painters, carpenters and electricians and we need to hear from volunteers now, so we know who we have on board."Anyone interested in being part of the Dear Tamaqua production should contact Rega at 570-668-1192 or

leona@tacp.info.