VALDOSTA, Ga. – Caterina Orr is not only the Interim Coordinator/Director of the African American Studies (AAS) Program at Valdosta State University, but also a woman wearing many hats within the entertainment arena.
As a Valdosta native, Orr has earned a Master’s degree in English from Valdosta State University, a Master’s degree in Publishing from University of Houston-Victoria, a Master’s level Secondary Education Certification from Valdosta State University, and a Grant Proposal Writing Certification from Fort Hayes University.
Outside of education, Caterina Orr nearly does it all; she owns a company, Get it “Write” Consulting, LLC, where she is both the editor and publisher. She is the founder of Acting for Christ Theatre Group and co-founder of Orr Productions where she is the writer and director of the stage plays that the production company puts on.
After the completion of her Master’s degree and being the hard worker that she is, Orr needed something to fill the space – a need that happened to come at the right time.
“Once that was over, I’m like, ‘I got to do something.’ You know it’s hard to just work really hard then stop,” Orr shared. “So, I started writing a play out of nowhere and two weeks after it was written the youth coordinator came and said, ‘Hey can you write a play for our youth conference?’ You know, it’s amazing because I literally just wrote one.”
Orr went on to say, “Somewhere in my subconscious I was thinking, ‘Yeah, this is what I am suppose to be doing.’”
That, in a way, started a tradition for the budding playwright. Every other year, following the youth conference, Orr was called upon to do writing for events like youth conferences and Ladies’ Day. As her material started to grow, so did her audience and offers. Other congregations and organizations started to call on Mrs. Orr to write plays for them as well; this was the birth of Acting for Christ Theatre Group.
Acting for Christ Theatre Group ushered in the beginning of Orr Production Company. The group was known to travel to various location including Panama City, Atlanta, Brunswick and South Carolina. Once the requests started grow for the group, Orr Productions was born. The company was founded and is shared with Caterina Orr and her husband. They are most known for their stage play, The Masquerade Ball, Tiaras and Chains, He That Hath an Ear.
On Saturday, October 26, Orr Productions and Marie’s Story along with AAS and Women and Gender Studies will present “The Life You Save May Be Your Own” at Valdosta State University. This event will be educational, informative, and entertaining; it is also a dedication to Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The proceeds from the event will aid victims of domestic violence.
