Milledgeville Theater Group Performing “Kiss Me Kate” Thursday for Local Boy Battling Cancer

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia — If you’re in the mood for scandal, action, love, and gangsters all packed into two hours, you won’t want to miss the Milledgeville Players rendition of ‘Kiss Me Kate.’

The show is running from Thursday through Sunday, but on opening night there’s an added bonus.

“We’re doing kisses for Josh on opening night,” said Sarah Stone, Director of Marketing for Kiss Me Kate.

“I can still see him at three years old, four years old back stage. Later on he worked back stage. He literally grew up with us,” said Tom Toney, President of the Milledgeville Players and Director of Kiss Me Kate.

15-year-old Josh Thompson got his start with the players at age two tagging along with his mom Leigh, who spent years as the stage manager. The players say he’s part of the family.

“The little cherub cheeked kid who would come up and just look at me and just being in love with him,” said Robin Shepard, lead actress in Kiss Me Kate.

“Believe it or not I remember one time, he may not remember it, he was helping somebody run lines as maybe a five or six year old,” said Phillip Joiner, lead actor in Kiss Me Kate.

But, this year Josh couldn’t help run lines or play pranks on the actors.

In February, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and has spent the better part of 2013 in and out of hospitals for surgeries and chemotherapy.

“You don’t really hear about children at age 15, but it is for men 15 to 35 that it is most common,” said Leigh Thompson, Josh’s mom.

What’s not always common, is the way the Milledgeville community responded to Josh’s diagnosis. Various groups have raised money to help cover the cost of care.

“There are expenses you just don’t think about,” said Leigh.

Leigh says it began with Josh’s orthodontist and his office.

“They instantly loved this boy, and they got with Georgia Cancer Support and Chick-Fil-A and the community and raised $5,000,” said Leigh.

That money helped them fly to Indiana where the oncologist who treated Lance Armstrong took on Josh as a patient.

“When we found out that this production  Kiss Me Kate, Thursday night’s proceeds were going to help Josh, we wanted to be on board,” said Cheryl Crumbley, Georgia Cancer Support.

“I was incredibly grateful. I had no idea they would dedicate this show to me,” said Josh.

Josh needs just two more surgeries to be cancer free, and get back to back stage.

“I’m just ready to get it going. I want to be here when the show is actually going on,” said Josh.

Leigh is grateful that, thanks to many different players, cancer wasn’t Josh’s last curtain call.

“Our oncologist in Eggleston she said, “If we have today, we have hope,” and I have today for this boy,” said Leigh.

For more information on purchasing tickets and the Milledgeville Players click here.