By SHANNON PRIEBE

Promoting a message of hope, Taproot Theatre Company in Greenwood is committed to excellence and respecting its audience.

Taproot, which subscribes to Judeo-Christian values, presents plays that support those beliefs. The theater, a former movie house which Taproot moved into in 1996, also offers an intimate setting, where the stage juts out into the audience who get an up close view of the actors as they perform.

To continue its message and to grow and expand as a threater, Taproot recently tapped M. Christopher Boyer as its new managing director.

"I'm looking forward to helping Taproot to grow," said Boyer, who began his career in theater in junior high school. "I am tremendously excited by Taproot's potential."

Taproot was founded 23 years ago by the husband-wife team of Scott and Pamela Nolte. The Noltes began looking for a new managing director when former director Sean Gaffney, an accomplished playwright, left to pursue a full-time career in writing.

When Scott Nolte, Taproot's producing artistic director, approached Boyer for suggestions on who should replace Gaffney, Boyer replied "what about me?"

Boyer hails from Lousiville, Ky., where his most recent arts administration post was with a theater company called Stage One. He also served as the festival coordinator for Actors Theatre of Louisville's internationally acclaimed Humana Festival.

As Stage One's managing director, Boyer helped transform a struggling theater company mired in debt into one that generated a profit.

He took a break from theatre management two years ago to serve as director of communications for Kentucky Baptist Homes for Children in Louisville and, this past year, as executive director at Interfaith Community Council in New Albany, Indiana.

At Taproot, Boyer will focus on the financial and marketing side of the theatre company's operations, as well as spread the word around the community about Taproot.

Boyer will also assist Taproot in developing new plays and offering a program of children's plays that will be able to teach young audiences how to deal with conflict and and substance abuse.

Taproot's upcoming production is a play by Gaffney titled "Moreau," a drama based on H.G. Wells' science-fiction novel, "The Island of Dr. Moreau." The play opens Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and runs through March 4.

"Moreau is all about the issues of when Man plays God," Boyer said. "The doctor is working on the difference between amimals and humans; what is humanity and what is the difference between that."

The opening night performance on Friday, Feb. 4, will be followed by a reception that will be held at the theater to welcome Boyer and to bid farewell to Gaffney.

Taproot is located at 204 N. 85th. For ticket information, call the Box Office at 781-9707.