Rick Barker, much-loved Idyllwild author and community volunteer, served on the Idyllwild Community Center board and was an advocate for the Idyllwild Dog Park, now under ICC management. Preston Sparks, local actor, craftsman and community volunteer, recently installed a memorial bench he created to honor Barker, who died this year on Jan. 20. Sparks said…

In the United Kingdom, community theaters are called amateur dramatic societies, but the challenges remain the same as in the U.S. What, other than sex and musicals, can draw audiences to amateur productions? That is the conundrum facing a theater group in a small English town — dwindling audiences, meager ticket sales and competition from…