Looking at the local entertainment schedule this weekend is a conundrum.

Two separate Valdosta-based theatre organizations present children’s shows on the same weekend.

Here’s the conundrum.

It’s good to have a town large enough where a family has a choice between children’s plays to attend this weekend. Or even the option of seeing both children shows this weekend.

Granted, there’s even another option: Gingerbread Players of Theatre Guild Valdosta presents its show, “Alice@Wonderland” this weekend and next weekend while Little Actors Theatre presents “Monster in the Closet” this weekend only. So, audiences could see one show this weekend and the available show next weekend.

Yet, it’s bad because there are so many weekends without any theatre productions — children’s shows or otherwise — that we must wonder why schedule two children’s shows on the same weekend?

Wouldn’t it be better for potential audiences as well as the organizations to have the children’s shows presented on different weekends?

We asked both the Little Actors Theatre and Gingerbread Players, why the same weekend?

Representatives said it is coincidence. Both organizations said they must use the weekends available at  their respective venues. For Gingerbread Players, that’s The Dosta Playhouse. For LAT, that’s Valdosta High School Performing Arts Center.

Yet, this weekend isn’t the only time when the arts schedules conflict.

Earlier this year, Theatre Guild presented a play on the same weekend that Peach State Summer Theatre opened its first show of summer.

It happened again in late March/early April when Theatre Guild presented “The Last Night of Ballyhoo” and Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance partnered with Valdosta Symphony Orchestra presented “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the same weekend.

South Georgia has a vibrant and lively arts community. A community that has proven it can sustain multiple arts organizations.

But asking the community to pick and choose between shows on the same weekend, especially when so many other weekends have no shows, may place too much of a strain on the arts community.

And on the arts organizations’ attendance numbers.

Perhaps, the organizations could coordinate with one another in the future. It would seem beneficial to all arts organizations to not stack the calendar.

We know the show must go on but couldn’t it go on different weekends?

Groups should examine show schedules