External text file used as runthrough - pls help!

hello,
i would like to do the following:

have a simple movie with about 200 names popping up and fading out in something like 30 seconds.

my question is the following:

do i have to create an instance for each name - or can i simply create one instance in one frame and have actionscript use the names from an external txt file?

if yes, could anyone help me with the coding - and if it isnt possible - are there alternatives?

thanks and regards, nj