Threatre Macon to hold virtual gala on Saturday
There’s a gala you’re invited to Saturday: Theatre Macon is celebrating its 35th year of operation with a short look back and a big entertaining look at the coming performance year.
Organizers said the event is free and will have a soft beginning at 6:30 p.m. and go full force at 7 p.m.
And of course, it is an online, self-isolation-fueled virtual gathering that can be found at www.facebook.com/theatremacon438.
“Normally this time of year we have our live gala for patrons when we introduce the coming season,” said Richard Frazier, artistic director at Theatre Macon. “That’s out of the question so we started wondering early on what can we do? How can we do something creative that holds to the standard we like to keep in everything we bring to the public.
“We came up with this and we’re really happy that with all everyone is going through we can open it up to the whole community and offer great, local entertainment from our talented performers to break some of the monotony. Everybody’s welcome and there’s no charge, no fundraising, just all fun.”
Frazier said the only thing with dollar signs at the gala will be that season ticket packages go on sale as they usually do. Shows will be revealed for the theater’s Mainstage productions, the Youth Artists Company and Stage 2 Series shows.
Some changes in how the season works will also be made known.
While Saturday’s gala will have a lot of the look and feel of the normal Zoom meetings and live streams most have become used to as part of the self-isolated life, Frazier said Theater Macon is attempting to provide features and production values that will make the gala as entertaining and enjoyable as possible.
“We’ll start the gala proper with me live at my home at 7 p.m. But before that at 6:30 p.m. we’ll have a pre-show to give everyone a chance to tune in to a recorded look back at some of our history and a few things from the last season or so. Then when we launch into the gala full-on, people will see bits from all the Mainstage and Youth shows for the coming season.
“That involves pieces prepared by 30 or more of our performers at their homes then edited together. As the live host, there are more than 100 ques I’ll have to hit to bring the whole thing together. It’s all pretty challenging and we’ve had to learn a lot of new things to do this, but it should be a great night.”
Frazier said where the gala is typically for patrons only, he and the Macon Theater board saw the opportunity to open it up as a gift to the wider community and way the theater could provide a unique, virtual gathering point to present something a little different for those growing tired of Covid-19’s forced isolation.
He said the evening will include surprise special guests as well as the surprise of announcing 2020-21’s shows.
But when will new shows be live on stage again?
“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Frazier asked. “Everyone’s asking that about everything and we sure don’t have the answer but we are preparing with plans A, B, C through Z for when we can get going again. I guess we’re on about plan E now. Due to the nature of theater productions, you can’t just throw a show on stage without a lot of planning and preparation. That means people have to get together.
“Even so, the ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ cast, the show we were set to open when everything shut down, has kept virtually reading lines to be as prepared as possible for a quick re-start. They’re eager to get back at it just like I know everyone is ready to put all this behind us.”
Frazier acknowledged when the all-clear begins it won’t be an overnight thing.
“I know everyone is ready to get out but that doesn’t mean everyone will be comfortable in crowds on day one,” he said. “It will be an interesting and challenging recovery just like it was difficult and challenging getting into this and getting through it. But we will get through it and I believe we’ll have learned a lot and appreciate being an in-person community more.
“And I bet writers are at work right now creating a whole new genre of plays based on pandemic life experiences. We just have to sit tight and do the right thing for everyone’s good along the way. Hopefully, we’ll all look back and see that the gala was an enjoyable moment.”
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
What: 35th Anniversary Virtual Preview Gala
Where: www.facebook.com/theatremacon438
When: 6:30 p.m. April 18
Cost: Free
This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 7:00 AM.