The Show Must Go On

STORY BY ANNESOPHIA RICHARDS

Everyone knows that in the world of theatre, the show must always go on. But what happens when one of the world’s oldest industries is suddenly brought to its knees by a global pandemic? In a time when large gatherings inside crowded auditoriums could be a matter of life or death, theatres across the nation are facing an unprecedented challenge. Instead of closing their curtains and turning out their lights, however, venues such as Talian Hall and the Wilson Center in Wilmington are fnding creative ways to keep the performing arts alive in our community.

Having served as executive and artistic director of Talian Hall for over 40 years, Tony Rivenbark has been around for many ebbs and fows of the industry. Nothing could prepare him, however, for COVID’s devastating efects on theatre venues all over the country.

“So many theatres are closed, their assets sold and their doors locked,” says Rivenbark. “We don’t want to become that. Seventy percent of our income has disappeared, which makes it difcult to keep things going. But buildings don’t produce theatre, people do, so we can only cut back so much.”

According to Rivenbark, Talian Hall is operationally ready to reopen, having instituted an array of safety precautions and social distancing requirements including blocking of the seats, separating areas with ropes, and utilizing an outdoor ticket box. Talian Hall has continued ofering weekly flms to small audiences inside the auditorium. However, with continued gathering size restrictions, indoor live performances are currently still on hold.

22 | www.sencmag.com

SE North Carolina Magazine | 23

24 | www.sencmag.com

Undeterred, Rivenbark and his team found a solution outside Talian Hall’s doors. Te venue recently began ofering outdoor concerts and comedy nights at neighboring Innes Park, and in October turned the front portico into a stage for several live performances of “Te Rocky Horror Picture Show” done by Wilmington’s Opera House Teatre Company (OHTC).

“Rocky Horror was our frst musical theatre performance since all this began in March, and we’re very proud of it,” says Rivenbark. “Te building is such a beautiful backdrop, and we were able to seat around 70 people, while using online ticketing and outdoor concessions. Our goal is to make sure people feel Talian Hall is a place they can enjoy a flm, some live music or a show, and feel comfortable about the way things are being handled.”

Rivenbark says switching to outdoor operations hasn’t come without its challenges, as staf now have to create an entire outdoor theatre from seating to roping to lighting, and then take it all down at the end of the show. With a large portion of the staf gone, those who remain are extremely busy with the business of operations, including fundraising, advertising, marketing, building repairs and capital improvements.

“Tis has been tough on everyone, because we’re having to do a lot more work for a lot less return, but at least it’s something,” says Rivenbark. “We’re continuing to explore ways we can keep things going at Talian Hall and keep the arts alive. We’re trying to provide an opportunity for the community to enjoy themselves and escape from their house in a safe way, as well as an opportunity for actors and musicians to be able to do their craft and keep our presence in the community. People in the arts are creative, and we’re pleased with what we’ve been able to come up with, but we can’t do this forever fnancially, so the support we’re receiving from individuals and businesses is key to our survival.”

SE North Carolina Magazine | 25

26 | www.sencmag.com

Another local performing arts institution that has taken things outdoors during the pandemic is the Opera House Teatre Company. In addition to their performances of “Te Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Talian Hall, the group’s focus has shifted to other smaller musical productions that can he held outdoors with fewer people. Under the direction of Executive Artistic Director Justin Smith, OHTC’s fall performances of Rocky Horror included face shields and social distancing of the audience, cast members and live band. Te show was a huge success and sold out opening weekend. In November, OHTC also utilized Talian Hall’s portico steps for their production of “Te Piano Men,” a two-person musical revue featuring an array of popular piano songs. Smith and his team are now planning for OHTC’s annual “Christmas Cabaret” at the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach, which will be performed with limited seating and artists rotating among three separate rooms to perform the full show in three acts.

“Making sure things feel safe is the biggest thing for me,” says Smith. “We had to cancel our main stage season and entire youth program, so we’re alive but struggling. We’ve had minor success with our virtual online performances like our ‘Musical Teatre Mondays’ where favorite actors perform live numbers virtually, and ‘Trowback Tursdays’ where we show archival pieces. I’ve realized, however, that our most viable step now and moving forward will be outdoor theatre.”

As eastern North Carolina’s largest performing arts venue, the Wilson Center is designed to accommodate nationally touring concerts, comedians and Broadway shows. So, when COVID brought all national and international touring to a halt, Cape Fear Community College’s arts hub found itself forced to reduce its staf size and reschedule all programming. However, although the Wilson Center is a touring house, one of the major tenets of its mission is to also serve as a laboratory for student learning.

SE North Carolina Magazine | 27

Student volunteers and interns continue to work to support the facility and its operations, and in November, Cape Fear Community College’s drama department held their production of “Animal Farm” in the downtown campus’s amphitheater, with masks and social distancing required.

“We’re always thinking about how we can adapt and fnd ways to continue our mission during this time,” says Shane Fernando, vice president of advancement and the arts. “Te week after the shutdown in March, we began our streaming Ghostlight Series, where we showcased a regional artist every day for 43 consecutive days, and the revenue from that program helped get fnancial support to those artists right away.”

Starting in June, the Wilson Center also hosted a series of drive-in concerts featuring regional artists in the student lot behind the center, as well as their Skyline Drive-In Movie Series on top of the Hanover Street Student Parking Deck. Both series featured outdoor concessions, restrooms, and ticketing and utilized short range FM signals to broadcast the sounds under the stars. Fernando says he hopes to continue these outdoor oferings in the future, and that the Wilson Center is taking things on a month-by-month basis in these uncertain times.

“We were the industry hit frst and will probably be the last to fully reopen,” says Fernando. “We’ll fgure out solutions, but our nation will not fully recover until this industry comes back because of the massive impact it has on our national and local economies. Tere’s a lot of work to do, and I hope we get through this so we can start doing what we’re meant to do.”

28 | www.sencmag.com

SE North Carolina Magazine | 29

30 | www.sencmag.com

Another local program able to endure through the shutdown was Talian Association Community Teatre (TACT). TACT held its annual youth creative arts camp over the summer at the Hannah Block Historic USO/ Community Arts Center in downtown Wilmington, welcoming 375 children over 8 weeks of camps while still following CDC recommendations. To open its youth theatre season, TACT decided to produce an original youth revue show called “Te New Normal” which highlighted how young people are reacting to all they’ve missed out on and dealing with the changing world around them. Te show combined interviews and songs and was shared on social media as well as with New Hanover County Schools. In November, the youth theatre program’s second show of the season, “Dear Edwina JR.,” featured a combination of a small live audience as well as online streaming performances.

“We’re hoping the community embraces the online streaming concept because right after Dear Edwina JR. we’re going to have our frst completely live streaming variety show called “All We Want for Christmas is You,” says Susan Habas, Talian Association Community Teatre’s executive director. “We had planned to do ‘Elf,’ but since we can’t put on a big musical, we’re going to do the next best thing and let families sit at home and watch this wonderful combination of dance numbers, short sketches, traditional Christmas carols, and show tunes — it’s going to be so much fun.”

Habas says TACT is taking the remainder of its season on a show-by-show basis, focusing on plays with smaller casts instead of big musicals, or possibly musicals without a live orchestra in order to reduce the ensemble. Instead of canceling shows, Habas plans to proceed in a limited fashion and remain optimistic for the future.

“Art will survive, so we just have to fgure out ways to do it. I’m determined to keep it going, as is our whole organization. We could have thought this is too hard and just decided to wait until next year, but we have to try to keep it going for our community, because it’s important.”

SE North Carolina Magazine | 31