By John MacDonald
By John Macdonald
As I sit in my dinning room writing this note about what we have all experienced over the past year, I am thinking about venturing out on this lovely spring day to catch the warmth of the sun and taking in the smells of spring.
However, I know that we are still in a pandemic and some are still struggling to put food on the table and some are wondering if they will be able to pay their mortgage this month. The reality is that we are still hurting and some have not seen their families in over a year.
When we stop and think about what so many have had to endure, I know that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. For example, I have noticed more and more residents venturing out to restaurants and some are traveling outside their comfort zones.
However, now I would like to talk about one industry that is still struggling and that is the live performance venues. It’s been a tough road for so many local theatres trying to stay afloat. Doors have closed, the lights are off and the stages are motionless. The sounds of your favorite tenor or your glass shattering soprano have been muted and the applause we all so ache for have become a distant memory.
I cannot speak for large performance venues like the Paramount in Rutland or the Claremont Opera House in Claremont, I can only speak for the small community theatre venue I am involved in. The Springfield Community Players have had their share of difficult times. As the oldest community theater in the state of Vermont, the Players have been through several national crises and the collapse of businesses that devastated their small town starting back in the late ‘70s.
Over the years the Springfield Community Players have had the fortunate opportunity to have a strong committed membership. As an all-volunteer organization, the members have worked hard year after year to bring quality live Broadway style performances to the stage since 1920, entertaining families from Springfield and beyond. Please understand that the Players also work hard behind the scenes. They maintain a building, their property, and they find ways to bring in money to support the organization year after year. Because of the dedication of those volunteers, we have been able to survive yet another tragedy in our history.
Last year was so difficult for everyone and for us, we have tried to change and alter our direction and renew our commitment to our community. We know and understand that we are not able to reach out to everyone, and we are doing our best to continue to find new ways to make families laugh during these difficult times.
As 2021 begins to show signs of life for the theatre industry, the theatre is now struggling to understand the new normal. Most theatres are struggling financially because the money is not there to make the required changes to the theatre. For those who have the understanding of grant writing are now tasked to compete for state funding. What I have noticed is that the small non-profit community theaters are grabbing for money that is just not there to grab. A grant for $2000.00 only scratches the surface and doesn’t fix the issues most of us are attempting to address.
The Springfield Community Players are working out a strategy to open its doors for the 2021 season. Our first show will be “Marjorie Prime.” Rehearsals will be starting in June and performances are scheduled for August 2021, this will be followed by the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee: The Musical with performances in November. Our audiences will be determined by the state of Vermont and their guidelines. This will be a shortened season because we just don’t know what this pandemic will bring. However, we are working hard to make sure our patrons will once again be able to join us and celebrate live community theatre and this is where we need to reach out to all of our families, friends and patrons who support us. We are now asking you to come out and support this legendary theatre. The Springfield Community Players is alive and well and we are asking you to join us! We want you! When you hear our promotions on the radio, or when you read the article in your local paper, or when you see an announcement on Facebook, pick up the phone and call us and make your reservation to join us in celebrating our theatre once again. Go online and purchase your ticket, we want to see you and our actors want to entertain you once again.
Now more than ever your local community theatres need you. We need you to join us in the theatres once again. We have determined that it will take approximately three years for the Springfield Community Players to recover from this pandemic. We are strong and resilient like so many other businesses and now we need to fill our seats. Our success relies on our patrons who support us by attending our performances and for this we are extremely grateful.
The Springfield Community Players is located at 165 South St. in Springfield, Vt., and reservations for performances can be made online at springfieldcommunityplayers.org/tickets or by calling the ticket box office at (802) 885-4098.
John MacDonald is president of the Springfield Community Players.
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