ESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) – A Delta County theater company and arts institution are rising from the ashes.
As TV6 previously reported,
a lightning fire damaged the Bonifas Arts Center last month. It devastated the theater where the Players de Noc and other organizations had performed for decades.
But Monday, more than 100 Delta County youth tried out for a Missoula Children’s Theatre production. The only thing that changed for the kids was that instead of going to auditions at the Bonifas’ theater, they headed to Bay College’s Escanaba Campus.
“The Bonifas has been doing Missoula for at least 25-30 years,” Bonifas Arts Center Events & Rental Coordinator Mariah Lee said. “It’s very exciting. The kids look forward to it every year.”
But when the
fire
destroyed the theater in May, organizers questioned whether the show would go on.
“You can imagine how we would be reeling after a night filled with fire trucks and smoke and water,” Players de Noc Technical Director Jamie Peterson said.
Then, Peterson got a phone call.
“It was less than 12 hours from the time the initial fire call came in before Bay College was on the phone with me saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a home for you if you need it,’” Peterson said.
College staff say making sure the curtain continues to rise for the Players and the Bonifas was a no-brainer.
“It’s so important to keep the ball rolling with things like community theater,” Campus Events Technician Scott Breault said. “It’s one of the events that happen in a community that brings people together. It brings families together. It brings friends together.”
And it brings kids together.
“It lets them meet kids throughout the experience,” Lee said. “It’s just a really fun experience. It really teaches confidence in kids. It really gets them out of their shell. The fact that we could keep doing it again this year was really great.”
This year’s Missoula Children’s Theatre production is “Treasure Island.” The young actors will put on two performances Saturday at the Besse Theater. The curtain will rise at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Players de Noc plans to start its season on the Besse stage mid-September, but it will be shorter.
“Players de Noc is going to cut one of the shows off of its normal season,” Peterson said. “Just because it gets a little tough scheduling at Bay College around graduation time.”
The longtime member of the theater group says it’s the “all hands on deck” season.
“To recover from this fire, to work in a new space, we’re going to need all the volunteers we can get,” Peterson said. “If you’ve never been a part of Players and you’re interested in learning what we’re about and being a part of that family, keep an eye on our
social media
. We’re going to be announcing auditions before you know it. We need hands everywhere, costumes, set, makeup, sound, everything.”
Peterson says he hopes to know a time frame in July for when the theater will reopen. The arts center plans to
reopen
its galleries July 11.
To purchase tickets for Saturday’s performance of “Treasure Island,” click
here
. Tickets are $10, but kids ages five and under get in free.
To donate to the Players de Noc to help support fire recovery efforts, construction and replacing
equipment
and props, click
here
.
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