In March of 2020, for the first time since World War II, Florida’s oldest community theater went dark. The Gainesville Community Playhouse closed, not due to a war, but a global pandemic.
"We were literally ready to open 'Oliver!' when COVID hit," said Kathy McGlone, a GCP board member and stage manager. "We were closed from March to December. It was not pretty.”
The shutdown caused devastating financial issues for community theaters around the globe.
“We relied on ticket sales mainly, and if you don’t sell no tickets, you don’t make no money," McGlone said.
Now, GCP is back in full swing with its latest production “Ragtime: The Musical,” a story about immigration, injustice and the American dream.
Amanda Barwick, who appears in “Ragtime” as “New Rochelle” member and understudy for the role as “Mother”, expressed the joy it has been to return to live theater.
"It is really, really, really wonderful to be back in the theater kind of in the full capacity of what it was before COVID happened," she said. "There’s really nothing like putting something on a stage for an audience."
Rhonda Wilson, a director and actress who has worked with the GCP for over 20 years, agrees.
"It was pretty impactful for the arts because people didn’t see it as a necessity, so it was easy not to do it, and to cut it and to close," she said. "We depend on people coming to see shows and ticket sales and advertising sponsorships to keep the doors open."
Adapting to change
During the COVID pandemic, McGlone said the theater relied on a federal grant program known as “Save Our Theaters”.
GCP theater members experienced COVID outbreaks among cast members and crew. It lost patrons who never returned, and audience sizes were heavily reduced.
To reopen safely, the GCP had to implement a range of precautions to ensure the health and safety of everyone.
"We did small shows that only had four or five people in them," said McGlone. "We did every other seat for audiences; we sprayed things everywhere and everyone had to wear masks."
"It took a long time for audiences to come back," McGlone said. "A lot of the elderly folk’s kind of never came back, and I hate to say it, but people got into a rhythm of not watching things live."
Navigating the post-pandemic stage
Despite the challenges that the GCP has faced, it continues to make efforts to bring diverse and high-quality production to its stage.
"We try to do shows that bring in different audiences because a lot of people don’t get to see themselves," McGlone said. "Instead of being an all-white theater, which a lot of other theaters are."
The production also features actors with a large age range.
"This particular production 'Ragtime' has actually five children in it," McGlone said. "We did 'Matilda' for the holidays show, and that was considered a family production. I love it when we do productions with children in them."
One of those young actors featured in “Ragtime” is Alexander Campen, a 10-year-old, who plays Edgar.
"This show means a lot to me. It’s my favorite musical of all time,” he said.
Alexander has been watching productions at the GCP since he was 3 years old. He saw “Oliver” when the theater reopened in 2021.
"We didn’t really see a lot of shows here during COVID because of the mask situation, but we did come back,” he said.
Wilson’s connection to “Ragtime” is a long and personal one.
“My journey with ‘Ragtime’ started over 20 years ago when I saw it on Broadway," she said. "It’s a show that everyone should see or listen to or be a part of... about the American dream and social injustices and people wanting to find their place in America."
As “Ragtime” takes the stage, the GCP is celebrating its resilience after COVID-19, welcoming all audiences to watch and share powerful stories.
"Actually, this season was the first time that they didn’t have to sign the COVID waiver resolving us from the responsibility," McGlone said.
The Musical runs through April 14. For ticket info and other information, visit the GCP website.