Goal #19 - Theatre Revived

Goal #19: Attend a show at Ethington Theatre (the theatre at my alma mater) when it re-opens.

Ethington Theatre Class of 2006

Imagine being a theatre major and having your program cut your senior year. Imagine trying to finish your degree with no upper-level theatre classes available, no plays to act in and bills for outrageously expensive private tuition still taunting you whilst you complete your theatre degree with substitute classes that have nothing to do with craft you so dearly love. 

Now imagine sitting with the opening-night audience as the lights come up for the first time in four years to illuminate the stage that was your home for countless productions. The play starts and people are again enjoying the delightful work of Ethington Theatre.

In case you can't imagine, I'll tell you: It was thrilling.

Last night, I had the joy of attending the grand re-opening of Ethington Theatre. The featured production was The Pirates of Penzance, which is a show that had been near and dear to the heart of this theatre for decades. What made this performance so special (besides the obvious fact that it was the re-opening) was that there were eight alumni actors joining the cast of new students. The guest performers included two actors who reprised their original roles from the 1997 production.

The cast was wonderful. The costumes were wonderful. The choreography was wonderful. The whole experience of seeing my old "home" revived was just all around wonderful.

The last production before Ethington closed in 2006: The Robber Bridegroom. I played Raven (pictured far left).