The local community theater has had no sales from the performs they would generally have held this calendar year, and as a result have experienced no cash flow due to the fact their production of “Murder Ahoy” in February.
“This year has been a complicated year for all of us,” BCT claimed in a release. “We had been in the previous week of rehearsal for our children’s musical, ‘Treasure Island,’ and ended up established to open up March 20. With a solid of 30 (most of them small children), there was enjoyment in the air. Then arrived COVID and the lockdown. Soon after all the perform and expense of the musical, we experienced to terminate all performances. The little ones had been quite let down. As the lockdown ongoing, we experienced to terminate our May perhaps production of ‘Trip to Bountiful,’ our summer theater camp (established for the to start with two weeks in June), and the late summer season brief play for children.”
BCT was started off in December 1981 by a group of pals who recorded “A Xmas Carol” to be broadcast in excess of the radio. Since then, performs have been performed in different locations about Bemidji, escalating from a person display a calendar year to their pre-coronavirus lineup of 5 shows every yr, the release explained.
The group purchased its initial-ever dwelling in September 2018, the previous dwelling of E book World, in downtown Bemidji. They have given that been renovating the retail place, generating storage places, dressing rooms, a make-up area, stitching region, surroundings store and effectiveness room.
“Our previous rental stage is no for a longer time practical, so it is vital that our home has a performance room by the time we are authorized to open,” the release reported. “There are a multitude of metropolis rules that should be met to be able to have an viewers: a handicap available restroom, a handicap available dressing space, sprinkler method, numerous escape routes from all floors, etc.”
However, the firm can’t hold any fundraising gatherings because of to COVID-19 laws, in order to offset the renovation expenditures. Previously in the summer months, they held an on-line silent auction, which earned $2,468. Having said that, renovations are a good deal a lot more than that quantity, the release stated.
A GoFundMe was created in August to support increase some supplemental funds, but their aim of $25,000 is however far from currently being achieved. The GoFundMe can be found at https://gf.me/u/yp3zna.
“Any assist you could give our non-financial gain group would be significantly appreciated,” the release reported. “Hope you see you ‘on the boards’ quickly!”