Dear Stage Left Family,
8/7/2020
Our little-theatre-company-that-could was founded way back in 2009. Back then it was just me and a couple of my friends doing improv in a conference center in Surfside. We have come a long way since then. Over the years we have endured long hours, our first audiences of twelve people (on a good night), pratfalls, sold out shows, hurricanes, standing ovations, economic ups and downs, and many laughs, tears, and smiles. They say that nothing worth doing is easy and opening a theatre company definitely hasn’t been easy. And 2020 has proven itself to be the hardest year yet.
I’m going to be completely honest with you.
This year has been tough on all of us. This pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. Like many people, my life has been directly affected by the virus. In addition to friends and extended family that have contracted the virus, I also became ill a month and half ago. And, while I have since recovered, I am still struggling with the lasting effects on my lungs. Therefore, I am hyper aware that this virus is nothing to play with. The safety of our company members and our audiences is a huge concern for both Amber and myself.
Our current theatre is very small. If you have been there then you know. It would be physically impossible to socially distance ourselves inside our theatre and have more than four people present. So, that is not an option. We have spent many a sleepless night trying to find a way to safely produce shows and keep our company active. We have explored streaming, outdoor performances, drive thru theatre, and other wild and creative ideas to safely produce shows. We’ve worked hard to come up with a solution but ultimately none of those options will allow us to produce shows that are safe, cost effective, and up to the caliber that our patrons and our company members expect.
This all sounds like bad news but, what does it mean?
Long story short: We will be postponing our operations until at least 2021.
Our production of DeathTrap which was rescheduled for later this month will be indefinitely postponed.
If you have purchased tickets to that show, you will be able to redeem those credits to any show when we reopen in 2021. You may request a refund if you wish. But (again, being completely honest) I would ask you to consider your ticket a donation. If everyone requests a refund, we will be forced to close. We understand that times are hard financially for everyone so if you need your refund, you can request it by emailing info@stagelefttheatremb.com with your order number and we will get the funds back to you as soon as we can.
If you are reading this and wondering “How can I help?” then, I have good news for you.
The most direct way to help is to donate to our “Be A Star” Campaign. By donating at least $50 you will receive a star with your name on it on our sponsor wall. It is a chance to show your support for Stage Left when we need it the most. You may also donate anonymously. Information is available on our website.
We are also working on more fundraisers for the fall including possible streams of old performances and more. So, sign up for our email and Facebook if you haven’t already.
I want to thank everyone who has supported our company through the years. I know I speak for all of our actors and volunteers, as well as Amber and the whole McCann family, when I say that you have changed our lives.
They say that nothing worth doing is easy. Opening a theatre company wasn’t easy. Growing as much as we have hasn’t been easy. And surviving this pandemic will not be easy. But even after eleven years, almost fifty shows, and tens of thousands of audience members (yes, really!) I still know that this is worth doing.
Finally, I would just like to say, see you soon. And I mean it.
Love you all,
Garrett McCann
Assistant Artistic Director
Stage Left Theatre Company
I’m going to be completely honest with you.
This year has been tough on all of us. This pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives. Like many people, my life has been directly affected by the virus. In addition to friends and extended family that have contracted the virus, I also became ill a month and half ago. And, while I have since recovered, I am still struggling with the lasting effects on my lungs. Therefore, I am hyper aware that this virus is nothing to play with. The safety of our company members and our audiences is a huge concern for both Amber and myself.
Our current theatre is very small. If you have been there then you know. It would be physically impossible to socially distance ourselves inside our theatre and have more than four people present. So, that is not an option. We have spent many a sleepless night trying to find a way to safely produce shows and keep our company active. We have explored streaming, outdoor performances, drive thru theatre, and other wild and creative ideas to safely produce shows. We’ve worked hard to come up with a solution but ultimately none of those options will allow us to produce shows that are safe, cost effective, and up to the caliber that our patrons and our company members expect.
This all sounds like bad news but, what does it mean?
Long story short: We will be postponing our operations until at least 2021.
Our production of DeathTrap which was rescheduled for later this month will be indefinitely postponed.
If you have purchased tickets to that show, you will be able to redeem those credits to any show when we reopen in 2021. You may request a refund if you wish. But (again, being completely honest) I would ask you to consider your ticket a donation. If everyone requests a refund, we will be forced to close. We understand that times are hard financially for everyone so if you need your refund, you can request it by emailing info@stagelefttheatremb.com with your order number and we will get the funds back to you as soon as we can.
If you are reading this and wondering “How can I help?” then, I have good news for you.
The most direct way to help is to donate to our “Be A Star” Campaign. By donating at least $50 you will receive a star with your name on it on our sponsor wall. It is a chance to show your support for Stage Left when we need it the most. You may also donate anonymously. Information is available on our website.
We are also working on more fundraisers for the fall including possible streams of old performances and more. So, sign up for our email and Facebook if you haven’t already.
I want to thank everyone who has supported our company through the years. I know I speak for all of our actors and volunteers, as well as Amber and the whole McCann family, when I say that you have changed our lives.
They say that nothing worth doing is easy. Opening a theatre company wasn’t easy. Growing as much as we have hasn’t been easy. And surviving this pandemic will not be easy. But even after eleven years, almost fifty shows, and tens of thousands of audience members (yes, really!) I still know that this is worth doing.
Finally, I would just like to say, see you soon. And I mean it.
Love you all,
Garrett McCann
Assistant Artistic Director
Stage Left Theatre Company
Looking to help? Check out this article from Theatremania about the impact of COVID-19 on small theatre companies.
"This is a devastating blow to Broadway, and it is going to be even worse for smaller not-for-profit theater companies off- and off-off-Broadway, which regularly produce high-quality shows on shoestring budgets. But there is something you can do to help them:
Donate your ticket purchase to the theater. While all of the companies canceling and postponing runs of shows have plans to refund your ticket price, you can help them get back on their feet by opting out of a refund and letting the theater keep the proceeds as a donation."
"This is a devastating blow to Broadway, and it is going to be even worse for smaller not-for-profit theater companies off- and off-off-Broadway, which regularly produce high-quality shows on shoestring budgets. But there is something you can do to help them:
Donate your ticket purchase to the theater. While all of the companies canceling and postponing runs of shows have plans to refund your ticket price, you can help them get back on their feet by opting out of a refund and letting the theater keep the proceeds as a donation."
Photography by Kathy Kenney
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