“Drama – what literature does at night.” – George Jean Nathan
Foothills Playhouse is open for public performances!
When Governor Henry McMaster closed performing arts venues on March 15th, Foothills Playhouse was 3 shows into a 9 show run of “Anne of Green Gables”. So in a blink … they went dark – and their stage remained dark until October 2nd, when they opened, “The Game’s Afoot”.
Derrick Pindroh, Foothills Executive Artistic Director says, "It was a long, trying, 7 ½ months. At first, we, like most people, thought it was going to be a 2 week closure. As the days, weeks, and months passed – we started getting very concerned. As a Community Theatre, if we don’t have a show on the stage, we have basically no source of revenue. Being a small, non-profit with only 2 part time paid staff … we were wondering how we would make payroll and keep the lights on, and doors ready to be opened to the public."
Then on July 29th the Governor announced the partial opening of arts venues. Pindroh says, "we were pumped! Even with the “50% or 250 – whichever was less” – rule in play … we knew we were going to be able to stage and open our show in October. We implemented a lot of safety protocols to keep our cast and crew safe, as well as to give safety and peace of mind to our patrons."
Pindroh's list of safety measures doesn't miss a beat:
"We socially distanced our rehearsals, and encouraged cast members to wear masks while interacting on stage. This was with the understanding that as the time for opening got closer, so would the actors. All cast and crew had their temperatures taken by thermal-scan upon entry to the theatre for rehearsals. If anyone would have scanned 100.4 or above – they would not have been allowed into the theatre. We purchased a hand-held fogger to use to disinfect the stage between rehearsals. All cast and backstage crew had a COVID test 10 days prior to opening night. In cooperation with the South Carolina Theatre Association, bioPure came in and did a complete cleanses and detox of our theatre (free of charge to us). We socially distanced our seats to accommodate the 50% mandate … and left 2 empty seats between each pair of seats. If families or groups want to slide together during the show, that is permissible – as long as the 2 seat buffer remains between them and other patrons. All patrons must wear masks upon entry to the theatre. If they do not have one, we have free ones provided to us by The United Way that they can use. They also must have their temperature scan taken, with the same 100.4 threshold in place. We have hand sanitizing stations at all exits … and we are only selling canned drinks and water for concessions. We use the fogger to disinfect all seats and common areas between shows."
Despite the fact that they've had to limit their audience size, Pindroh who is also the director of their current show, "The Game's Afoot" says, "The response to the show has been amazing. People have missed getting out and enjoying live theatre, and they tell us how glad they are that we have been able to open. We have received a glowing review from Lou Buttino at Carolina Curtain Call … and could not be more pleased with this show."
WHO: Foothills Playhouse
WHAT: The Game's Afoot (A Sherlock Holmes inspired murder mystery!)
WHERE: Easley Foothills Playhouse
WHERE: 201 S. 5th Street, Easley, SC
WHEN: This weekend! Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 pm
Sunday matinee at 3:00 pm!