In these pandemic times, Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret wanted to send a message to its patrons and arts lovers all over the region.
Visitors to the website of the Greenwood theater’s performing arts space are greeted by the words, “Sometimes… A live musical performance is just the right medicine for the heart and soul.”
Live arts have been missing since the pandemic forced lockdowns throughout the community. But the chance to see a show may be on the horizon.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Stage to Screen, the southside’s only dinner theater and a major presence in the area’s performing arts scene, has announced a plan to reopen this summer.
Organizers have completely revamped the theater configuration to encourage safe social distancing, created an entirely new lineup of shows featuring at most four performers on stage at a time, and outlined safety precautions to keep patrons and performers safe.
At a time when music, theater, dance and other arts are shuttered indefinitely during the pandemic, Stage to Screen hopes that its abundant precautions allow it to survive, said Chris Tompkins, executive director of Stage to Screen.
“We are one of a very few live theater venues that will even have the opportunity to open this year, potentially all the way up to 2021,” Tompkins said. “There has been a significant financial investment in this whole thing. I don’t take that lightly, in any way, shape or form. Before just throwing in the towel, we thought, let’s really get creative and rethink this, with the understanding that we have to follow these guidelines and mandates.”
Stage to Screen opened its doors in August 2018 in a small space just south of the Old Town Greenwood area. Tompkins, a Johnson County native who has worked in Las Vegas and for cruise lines organizing live performances, envisioned a place where people could get performing arts instruction in musical theater, vocals, dance and other disciplines, as well as see professional cabaret theater throughout the year.
The model transitioned to more of dinner-and-a-show in early 2019, responding to the feedback they heard from audience members and the lack of a dinner theater establishment in the area. The dinner theater was popular, but the growth was limited by the existing space.
With the backing of investors Dorothy and Bob Rynard Sr. of southside Indianapolis, the theater was able to move into its current space in N as Motown and the best of Broadway, Big Band shows and solo cabaret nights, with good reception from the public, Tompkins said.
The COVID-19 pandemic ground that momentum to a stop.
Tompkins has spent the past two months working with others involved in the Indianapolis arts scene on ways to survive the crisis. He has participated in weekly online meetings from the Indiana Arts Council, and is a member of the Arts & Culture COVID-19 Recovery Task Force organized by the state.
When Gov. Eric Holcomb released his executive order defining what businesses would have to do to reopen, Tompkins found that Stage to Screen had the ability and flexibility to comply.
“We are fortunate because we don’t have fixed seating, like theater rows. So we have the ability to move our chairs and seating arrangements very easily, so that’s one of the gifts we have in our favor,” he said. “Another one is, we don’t do booked shows, so we could adjust to social distancing guidelines as well.”
Each show will have at most 100 patrons, with tables spread out throughout the audience area to ensure safe distancing. Patrons will be required to wear face masks coming into or moving around the theater, though they will be able to take them off once at their seats.
Public areas, tables, chairs, restrooms and other areas of the theater will be sanitized daily and between each scheduled show performance. A paperless ticketing process will negate the need for bringing physical tickets.
Parties of one to four people under the same reservation can be seated together on a first come, first seated basis. Parties of five or more people under the same reservation will have pre-assigned table seating. Those parties will receive a table number at the box office check-in, and then proceed directly into the theater to the assigned table.
For the cast, protections have been put in place such as limiting shows to four cast members, health screenings before each performance, dressing areas modified to encourage social distancing, and altered stage logistics to keep cast members at least 6 feet apart at all times.
Those requirements made it necessary to come up with new shows for the rest of the year, Tompkins said.
“We’ve had to totally come up with new shows, but we’re at least able to move forward with musical revues, because we’re not set to having 35 people in a cast,” Tompkins said. “We had to be proactive in our thinking — what kind of shows could we come up with that we can do, create a good entertainment value with four people. What does that look like, what does that feel like.”
The first show will be “Judy, Bette, Barbara and Me,” a celebration of Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Barbara Streisand which opens on June 18. Future shows are slated to focus on duets such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton or the Carpenters, and pop superstars such as Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow and Stevie Wonder.
Officials have created a permanent set that will be part of the stage that enhances the visual appearance of the shows while helping ensure the cast stays sufficiently far apart, Tompkins said.
The dinner part of the theater’s offering has been put on hold, with hopes to be able to start serving dinner by December. But that’s not a guarantee, Tompkins said.
Even with all of the changes, Stage to Screen has received overwhelming feedback and support for the altered season. People seem to want entertainment, and they want to make sure the theater is still around even once the pandemic is through, Tompkins said.
“The response I’ve been getting has been absolutely heartwarming. The number of people who are so excited we are coming back, the number of people who want to see us succeed,” he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret
What: A theater offering professional song-and-dance productions.
Where: 916 E. Main St., Greenwood
2020 Legends Series: In order to adapt to new guidelines and regulations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the theater has altered its 2020 schedule of shows. The new slate includes the following performances:
"Judy, Bette, Barbara and Me" — a tribute to Judy Garland, Bette Midler and Barbara Streisand; opens June 8
"Famous Duets" — the music of duets such as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, the Carpenters and more; opens July 9
"Kings of Pop" — celebrating the music of Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie and more; opens Aug. 6
"Divas of Soul" — the songs of Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and more; opens Sept. 10
"Broadway’s Best Composers" — remembering the songs of Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rogers & Hammerstein, and more; opens Oct. 8
"Hollywood Holiday" — holiday classics from the silver screen; opens Nov. 27
When to buy tickets: The website will be updated in the coming days, and the box office opens on Monday
Information: cateredcabaret.com
[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret precautions taken in response to the COVID-19 crisis:
For patrons
- The maximum patron capacity will be 100 persons per show and may vary by performance.
- The theater’s public areas, tables, chairs, restrooms, etc., will be sanitized daily and between each scheduled show performance.
- New table seating configuration will provide for adequate social distancing in the showroom.
- All patrons required to wear a facial mask when coming into and/or moving about the theater.
- Once seated, patrons may remove their facial masks if they would like to do so as the theater will be following social distancing seating mandates.
- When arriving to the theater, patrons donning facial masks will proceed to the box office and check-in via our paperless ticketing process. There will be no need to bring paper tickets as they will not be required or used.
- After check-in, patrons will be directed to enter the theater’s showroom.
- There is to be no congregating in the lobby with anyone other than members of your own party.
- Parties of one to four persons under the same reservation can be seated together on a first come, first seated basis.
- Parties of five or more persons under the same reservation will have pre-assigned table seating. Said parties will receive a table number at box office check-in.
- Patrons need to ensure they thoroughly wash their hands after using the restroom.
Cast
- The maximum cast capacity is four artists per show until further notice.
- When arriving to the theater, health screening prior to each performance.
- Cast members will be required to proceed to their assigned dressing room areas, which have been modified to provide adequate spacing for social distancing.
- While on stage, artists will be staged to allow for a minimum of 6 feet between each member throughout each performance.
Dinner service
- There will not be any dinner services until the theater’s 2020 holiday show.
Beverage and snack service
- There will be beverage (sodas, water, beer, wine, mixed drinks) and light snacks available for purchase at the lobby bar.
- Patrons are to adhere to social distancing guidelines of 6 feet when waiting at the bar.
— Information from Stage to Screen Catered Cabaret
[sc:pullout-text-end]
