Who starts something new in uncertain times like these? Well, Judson Theatre Company did. For years, Daniel Haley (Judson Theatre Company’s Artistic Director) and I had talked about how great it would be for JTC to have a smaller space than the 600-seat Owens Auditorium to perform in—as glorious as that space is, sometimes certain shows will be better served in a non-traditional space.

Our wish for the space was granted when, during Bradshaw Performing Arts Center’s renovation in 2018-19, the McPherson Theater space was created in Sandhills Community College’s Wellard Hall, just across the breezeway from Owens Auditorium, thanks to the generosity of Tom & Kathy McPherson. It’s a beautifully appointed, intimate, modern black-box space. JTC used it for rehearsals for Witness for the Prosecution in 2019. We had been rehearsing The Odd Couple (Female Version) for three days in March 2020 when the pandemic hit and we had to shut down the show.

Flash forward to 2022, and the space had been there for a few years, but hadn’t been used much, due to the shutdown. Here was an opportunity: Judson Theatre Company could present the first major production in the space.

But when? Daniel and I had both, separately, done years of summer theatre: stock, repertory, festivals…what about something like that? What about doing not just one show, but a festival of three, in the summertime? It would be something new in the Sandhills.

“Everybody’s gone in the summer,” people told us. “No one will care. No one will come. No one has heard of these shows you’re thinking of.” Plus we knew that, like a new business, any new artistic venture needs to be capitalized for at least three years if you really intend for it to catch on and become an annual event. And the constant drumbeat, “why don’t you do musicals?”

We decided the JTC Summer Theatre Festival (Oh, the agony over what to name it! We kept it simple.) would focus its first season on entertaining, exciting, contemporary shows. All three were 21st century off-Broadway hits in their Sandhills area premieres. Plus, we programmed JTC’s first two musicals.

We chose shows that were enjoyable and accessible, suitably breezy for the summer, but also with some takeaway. The first season’s shows had several common threads running through them: Gutenberg! The Musical; Buyer & Cellar; and tick, tick…BOOM!

Michael Santora (Doug) and Jacob Pressley (Bud) in ***Gutenberg! The Musical!***

Making a micro-budget work, as you have to in a smaller space, presented challenges. I made an exception to a rule I’d previously made: Buyer & Cellar was the first show I directed at JTC. In fact, I was so busy doing three shows in a row I didn’t have time to write about them here individually.

Here’s what we knew we had to have: the funds to go forward no matter what; a season of shows that had audience appeal that we knew we could produce well; and casts and creative teams who would be pleasant, professional, and prepared to get the shows done on a festival-style schedule.

The upshot of it all: Gutenberg! The Musical! and tick, tick…BOOM! basically sold out their entire runs. Buyer & Cellar consistently played to full houses. So yes, there will be a 2nd annual JTC Summer Theatre Festival in 2023.

Thanks to everyone who joined us this summer, taking a chance on a new venue, enjoying a show they might not have been familiar with…for being willing to go out and enjoy live theatre again.

Starting Something: The JTC Summer Theatre Festival

BULLET POINTS