Mendocino Theatre Company rises again
On with the show! During its long intermission, the Mendocino Theatre Company (MTC), along with wonderful volunteers, made great use of the time to revitalize the theater in significant ways. The alterations promise a marvelous experience for audiences.
Sitting down for a play, audiences will breathe in the betterment. A new and upgraded HVAC system takes in more fresh air than before, then filters and recirculates it through added vents.
Some new lighting and repainted walls will envelop the audience and draw all eyes to the illumination on stage. The curtain that spans the top of the stage to baffle sound, after many years, was replaced with a new one. The performance space has been scrubbed clean and thoroughly refreshed.
Not only will the theater look and feel better, but it will also sound fantastic too. Mendocino Theatre is sporting a brand new sound system. Community support helped tremendously in the overall effort, and local sound engineers and musicians are to thank for the vast improvement in sound quality.
The best news arrives in January. Thanks to a matching grant from a generous donor, the theater is getting new seats. These seats are wider than before, with plush cushioning, and they will allow for more legroom. A reduction of about ten seats to accommodate
the new ones will make the place even more intimate.
The theater is a living thing and adapts to changing times. Not only was the physical space of the Mendocino Theatre renewed during the break, MTC’S Board of Directors also devoted themselves to revisiting the mission and refining goals and values. As their mission statement says, the Mendocino Theatre Company performs works that range from the “classics to the cutting edge.” The smartly designed website, mendocinotheatre.org, details their newly-stated values under the headings: collaboration, inclusion, engagement, relevance, excellence, and stewardship. MTC has always been warm
and welcoming, but as Executive Director Pamela Allen puts it, MTC will be “purposeful as it strives to be even more inclusive and reflect the community.” Audiences can expect a variety of inviting productions, with some from voices that may not often be heard or highlighted.
The first play to open the 2022 season is an excellent example of the entertaining and provocative theater that awaits Mendocino Theatre audiences. The play Eureka Day by Jonathan Spector, a comedy set in Berkeley at a private elementary school, built around the debate over mandatory vaccinations, was called by the New York Times, “…a perfect play for our age of disagreement.”
In addition to the mainstage fare, MTC is home to special events and opportunities.
Community members of all ages are invited to submit scripts for one-minute Radio plays that MTC produces and broadcasts on the local public radio station, KZYX. Submissions may be in English, Spanish, or in both languages. Plays can be heard on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. Tune in for some inspiration. Examples can also be heard on the website mendcocinotheatre.org.
A vibrant youth theater group is taking flight. Local youth involvement in MTC will be lifted by the new Youth Advisory Council
that includes high school students and is headed by Lorry Lepaule. MTC’S class for teens, Writing and Performing for the Radio, taught by Lepaule, will write and perform a full one-hour radio show at the end of the year. And two weekends in 2022 will be set aside for a youth production on the main stage where young people will act and design and produce.
The much-loved Reading Series will continue. On mid-week evenings for a small admission fee, audiences can enjoy staged readings of plays. In December, Ginny Reed will direct a reading of Tiny Beautiful Things, a stage play about an advice columnist adapted by Nia Vardalos from a book by Cheryl Strayed. Also, in December, the excellent Mendocino Dance Project will perform.
Another fantastic collaboration is the annual partnership with a local nonprofit. For 2022, the Mendocino Theatre Company will pair with Parents and Friends Incorporated, a non-profit organization in Fort Bragg that serves people with developmental disabilities.
To keep informed on the varied activities of the Mendocino Theatre Company, go to mendocinotheater.org and sign up for the email newsletter. The newsletter contains information about auditions, performances, and other news. MTC announcements can also be found in the newspaper, posters around town, and social media sites.
Tickets will remain affordable, and special offers will continue. Tickets for preview nights of new productions are sold at a reduced cost. On the second Friday of every production, folks can bring a friend for free. And make note, high school students and volunteers may arrange for special admission. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m.
While necessary, audiences can expect some COVID-19 restrictions. Masking and proof of vaccination will be required. The seating will be staggered. No eating or drinking will be allowed inside the theater, and bar service with be limited. Coping with the inconveniences will be worth it for MTC to prevail.