Freeport Theatre Festival opens 31st season Friday with pandemic safety protocols in place
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The curtain will go up at the Freeport Theatre Festival for a 31st year.
This season, there will be noticeable changes at the summer barn theater. Because of the coronavirus pandemic the Allegheny Township theater will seat fewer people. The usual meet-and-greet sessions with actors won’t be taking place.
“We are thrilled to once again offer live theater,” said Marushka Steele, who co-owns the theater with husband Rennick Steele. “We’ve made all the necessary adjustments with health and safety guidelines in place, because we want people to feel safe when they come here.”
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Now playing
The opening performance is “The Grimsby Lads,” a show inspired by the folk song, written by Rennick Steele and directed by Jennifer Bronder.
Performances are at 7 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from July 10 through July 26.
The “Grimsby Lads” is a drama about two fishing families from Grimsby, England. It takes place between 1977 and 1982 during the Cod War with Iceland and the Falkland Islands War. It’s set on the North Sea and in the South Atlantic Ocean.
“We are thrilled to be working with Jennifer as director,” Marushka Steele said.”She is fantastic, and this show will be wonderful. We can’t wait. The arts bring people together. The arts give people peace and a human connection. Seeing a live show is wonderful.”
Bronder, of Tarentum, said she was thrilled to direct the show.
“There is such good energy here,” she said. “There is music and there is dancing and singing, and I think the audience will love it. They’ve been missing live theater.”
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Bronder said the cast is well-established and many have worked in past shows at the Freeport Theatre Festival.
Cast well-established
The cast includes Anne Lindsay, of Sarver, Brenden Smith, of Verona , Jim Knapick, of Saxonburg, Samuel Thinnes, of Saxonburg, Mike Firek, of Vandergrift, and Dave Ross, of Vandergrift. There’s also Darrell C. Milstead, of New Kensington,Mike Huston, of Tarentum, Lisa Camerlo, of Freeport , Dan Ullrich, of Allegheny Township, Dave Ross, of Vandergrift, and Kasey Rose Brendlinger, of Sarver.
Marushka Steele said once the area moved to the green phase by Gov. Tom Wolf, she and her husband were overjoyed to open the theater.
They’ve taken the time to work out social distancing by selling tickets for 50% capacity. Patrons will be taken to their seats one party at a time. The center aisle will be used for entering, the side aisles used for exits.
Masks are required. Bottled water will be available. Armrests will be sanitized after every performance. There will be specific traffic patterns.
Actors have had their temperatures taken and been wearing masks while rehearsing and they’ve been keeping the barn door to the theater open.
Rennick Steele said he came up with the idea to write the play when he was in an English pub and patrons told him about a folk singer and the song “The Grimsby Lads.” He said it was a haunting song that stayed with him.
“I love this story because it’s about the human condition,” Rennick Steele said. “For me, it’s a family story.”
Upcoming shows
The second show in the summer lineup is “Baboon,” a story about the origin of life — the Marx Brothers meet Gilbert and Sullivan, written and directed by Rennick Steele, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Aug. 14-30.
The season will wrap up with “President Arthur’s Inspiration,” a historical drama about the 21st president of the U.S., Chester Arthur, after the assassination of President James Garfield. It will be performed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 11-27. It was written and directed by Mike Firek.
Tickets are $15 and reservations are mandatory.
The Freeport Theatre Festival is located at The Steele Farm, 2498 White Cloud Road, Allegheny Township
Details: 724-295-1934