Paris Community Theatre is excited for the season’s first MainStage show of “Epic Proportions,” and masks strongly encouraged and proof of vaccine not required.
“I know for myself especially,” said Sarah Stogner-Dickinson, Paris Community Theatre’s Artistic Director, “I’ve done theatre pretty much every day of my life since I was three. I’ve never really taken a break from it for longer than a month, so a year (away) was really unfathomable.”
Paris Community Theatre’s 2020 season was nonexistent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Stogner-Dickinson compared starting the 2021 season to restarting a car “that’s been sitting in the driveway for a year untouched.
“It just took a little elbow grease from everybody involved to get things up and running again. But I know all of us cannot wait to be back up on that stage again in front of an audience,” Stogner-Dickinson said. “It’s been so long for all of us that it’s like relearning old muscle memory.”
Stogner-Dickinson said her favorite part of the upcoming show “Epic Proportions” is the energy the actors bring the table. She said the show alone is “lively and funny.” However, “when the lights go down and it’s time for notes we’re all collaborating on how to make things better, telling jokes to liven the mood. It’s really nice to hear the theatre filled with laughter every night.
“Everybody is so unique in the way they bring their characters to life, and this play really allows us to be as over the top as possible,” she said. “We started practicing really early on for this show, and I think usually by this point we would all be so tired of the show and of one another, but we all have a great sense of humor and camaraderie.”
The theatre wanted to thank businesses and people who sponsored the upcoming show or donated to them throughout the pandemic.
Sponsors of the show include:
- First Federal Community Bank;
- Lamar National Bank;
- Malnory McNeal & Co.;
- First Federal Community Bank; and
- Young Title Co.
“And if I listed every individual person who donated to us during that time, it would take up a whole page, but we wouldn’t be here without those people; they truly went above and beyond to help us at a time when everything was uncertain,” Stogner-Dickinson said. “Our patrons and supporters are an invaluable part of this organization, they make all the broken lights and paint on my clothes worth it.”
At this time, Paris Community Theatre is not requiring masks nor proof of vaccines for its patrons. However, masks are “strongly encouraged … but not required.
“However all of our ushers and concession workers will be masked and gloved, and the theatre is fully cleaned and sanitized before every show to ensure the safety of our audience and actors,” she said. “We definitely understand that some of our patrons were disappointed by our decision to mandate vaccines …”
Tickets for the upcoming shows – Oct. 28-30 and Nov. 4-6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees on Oct. 31 and Nov. 7 at 2:30p.m. – are $15 for adults and $12 for senior/students. The theatre also offers a season pass option at $50, which allows patrons the ability to see every show during the season at a discounted rate. Season passes are discounted through the run of “Epic Proportions.” Ticket are available on Paris Community Theatre’s website here, by calling the box office to reserve tickets at 903-784-0259. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office, the day of the show.
“I’m of the opinion that all of our seats are good seats, but the best place to soak up the action is in our center section towards the front,” Stogner-Dickinson said. “This show has a way of making you feel like you’re a part of the cast, no matter where you’re sitting. “
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