GALION — Despite the fact that it’s been closed for more than a year, the people behind the scenes at the Galion Community Theatre (GCT) are still trying to make a difference in the local area.
The theatre was forced to shut down after the COVID-19 pandemic made its way to Ohio in March 2020. All productions and programs have been sidelined since then.
However, the theatre board has worked to provide virtual programs and opportunities for area residents to share their talents online through various performance videos, including several that were submitted for Valentine’s Day. In the April-May edition of “The Marquee” newsletter, the board announced that planning for the next season of stage productions is underway.
GCT is currently offering an opportunity for families of area high school seniors to honor their children and loved ones. The theatre kicked off its “See Your Grad’s Name in Lights” promotion earlier this month. For a minimum donation of $50, the student’s name, picture (if they choose), and a personalized message will appear on the GCT marquee May 21-23.
“In talks about trying to bring things back and make sure that we’re ready and safe for audience members to come back and see a full-length production, we’ve been coming up with ideas for other ways we can give back to the community,” said board member Beth Anne Jarvis. “We have such great real estate with that bright marquee and that great location in Uptowne Galion, that we thought it would be nice to give an opportunity to celebrate and congratulate the seniors in our local area that have worked so hard during this difficult time to graduate.”
Jarvis said people can call the theatre at 419-468-2662 to register their student’s name or access the registration form under the “Donate” tab on the theatre’s website www.galiontheatre.org. The form can also be accessed via the Galion Community Theatre Facebook page.
Jarvis said children and youth have played a significant role in various productions at Galion Community Theatre.
“Encouraging youth involvement and supporting the schools and arts for the younger demographic here in our area is part of our mission here at the theatre,” Jarvis said. “We want to make sure that our theatre is available to educate and entertain and involve people of all ages and all backgrounds. We’ve done several productions in the past couple of years that have been solely focused on youth. We’ve done a handful of productions for those aged 10 to 20, so we’ve really focused on putting younger folks in the spotlight and giving them the opportunity to grow and expand their knowledge of theatre and performing arts.”
Galion Community Theatre received a big boost financially earlier this year in the form of a $21,417 grant from the Community Foundation for Crawford County through the CARES Act funding made available by the Crawford County Commissioners that will help replace some of the income GCT lost for not being open.
