Starlight Community Theater

Starlight continues to shine

The company takes to Ashlock says if the company runs out of Zoom for Starlight, they’re kind of scattered,” T hrough all of COVID-19’s drama, theater patrons can still get their fix, thanks to Starlight Community TheFacebook to entertain fans By Annika Tomlin videos to post he will contribute a song or two of his own.

“I’ve considered doing something from ‘Camelot’ or something from ‘Hairspray,’ which are two completely different shows,” Ashlock says. Ashlock says. “I think they want the social interaction more than they want to practice the script, so we’re just letting that be as it is.”

“We’re mainly operating via Facebook,” theater members engaged, there are sevAges,’” Ashlock says. “We’ve had distribution says Dan Ashlock, Starlight Community Theeral others who can’t wait to hit the stage of music and scripts during the closure. ater’s artistic director. again. “Our plan once we fully open is to have

“We are doing what we call a ‘Starlight Fan “Our show ‘Radium Girl’ that was in prothese three shows go on. We may have to Video,’ where we ask our members to send in duction when we closed has been having onmake adjustments for the season that is supvideos of them singing Broadway songs and line rehearsals,” Ashlock says. “Once we’re posed to start in August.” we post one every day.” able to reopen we’re hoping that we’ll get that Starlight’s board of directors has been

Members chosen songs from musicals like show up and running within the next couple meeting regularly to discuss when the the“Into the Woods,” “Grease” and “Seussical.” of weeks.” ater will reopen and how the company will

“Absolutely my favorite part is seeing how “Charlotte’s Web” was also in mid-producproceed with rescheduling. many people are being touched by fan vidtion when the closures happened. Ashlock “Because we operate with an audience, eos,” Ashlock says. “Seeing the comments and his team keep in contact with the child when we reopen it will come down to whether from the people that are enjoying videos and cast members to rehearse online. or not people will come see live theater and really just seeing how much fun people are “With them Zooming for school, by the support us,” Ashlock says. having by watching the videos.” time they get done with that and then come to In the meantime, the company just finished its first completely digital production during the last week of May called “The Virtual Family” by Jeremy Johnson.

A third production, “Rock of Ages,” was pushed back because of the closure and will be rescheduled. ater. While Facebook videos help to keep the “Right before the closure, we cast ‘Rock of

“The play is a series of skits that show family members, pets and appliances in this day and age of quarantine, and it’s an all-ages script,” Ashlock says.

In the play, the “Virtuals” are part Griswalds, part Jetsons, with a slew of technological advances that are meant to make life easier and bring the family together. However, the family becomes more disconnected. The 11-person cast shows people that maybe technological advances aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

Ashlock and the rest of the Starlight crew hope to reopen when the time is right—and safe.

“Because we are an arts organization that relies on ticket sales, it’s really important to say that we have a lot of donors who have come forward and have been giving us money to keep going,” Ashlock says. “We are thankful for them.”

For up-to-date information about the status of Starlight Community Theater and to see more fan singing videos or the production of “The Virtual Family,” visit its Facebook page.