I am constantly blown away by the generosity and support of this town. Two weeks ago, we at ACT of CT opened our production of SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE. This is the first show of our fourth season, but even more significant is the fact that this production is the first show back in a “real season” of shows! After 18 months of opening and closing (and opening again), and livestreaming, and 50% audience capacity (and then no audience capacity) – it FINALLY seems that we are truly back for real.
Before each show begins, I always give a curtain speech to our audiences: welcoming all to the theater, talking a bit about the show, and announcing our upcoming productions. When I walk out onto the stage to give the curtain speech and I see our theater filled with an actual audience (albeit a masked one), I am overwhelmed with so many emotions.
The fact that ACT of CT is not one of the hundreds of regional theaters that will never have the opportunity to reopen is not lost on me. The sad truth is, an extraordinary number of theaters across the country were not able to weather the storm and will not reopen their doors. Ever. Their financial loss was too great; sponsors pulled out, donations dried up, federal grant money was limited, and audiences didn’t return.
For a theater as young as ACT of CT is, it is actually sort of miraculous that we survived and that our future is a bright one. And that is 100% because of this community. We live in a town where the arts are considered vital to a thriving society. Ridgefield was recently designated Connecticut’s first Cultural District – an incredible and important honor for our town. The arts are a huge economic driver for Ridgefield, and this designation increases visibility on the state level.
The residents of Ridgefield don’t just talk about all of the wonderful art and culture in town, they take action to support it. They buy tickets to shows, they buy season packages, they share social media posts promoting events, they attend galas, they donate to campaigns, they advertise in playbills, they introduce friends to the theater. Even during the pandemic when the majority of our programming was remote, our patrons supported our livestream and virtual events. Simply put, this community understands that art and culture can change lives. Theater sparks important conversations. It is a communal experience. We can all sit together in a theater and watch a play or a musical and escape, or celebrate, or laugh, or be moved to tears - despite any of our differences. That is the magic of live theater.
And the Ridgefield audiences don’t disappoint! The cast feels so incredibly embraced, respected, admired, and supported. The actors at ACT of CT come to Ridgefield from NYC, often with multiple Broadway credits. They’ve performed on Broadway for hundreds of thousands of people. Yet each and every time that we close a show here at ACT, our actors and musicians always leave the theater with the same comment, “Please cast me in another show here! Ridgefield is the best!”.
So, when you sit in the audience watching a show here at ACT of CT, know that your presence, your laughter, your applause, and your trust in us does not go unnoticed. We see you and thank you. It is because of you that we are able to journey on.
Daniel C. Levine
Artistic Director, ACT of CT
SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE runs through October 24th (with performances on Thursdays at 2pm & 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 2pm & 8pm, Sundays at 2pm). Purchase tickets here.