Carson City's Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company and Wild Horse Productions back after year-long intermission
Back in February, Governor Steve Sisolak increased capacity restrictions to 35 percent or 100 individuals for public gatherings and events in Nevada. Included in these public gatherings and events were live theater performances.
Theater production companies in the Carson City area were stuck as far as scheduling performances, including Stephanie Arrigotti, who is the producer and director of the Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company.
“Even if I lose money because I can’t pack my house, and pretty much that’s what pays our bills, and they will allow me a 50 percent occupancy, I will put a show on in May,” Arrigotti said back in February regarding capacity restrictions inside playhouses.
March 15 marked even looser capacity restrictions at 50 percent for most businesses, but still continued to hinder companies like WNMTC, which holds all performances in the Bob Boldrick Theater inside of the Carson City Community Center.
“We were ready to hop on stage when we heard that capacities were raised to 50 percent,” Arrigotti said. “But learned that social distancing restrictions were still being enforced, which lowered the capacity of the theater to about 12 percent.”
According to Arrigotti, WNMTC has rescheduled their revue performance to the last weekend in August, the 27, 28, and 29. This happened when news regarding Governor Sisolak’s statewide reopening plan for 100 percent capacity was announced in April.
“We are excited about the governor's new release of social distancing restrictions on June 1,” Arrigotti said. “To celebrate our return to the stage, we have named the revue "Home Again!"
Revue rehearsals will begin promptly on Aug. 1, Arrigotti said, due to the short amount of time allotted before show time later in the month. Lead performers and dance troupes will be borrowed from previous shows in the interest of time.
WNMTC’s production of “Once Upon a Mattress” has been moved to the weekends of Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, Arrigotti said.
“We will be having auditions on Aug. 2 for anyone who would like to join the cast of ‘Once Upon a Mattress’,” Arrigotti said.
Wild Horse Productions is also busy rehearsing and scheduling shows for both summer and winter curtain draws. According to Carol Scott, executive director, three plays are planned to make a live audience debut by year’s end.
Currently, the children’s theater is in the middle of putting together a virtual performance of “This is Me” from the movie The Greatest Showman. The video will be filmed in early May in hopes of having a finished product out to the community for viewing in the weeks after, Scott said.
“Heather’s: The Musical, High School Edition” is the company’s current live on-stage project. Carol said the show is set to run two weekends, Jul. 10 and Jul. 17, at the Bob Boldrick Theater inside of the Carson City Community Center.
Additionally, Wild Horse will be performing a one day, two-show special of their production “Alice in Wonderland, Jr.” on Sunday, Aug. 1.
“I don’t know if we can be in(side) yet, but we’re just playing it by ear,” Scott said of the August play. “Right now, we’re using the outdoor stage at the Brewery Arts Center. We’re working around the Levitt festival and concerts.”
Lastly, Scott said Wild Horse hopes to hold auditions for their staging of Disney’s “Moana”. That show is projected to go live in winter 2021.
“Hopefully that (show) will be up and coming and back in the performance hall,” Scott said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed.”
Scott is hopeful that Wild Horse won’t need to worry about social distancing audience members as they find their seats in the theater come Jun. 1 when 100 percent capacity is allowed.
“We just want to get Alice in Wonderland and Heathers off the books and have the kids perform and hopefully start fresh with Moana like we usually do,” Scott said.
Ticket sales and more information on WNMTC’s production of “Once Upon a Mattress” can be found here.
More information on upcoming shows and ticket sales for Wild Horse Productions can be found here.