Linda Schaefer, president of the Marathon Community Theater Board, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about an ongoing fundraiser.
The Raise the Roof campaign for the theater is still going on – a new roof is needed in order to keep the theater going.
Schaefer said, “We are just about at the halfway point, we are at 127,000. Unfortunately, it’s going to be at least 225,000, so we are still working hard. We have found a roofing company who is getting ready to start on May 27 and we’ve signed the contract. We’re getting ready to sign for a loan, so our big concern at this point is we have enough to get started, but we’re not going to be able to do that with the loan unless we can generate enough funds to pay the loan. So we are taking a leap of faith and hoping that everybody will continue to support us so that we can take care of the roof and be able to keep putting out our shows because we’re ready for our next season.”
We are currently in the 81st season for the Marathon Community Theater and an upcoming show will be The Siegel.
Schaefer said, “I’m co-directing with Brian Witte, and Dale Coburn, and my husband, John Schaefer, is playing the dad in this show. Alex Rickert, the editor of the Weekly in Marathon, is our main character, Ethan and Ethan has some interesting ideas. He has not been dating Alice for the last two years, but suddenly he wants to marry her. So it’s very, very funny and very quirky, and we have 13 scenes in the space of about 90 minutes. So it’s a very quick show. It’s a lot of fun. It’s really a great show, and Karen Shotwell plays the mom of Alice, and my husband plays the dad, and Karen was in every single show last season and she is so versatile and vibrant. It’s just so much fun to watch.”
When did rehearsals start?
Schaefer said, “We started about three months ago, but we told our actors, come in off book, which means you know all of your lines, and every single person came in like 95% ready. So it’s been a lot of fun.”
Michael Stapleford of KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM pointed out, “The Marathon Community Theater, it can’t be overstated, what an opportunity it presents for talent in our area. I’ve seen it whereby the cast thoroughly enjoys being involved in performing, the crew does a fantastic job, the directors, the producers and then the audience certainly are the beneficiaries of it.”
Schaefer said, “It’s 100% volunteer. So whenever you’re there, these are people that work all day every day. My husband’s getting ready to retire from the post office after 20 years in Marathon, 37 years altogether and you’re doing that all day out on the street, and then you’re there all night for rehearsals. So that’s real dedication.”
The Marathon Cinema is doing a classic movie week this week.
Schaefer said, “We have Little Shop of Horrors, we have Goonies, we have Shawshank Redemption. We have all different kinds of classic movies this week.”
The Tourist Development Council also helps support the Marathon Community Theater.
Schaefer said, “TDC is always an organization that supports us, and every season, we put out new T shirts that has our entire season on them, and TDC supports that and also our play bills. So we write that grant every year, and we’re very fortunate to be able to support them as well by including their logo and everything on what we put out.”
Stapleford said, “I’m going to take the occasion again to please ask our listeners to show their support for Tourist Development Council, as the Florida Senate will take up two bills that could mean the disbanding of the TDC by the end of this year. So contact Ana Maria Rodriguez for that important issue.”
Schaefer said, “I will mention that next year, our plans for the next season, we’re going to bring back Rocky Horror Picture Show. We skipped a year, but we’re hoping to bring that back. Then we’re going to do Wizard of Oz and The Odd Couple and Little Shop of Horrors, and then Wait Until Dark.”
For more information, click here: https://marathontheater.org/