10 January 2023
Right after over a decade at the current location, the Columbia Children’s Theatre is getting stakes moving across the water. The long-running company is definitely vacating its home in the Richland Mall following the sale for that building last week. Their own new home will be on the Brookland Lakeview Empowerment Middle in West Columbia. “The mall has been under agreement probably six times considering that we’ve been in here and its never ever gone through, ” said CCT Artistic Director Jerry Stevenson. “Once the sale had we got [notified that] they weren’t likely to renew our lease since as they start construction, imply want kids running around. “In spite of the unceremonious finish of the location, Stevenson states that it’s far from a hurried decision. The company has been in foretells move out to a West Columbia space for several years. “It was not as quick as it appears, ” he shared. “We had already scheduled a few of our classes out there prior to we got the news. “The theater has been living in transportation since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak reshaped the Richland Shopping mall. Reconfigurations of the mall within the post-pandemic era left the particular theater with only one entry, and that through their backstage area. In response, they started hosting pop-up performances Stevenson called “movable feasts” within venues throughout the area. That is certainly likely to continue even after the particular move, with CCT web hosting some or all of their shows in their upcoming season on different venues around the town. The company eventually plans to develop out their own performance room for their shows, but is certainly unlikely to have a permanent location before shows begin within September. The CCT will start hosting all of its rehearsals and classes in the brand new space at 1218 Batchelor St . in West Columbia starting on February 1 ) “We want to be sure to thank you to the BLEC and the Associated with West Columbia for making this particular investment in the future of our younger performers, and to thank you once more for everything that you do just for CCT and for the artistry in our community, ” the particular theater shared in a declaration. “Every day we get up energized to support the next era of young performers, minus your support that basically would not be possible. “