Dark more than a year due to COVID-19, Sonora-based theater plans live productions
Sierra Repertory Theatre will reopen with shows after being dark for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Calling it the “2021 Homecoming Season,” the Mother Lode company plans to offer three stage productions and three tribute concerts, with performances starting Sept. 2, according to a press release.
“It’s certainly been quite a year for all of us,” Scott Viets, SRT’s producing artistic director, said in the release. “We’ve been presented with so many challenges daily, and 2021 continues to be no exception. Sierra Rep has now been dark for almost 14 months, much longer than any of us expected. Finally, however, we do see the light at the end of the tunnel!”
SRT saw an “outpouring of community support” during its closure, Jerry Lee, associate artistic director, said in the release.
“The dedication of our fans is astounding and a testament to how vital this organization is to our region,” he said. “Supporters made it very clear that there was no way they would lose the theatre because of the pandemic.”
SRT will follow the most current pandemic guidelines when it reopens, according to the release. A list of guidelines will be available on the theater’s website.
Stage shows planned
Sierra Rep has two theaters, the East Sonora Theatre and the Fallon House Theatre in Columbia State Historic Park. Here’s a look at what the company has planned:
“Shrek The Musical,” Sept. 2-Oct. 3 at its East Sonora Theatre
“Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express,” Oct. 28-Nov. 28, East Sonora Theatre
“Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play,” Nov. 18-Dec. 19, Fallon House Theatre
Sierra Rep’s 2021 Tribute Series concerts will be announced at a later date, according to the release.
Tickets go on sale June 7 at 10 a.m. for the shows. Season subscriptions will not be sold for the 2021 season. SRT will offer preview performances for its stage productions, the release said, with tickets at a discounted rate.
“Time off has also afforded all of us in management to sharpen our goals for the theatre thoughtfully,” Viets said. “As a result, our commitment to coming back ‘safer, stronger, better than ever’ is not just rhetoric but well-laid plans that continue to materialize every day.”
While acknowledging the last 14 months have taken a toll, he said “we couldn’t be more excited about the lineup of shows we have in store. We have carefully curated these shows to provide what we feel is needed the most now: joy, comfort, celebration, and fun.”
For more go to www.SierraRep.org or call 209-532-3120.
