Aiken Community Theatre is celebrating its 70th season by kicking off with a near sellout show and an open house.
The curtain went up on Matilda Sept. 8, but there are three performances left as well as the open house, according to marketing manager Dustin Turner.
“We’re really excited,” said Turner. “We’re trying to have a little fun.”
Matilda is a musical based on the Roald Dahl children’s book about a young girl with exceptional abilities. It was made into a 1996 film with Mara Wilson and Danny DeVito.
The show is a family affair for Turner who is working backstage while his wife, Jamie, and daughter, Abigail, perform on stage.
Limited tickets remain for the show with the best options for Thursday night, he said. It will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
An open house is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. An array of photos from over the years will be on display. There will be a ticket giveaway and a copy of the book signed by all the cast members. Also tours of the facility on Newberry Street will be given.
“People really like that,” said Turner. “We have a huge (work) shop.”
Volunteers create the sets in the workshop which is large enough to drive a vehicle into.
The volunteer-driven community theater has been in the downtown Aiken location for more than 20 years, and it has come a long way since its founding.
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At one time the theater was located in a metal building in south Aiken. While Turner never performed in that theater space, he did see a few productions there.
“It was a tiny metal building,” he said. “When it rained, they needed to stop the show because you couldn’t hear.”
Also, it has zero wing space, which meant actors had to wait outside during parts of the show.
“We’ve come a long way. We have a beautiful facility,” he said.
To keep the festive spirit throughout the season, there are some fun events planned, he said.
Each performance will have a 50-50 raffle with the winner taking home the cash that night.
Special 70th anniversary car magnets will be available, and there’s a chance to win show tickets if the driver is spotted around town.
To learn more about Aiken’s theater season which includes shows such as “Elf,” “Spamalot” and “Blithe Spirit,” visit www.aikencommunitytheatre.org.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
