Southwest Nebraska Community Theater Association Receives $3,000 Grant
As the casting began in McCook last November for the Hunchback of Notre Dame musical, no one could have predicted that the production would eventually be cut short because of a world-wide pandemic.
But on March 15, Southwest Nebraska Community Theater Association made the difficult decision to cancel the production after just two performances.
Months of rehearsals suddenly become useless. Hundreds of community members didn’t get to see all those hours of hard work in action. And the local theater association suddenly found itself with an uncertain future because of debt from production costs.
With the future of SWNCTA at risk, the McCook Community Foundation Fund has granted $3,000 from its’ COVID-19 Response Account to help offset costs from lost revenue because performances were cancelled.
The MCFF COVID-19 Response Account was established in March 2020 with a grant from MCFF, as well as donations from MNB Bank and Graff Charitable Foundation, along with donations since. The account was designed to meet immediate needs in the community because of the pandemic as well as address long-term needs. Funds are still available from the COVID Response Account if needed.
SWNCTA and the Hunchback musical are an example of a local entity deeply impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, through no fault of their own.
Practices began in early January with four nights a week dedicated to learning lines, perfecting songs and mastering choreography. And on March 14, the first performance featuring veteran performers as well as newcomers to SWNCTA took to the stage to perform the production based on the Victor Hugo book.
A second performance took place Sunday, March 15 but then SWCNTA was left with little choice but to cancel the final four performances.
The cancellation affected not only the current production, but also the future of SWNCTA. Admission income from the spring musical not only covers those costs, but also the fall dinner theater and the Missoula Children’s Theater each spring.
And all hope is not lost for those who have not seen the production. Fortunately, SWNCTA organizers had the foresight to tape the last showing and now have a CD created with footage from that performance.
At some point, SWNCTA would like to show the recorded version of the musical to the public but must meet a few criteria first, including determining royalty fees and creating a safe environment.
SWNCTA president Gene Weedin does not know when that public showing of the recording will happen but still holds out hope to provide a free showing for the community. “This would be great thank you from SWNCTA for all the years the public has supported our organization,” Weedin said.
But he stressed that they will wait until they can show the musical to as many people as possible in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.
“It was a great show and a great performance,” Weedin said. “And we want as many people to see it as possible, because it truly is a great musical with a dedicated and talented ensemble of performers and crew.”
MCFF continues to accept grant applications for the COVID-19 Response Account, which are available online at mccookfoundation.org. MCFF is an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation.
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With so much going, it is time for a “This, That and the Other Thing” column, where we will cover several topics, not very deeply but hopefully with a sense of humor as we clean up and prepare for a busy week in McCook. *** McCook again made state and national news this week for ice. This time, it was in the form of hail that pounded the community for hours upon hours. Conversations this week begin with “where were you….?” or “how many windows did you lose?” And while they may be legitimate and are offering their services, it is like vultures with all the roofing repair and dent removal businesses which have descended upon McCook following the storm. As city officials noted, do your due diligence with any company doing repairs for you and follow the old adage, which is old and still around because it’s true: If something seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. And one last note on the storm, we need to be careful what we ask for. As storm after storm approaches McCook and then splits in two to go around the town, we finally got one to roll right over us. The storm liked McCook so much it slowed down and just there. I was in Lincoln during the storm and trying to determine when I would drive home. I thought the weather app had frozen or the radar was broken because every time I looked, the storm was still sitting over McCook, doing its damage. I guess we can be thankful the next time a storm seemingly just goes around us. *** We are in the thick of McCook’s Heritage Days celebration. Congratulations to all the Heritage Days Royalty, which was announced at the MNB Bank Mixer this week. A special shout-out to Bill Donze, better known as Mr. Bill and his wife, Kathy, who were honored as royalty for their impact in McCook. As many know, Mr. Bill is fighting cancer and the prognosis isn’t good. The chances of him selling snow-cones and candy out of his van next summer near the McCook Aquatic Center are not good. One judge of his impact was the response to my column about Mr. Bill a few months ago. The post was shared thousands of times, viewed nearly 70,000 times with just as many comments by people sharing their fond memories of Mr. Bill. So when you see Mr. Bill riding down Norris in the convertible this weekend in the Heritage Days parade, send extra prayers and well-wishes to the man who has brought so much joy to so many kids - and adults too - over the years. *** Continuing on the Heritage Days theme, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the McCook Rotary Club is tossing all egos and formality out the window this weekend. As the president of the McCook Rotary Club, I invite everyone to at least watch, if not participate, in the Rotary’s first inflatable costume relay race on Saturday as part of the festivities in Norris Park. These are those giant, blow-up costumes you usually see around Halloween. The first costumes were usually T-Rexes but now there is everything imaginable available as a design. With the idea for the race originally conceived by Melanie Goodenberger, she has purchased everything from corn on the cob to a cowboy riding a chicken. This is a fund-raiser for the Rotary Club with a cost of just $20 for a team of four to participate in the relay race. But it is also a chance to giggle, perhaps make a fool of yourself and just have fun. Come to the park Saturday afternoon for the Wiener Dog races and stay for the Rotary Relay races. While the dogs will already be close to the ground, the relay race participants will likely just end up on the ground. *** With so much going on in McCook this week, I debated whether there should be another activity the next week but the response has already been great for the Lied’s Arts Across Nebraska’s next production in McCook. Hosted by the McCook Creative District, the Omaha Street Percussion ensemble will perform at the Fox Theater on Wednesday, Sept. 24. There is a matinee showing at 10:30 a.m. but I will be up-front…we are testing the capacity of the Fox with every seat already claimed with students. If that is the only show you can make, please come and we’ll find you a seat but it may be those up in the rafters. Otherwise, please plan to attend the 7 p.m. show on Sept. 24. And even better, there is no cost thanks to the Kimmel Foundation and the Friends of the Lied. This is a busy week and a busy weekend but this is a great opportunity to sit back and enjoy a fun, entertaining evening of live music.
Most likely, we aren't going to be good at something at the start. But that shouldn't stop us from trying.
