The Emporia State theatre program has faced its fair share of tumults, but dedicated staffers are doing their best to turn it around. The Theatre Guild is back, and it promises a fresh run of fun experiences for Emporia residents.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Theatre Guild had an extensive, vibrant membership from the Emporia community. The organization hosted theatre-related events, like chicken dinners and private parties. But when the world was shaken up by the pandemic, the guild fell to the wayside.
“The world shut down, and theatre became different,” said Aubrey Wilson, director of the theatre program. “When we’re looking at theatre now, we’re getting back to the way that it was before. We’re no longer scared to gather in large groups. We’re finding that more and more people are turning to entertainment for a source of stress relief, and I think that now is a great time to revive the theatre guild, because the theatre is back and it’s better than ever.”
The Theatre Guild serves as a booster club for the program, providing exclusive hang-outs, dinners, drinks and appetizers before shows in exchange for a fee. Members receive inside information about upcoming performances and events.
The membership fees go toward scholarships for ESU students and the expansion of the summer theatre season, which has a specific goal in mind.
“Historically, Emporia State summer theatre had four shows in the season, and right now we’re just doing one,” said Wilson. “So, the goal of the guild is to help me get us back to that four show season.”
The guild already has events in full swing. The organization has already hosted an ice cream social aimed at informing the Emporia community of its revitalization, featuring musical performances from the cast of this year’s homecoming musical She Loves Me. In the spring, members will receive a backstage tour and will have the opportunity to watch a staged rehearsal before the performance.
There have been a few improvements made to the systems within the guild, notably a clarification about the relation between the fees and tax deductions.
“When you joined the Theatre Guild previously,” said Wilson, “it was very complicated as far as how much of your membership fee was a donation to the University that you could claim for tax purposes, and now we’ve cleared all of that up. The main difference is that, instead of getting four free tickets for this season with your membership, you now have to pay, I think, $15 a ticket per show.”
Membership to the Theatre Guild is not aimed at Emporia students. Students automatically receive a majority of the benefits yielded from joining the guild. However, Wilson believes that the guild benefits the community as a whole.
“A community member can feel good about their membership because they’re donating to student scholarships,” said Wilson. “They’re donating to enhance the student experience, including field trips or new t-shirts for everybody, or new technology for the theater program, and they’re helping to re-expand that summer theater season.”
