Totem Pole Playhouse

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Totem Pole Playhouse, Summer Stock Theater, Caledonia State Park, Pennsylvania

Totem Pole Playhouse, nestled in the pines of Caledonia Stqte Park is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2020.

 A summer theatre measures its successes and struggles unlike any other business. Yes, we count the dollars that come through the box office window and the number of tickets sold but we also measure our success by the applause at the curtain call and the improvements we make for the comfort of our employees and our audience members.

As Totem Pole’s 2019 summer series came to a close we looked back at the success of completing the first phase of our improvement plans. In the spring the entire workshop, prop storage and scenery storage was moved just 1 ½ miles west of the theater to a 10,000 square foot building. Here, scenery could be built and painted under the cover of a roof without having to be moved if a sudden storm came up and without the hot summer sun scorching the skin of the scenic artists. Props could be spread out on shelving for better inventory of what we had on hand and the carpenters could build set pieces inside out of the sun and without having to move unfinished pieces under cover at the end of the work day.

The old scenery shop was converted into a new rehearsal hall with a full wall of shiny mirrors and a baby grand piano donated by a long time subscriber. The former rehearsal hall was totally revamped with new flooring, a bathroom, kitchenette, private office and became the new administrative offices. It was a great day to watch the old construction trailer which had been the “temporary” administrative office complex being towed away after 12 years.

New LED lights were installed over the audience and on stage saving hundreds of dollars over the summer season and making it cooler for the actors and audience alike. This improvement helped lower the electric bill by lessening the workload of the air conditioning unit.

All of Phase 1 improvements, $120,000 were fully paid for by donations or grants.

Now the theatre is in the midst of Phase 2 which is at a cost of $250,000. Construction has begun on 8 new women’s restrooms, a gift shop which will generate income, actor’s private restroom off the new rehearsal hall, break area and conference room. Once finished there will also be a new deck and ice cream stand. The capital campaign is in full swing to fund this final phase but we still need $50,000 to complete the project.

Our biggest success that we proudly boast about is 2020 is Totem Pole’s 70th anniversary summer. That is quite a record for a summer theatre as many summer stock theatres have closed and never reopened their doors. There have been several years where Totem Pole has come close to rolling up the grand drape and putting it in moth balls never to bring it out again in the spring but somehow we always manage to open the doors, sweep out the cobwebs, dust off the seats, hang that curtain and start rehearsals.

Totem Pole Playhouse Awards modeled after The Tony Awards on Broadway, The Totem Pole Playhouse Awards are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievement in musical theater production and performances by high school students in the counties immediately surrounding Totem Pole Playhouse. Public and private high schools in Adams, Franklin and Fulton counties and Hagerstown are invited to participate.

Named after the Totem Pole Playhouse, one of the longest running, nationally-recognized, professional summer theatres in the country, the awards were established in 2014 and focus solely on the performances of local high school students, honoring their acting, singing and dancing abilities.

Five years ago Totem Pole revived A Christmas Carol which was first produced in 1987 with a new set, over 100 costumes and 50 actors, singers and dancers. Hundreds of theatregoers return year after year to discover the true magic of the holiday season with this beautiful set.

Like any other nonprofit, Totem Pole Playhouse struggles raising funds and maintaining balances. We are grateful for the community’s continued support. Our audience’s comfort and safety are always first but it takes dollars to maintain that.

Totem Pole Playhouse will continue to provide the very best in live professional theater and hopes to continue to be known as America’s most loved summer theatre.

http://www.TotemPolePlayhouse.org

9555 Golf Course Road Fayetteville

smcmurtray@totempoleplayhouse.org

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