(Above screenshot from Facebook)
ST. PETERSBURG | freeFall Theatre Company has shared an uplifting tribute to supporters as it continues raising funds to combat its COVID-19 closure.
The coronavirus led freeFall to suspend operations in mid-March. Since then, the company has maintained a virtual presence and launched a COVID-19 Recovery Challenge to connect with audiences.
“freeFall Theatre is faced with great financial and creative challenges as a result of event postponements and performance cancellations,” the organization shared. “Your support is needed now more than ever before. This is merely an intermission for us – a pause to reflect on what’s important, analyze our values, and anticipate what’s to come. The future is bright for freeFall Theatre.”
As a part of the challenge, supporters were given the opportunity to double their impact until May 30. A small group of key donors including Al May, Brian Reale, Fred Wilcox and others who wished to remain anonymous agreed to match gifts dollar for dollar until that date up to $75,000.
Community Outreach Director Matthew McGee says freeFall is nearing that goal. “Our patrons have been such a great support,” he says. “We’ve really seen people coming out of the woodwork to help us get through this and we can’t thank them enough. We can’t wait until we see them all again, because those really are the people that we’ve missed the most.”
It’s part of what led the company to create a tribute to supporters. “A gift from the heart from your friends at freeFall Theatre,” they shared a video via social media May 20. “Of all things we miss now, there’s one we miss the most…”
“We miss you,” freeFall summarizes, showcasing their desire to reconnect with supporters by highlighting live theater. The video showcases a number of stills from previous productions and is framed with an excerpt from “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.”
The award-winning show is written by acclaimed author Jane Wagner, the wife of its celebrated and original star Lily Tomlin. The excerpt is read by Artistic Director Eric Davis.
“I like to think of them out there in the dark, watching us,” it reads. “Sometimes we’ll do something and they’ll laugh. Sometimes we’ll do something and they’ll cry. And maybe, one day we’ll do something so magnificent, the whole universe will get goosebumps.”
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In addition to the tribute, freeFall continues to host weekly video conferences with supporters to discuss National Theatre at Home. The London-based National Theatre streams celebrated productions for free each week to engage audiences worldwide.
Davis, McGee and other staff members discuss the shows with freeFall fans. “When we did ‘Frankenstein’ with Benedict Cumberbatch, we couldn’t keep up with how many people were on the chat,” McGee says.
“There’s nothing that can really replace theater, being together in a room,” he continues, “but we’ve found those to be very rewarding both for us and for the patrons because we can have that connection with them.”
McGee expects additional virtual content as freeFall continues navigating COVID-19. Audiences can connect with the company via YouTube, their other social media channels and by visiting freeFallTheatre.com.
To donate to freeFall Theatre’s COVID-19 Recovery Challenge, click here. For the latest updates about COVID-19 and its impact on the LGBTQ communities in Tampa Bay and Central Florida, view Watermark’s frequently updated coverage here.
