Margaret Black didn’t have the best experience the last time she attended a show at the Renaissance Theatre.
“I was here for ‘Mamma Mia,’ and I got a backache from the chair,” she said. “That convinced me that, yes, this place needed new seats.”
Those seats are here.
The historic seating renovation at the Renaissance was revealed during a reception July 30. Fans enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and drinks while waiting for the theater to open.
It is the centerpiece of the organization’s “Seat in Our Story” program and a milestone in the theater’s “Road to 100” initiative ahead of its centennial anniversary in 2028.
All 1,050 seats in the auditorium have been replaced for the first time in decades by plush, navy-blue seats, providing better comfort, improved leg room and sightlines, expanded accessibility features and preserved historic details.
Community donors sponsored individual seats and had their names or dedications engraved on custom brass plaques, which will be visible to every audience member as the theater enters its second century.
Black is one of the donors. She was joined by her friend, Edith Humphrey.
“I’m sitting in her seats,” Humphrey said of Black. “I will be giving money, though. I will be getting seats.”
Chelsie Thompson, president and CEO at the Renaissance, welcomed the guests, many of whom were dressed in formal attire. She thanked a number of people, including her staff, “who have been problem-solvers and cheerleaders and miracle workers through every single twist.”
She singled out Vice President Ryan Shealy, saying the project would be “10 weeks behind” without him.
Thompson said everyone involved quickly realized the project should be divided into two parts. The seats and the floor were the first part. Next year will be the curtain and the plaster.
Thompson also recognized people like Black.
“To every person who donated and dedicated a seat, you made our story personal to us, and that means everything,” she said.
The president and CEO looked at the big picture.
“Something is happening in Mansfield. It feels like we’re all working towards the same thing, celebrating the city, taking pride in the spaces,” Thompson said. “The Renaissance is part of that story.”
She noted only 10% of the seats have been dedicated so far.
“That’s not a gap,” Thompson said. “That is an invitation.”
As Thompson closed her remarks, she introduced Cody Albert, board chairman. He called the Renaissance “Richland County’s living room.”
“We gather here for all our special occasions,” Albert said.
He credited Thompson, saying she started planning for the centennial five years early.
Renaissance Theatre opening season with ‘Guys and Dolls’
After patrons got their first look at the new seats, they were treated to a sneak peek at the season-opener, “Guys and Dolls.”
Cast members, dressed in colorful outfits, performed a selection from show, which will be held the next two weekends under the direction of Michael Thomas.
The beloved Broadway show earned five Tony Awards.
Set in New York City, “Guys and Dolls” follows the intersecting stories of lovable hustler Nathan Detroit, high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson, Salvation Army missionary Sarah Brown and Miss Adelaide, who is engaged to Detroit and is played by Nykera Gardner.
Beau Roberts, a Renaissance regular, portrays Detroit.
“People can expect a lot of laughs, a lot of terrific singing, dancing and acting,” he said. “It’s just a fun night out.”
Roberts said his character runs an illegal crap game in town.
“Essentially, he needs $1,000 to run his crap game in a place they won’t get caught,” Roberts said. “He bets Sky Masterson to try to get that money.”
Roberts said the show appeals to him because it’s character-driven with catchy songs and great jokes, “some of which I get to tell.”
Dru Loman plays Masterson. He last appeared on the Renaissance stage in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
“He is a high-stakes gambler,” Loman said of his character, “very charismatic, but he thinks he knows everything, at least until he meets a certain lady, Sarah Brown.”
Loman said Sarah Brown helps his character see the world in a different light.
A senior-to-be at Ontario High School, Zakari Ramos has grown up at the Renaissance. His first play was “Newsies” when he was 9 years old. He is 17 now.
Despite being a teenager, Ramos is very familiar with “Guys and Dolls.”
“Growing up, my parents and my grandparents introduced me to all the golden age of musical theater,” he said.
Ramos plays Benny Southstreet, one of Detroit’s sidekicks. He is also pulling double-duty as the play’s choreographer.
“I’ve gotten to dance up here a million times, but this is my first main-stage show as a choreographer,” Ramos said.
Leah Gesouras plays Sarah Brown.
“This is my bread and butter. I love singing these iconic songs,” she said.
Gesouras describes her character as the “antithesis” of all the color around her since she’s a missionary.
“She kind of falls in line with some gambling shenanigans,” she said.
“Guys and Dolls” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 1 and 8 and at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and 9. Tickets start at $15 and are available at www.rentickets.org, by calling the box office at 419-522-2726 or by stopping at 138 Park Avenue West from 12-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Reach Mark Caudill at 419-521-7219 or via X at @MarkCau32059251.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Seating restoration revealed at Renaissance as new season opens
Reporting by Mark Caudill, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Caudill, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
