In Thanksgiving...

As we barrel forward to 2022, I can hardly believe all of the changes that this past year has brought! The recovery from being shut down is taking time, but thanks to patrons and supporters like you, Matthews Playhouse is entering our 26th season with ambitious plans for continued productions, classes and more! We truly could not have survived these trying pandemic times without the tremendous support and encouragement we received from our community of donors, patrons, and partners. We are proud to say that we continued to offer quality productions through it all, from virtual productions and games to outdoor performances this past summer. Many of these creative offerings were such a success that we hope to keep them going into the future! Our intent was always to keep you engaged and involved, and we are striving to continue to bring you quality programming.

Among those offerings, we are excited to be back home in the Fullwood Theatre this Holiday Season with Miracle on 34th Street! It is a great show for the whole family, so be sure to visit our website to purchase tickets today. Keep an eye out for more information about our upcoming season including the fun and colorful The Rainbow Fish musical. This show is perfect for young audiences and is sure to be a crowd pleaser! It will have the children in your life mesmerized by seeing a beloved book character come to life!

Matthews Playhouse is also pleased to announce that in our effort to continue to reach new audiences AND showcase new artists, we will follow up our inaugural Playwriting Festival this coming season with another Play Festival in 2022. If you know a budding playwright, please encourage them to enter a submission for consideration!

We will round out our current season with the hit musical Sister Act! on stage in June of 2022. You won’t be able to help clapping and dancing along with Sister Mary-Clarence and the groovy nun choir in this story of pursuing your calling. With more great productions yet to come, I encourage you to keep track of all that we are up to through social media, email newsletters like this, and be sure to visit our table at upcoming community events.

In addition to our excellent productions on stage, Matthews Playhouse has always been committed to bringing theatre education to children. Whether a child participates in summer camp, attends our year long classes, or attends a show as part of a school field trip, we are honored to be part of their theatre experience. Even at the height of the pandemic, we continued to offer exceptional classes and camps for school aged children. These programs are continuing to grow and return to full strength this year. I loved seeing and watching 700 children perform in summer camps, and now over 150 students learning the theatrical arts in our year long educational program. Thanks to donors like you, we have never turned a child away from camp, class or a production.

With all of these fantastic opportunities, we hope that you will continue to be involved with Matthews Playhouse! As we close out 2021, you can help us continue our mission by making a tax deductible donation today.

Here’s what your donation can provide:

• $50 buys a gallon of paint and related supplies for a set piece

• $80 sends ten students from a Title I school to see a show

• $150 buys costumes for 3 actors

• $400 provides one School of Theatre class scholarship

On behalf of the Matthews Playhouse Board and Staff, thank you for your continued support, patronage and confidence in our incredible organization.

Best wishes to you and your family for a safe and healthy holiday season.

Sarah B. Managing Director