We Need Your Help to Rebuild the Regency Theatre
Donation protected
My name is Dalia Aleman. I was a Grand Bahama resident for 15 years, and a member and board member of the Freeport Players' Guild, which built the Regency Theatre in 1971. The Freeport Players' Guild and my time at the Regency Theatre helped to rekindle my childhood love of the theatre and performing on the stage. Today I am a South Florida resident and a professional actress, and I owe so much of that to my time in this beautiful little theatre and the people that keep it alive.
Here is the story of the theatre's current situation as told by our current president, Paulette Russell:
The Regency Theatre, the only purpose-built live theatre in the Bahamas, is now in ruins due to hurricane Dorian . Although the structure remains intact, the entire building was flooded, from the foyer straight through to the workshop and green room - which is rented out as a dance studio.
Hurricane Dorian broke through the front glass doors with a powerful rush of water. After decimating the foyer's furniture and fixtures, it continued through to the auditorium reaching six feet of water, submerging the seats and smashing against the stage, literally shaking it on its foundation and raising the wood. It destroyed our Baby grand piano, our upright pianos, our Yamaha Clavinova, (digital piano) and our drum sets. Also near the stage was the rack for our Sound system and electrical panels, which are now useless.
Dorian's surge then pushed through to the dressing room, carrying with it the two make up chairs, which were scattered into the men’s bathroom and the the workshop. The water flooded the office, destroying records and scripts, then went on to destroy the kitchen, tumbling over the refrigerator and water cooler and wetting everything in the cupboard. All of our equipment in the tech room is gone. Our office and accessories rooms were totally saturated, the wardrobe and prop rooms were decimated.
After 50 years of bringing live theatre and performing arts to Grand Bahama, this is heart wrenching. The Regency Theatre isn't just the home to The Freeport Players' Guild, who produce classic musicals, comedies and plays, it is truly a performing arts center, where the island's dance and music schools hold concerts and recitals, where local playwrights showcase their work and where world renowned artists have performed , like the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dave Brubeck Quartet , the great Dizzy Gillespie, Eartha Kitt, Jeffery Osborn, Harry Belafonte, the English Chamber Orchestra, and many more too numerous to mention. Not to mention the annual summer drama camps and drama youth groups that foster and showcase young talent.
We need your help to restore this theatre to working condition. $20,000 is just a drop in the bucket of what we need to raise, but its a start and it will help get the theatre on it's feet. This would pay for cleaning, electrical work and repair of the foyer and greenroom, allowing for small events to take place and for the dance school to resume classes. We can't do this without you and every little bit helps. Please help us continue to keep theatre alive on Gand Bahama!
Here is the story of the theatre's current situation as told by our current president, Paulette Russell:
The Regency Theatre, the only purpose-built live theatre in the Bahamas, is now in ruins due to hurricane Dorian . Although the structure remains intact, the entire building was flooded, from the foyer straight through to the workshop and green room - which is rented out as a dance studio.
Hurricane Dorian broke through the front glass doors with a powerful rush of water. After decimating the foyer's furniture and fixtures, it continued through to the auditorium reaching six feet of water, submerging the seats and smashing against the stage, literally shaking it on its foundation and raising the wood. It destroyed our Baby grand piano, our upright pianos, our Yamaha Clavinova, (digital piano) and our drum sets. Also near the stage was the rack for our Sound system and electrical panels, which are now useless.
Dorian's surge then pushed through to the dressing room, carrying with it the two make up chairs, which were scattered into the men’s bathroom and the the workshop. The water flooded the office, destroying records and scripts, then went on to destroy the kitchen, tumbling over the refrigerator and water cooler and wetting everything in the cupboard. All of our equipment in the tech room is gone. Our office and accessories rooms were totally saturated, the wardrobe and prop rooms were decimated.
After 50 years of bringing live theatre and performing arts to Grand Bahama, this is heart wrenching. The Regency Theatre isn't just the home to The Freeport Players' Guild, who produce classic musicals, comedies and plays, it is truly a performing arts center, where the island's dance and music schools hold concerts and recitals, where local playwrights showcase their work and where world renowned artists have performed , like the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dave Brubeck Quartet , the great Dizzy Gillespie, Eartha Kitt, Jeffery Osborn, Harry Belafonte, the English Chamber Orchestra, and many more too numerous to mention. Not to mention the annual summer drama camps and drama youth groups that foster and showcase young talent.
We need your help to restore this theatre to working condition. $20,000 is just a drop in the bucket of what we need to raise, but its a start and it will help get the theatre on it's feet. This would pay for cleaning, electrical work and repair of the foyer and greenroom, allowing for small events to take place and for the dance school to resume classes. We can't do this without you and every little bit helps. Please help us continue to keep theatre alive on Gand Bahama!
Fundraising team: The Freeport Players' Guild (3)
Dalia Alemán
Organizer
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Paulette Russell
Team member
Olivia Dorsett
Team member
