Liberty Theatre staff scrambles to move rained-out production to Carver High School

Two days after a heavy rain shorted circuits and damaged the stage area Wednesday at the Liberty Theatre Cultural Center in Columbus, volunteers were busy Friday evening preparing to move its weekend production of “Go Tell It On The Mountain” to Carver High School.

“It’s a little overwhelming, but I think we are going to make it work,” executive director Shae Anderson said Friday at the 823 Eighth Ave. complex.

More than an inch of rain on the city Wednesday was enough to damage circuit boards and the stage area. To avoid a delay with the production that is loosely based off of Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity,” Anderson said the temporary move is in the best interest of patrons and a cast of about 25 performers, age 7 to adults.

“Of course, there is a lot that has to happen,” she said. “We’ve got to figure out new space for costumers to work and people to get dressed. We have to break down the set.”

Volunteers and staff won’t be able to get into the auditorium until noon. The production starts less than eight hours later at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Two more shows are scheduled for Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 at the high school.

“We are a theater,” she said. “We are used to things happening. Since I have been here, I think this is on a larger scale.”

In the meantime, Anderson is thankful for support from the community after a plea went out Thursday for $15,000 in donations to handle the move and consider roof repairs on the building.

“I’m not a roofer,” she said. “We’ve got a couple of events scheduled for December. “

The Liberty Theatre operates on shoestring budget. Anderson said the building had a few leaks but experienced no problems in the stage area until this week.

She hopes repairs can be completed to allow the theater to continue rentals at the facility for weddings and other events. The theater, which opened in 1925, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984. It’s been 20 years since the building was restored and reopened in 1996 as a Performing Arts Cultural Center to host musical events and plays.

For information on the production of “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” tickets are available online at libertycolumbus.org. Donations also are accepted at the site.

This story was originally published December 2, 2016 at 10:59 PM with the headline "Liberty Theatre staff scrambles to move rained-out production to Carver High School."