Park Theatre has a new face for its future. Sara Morgan has been chosen as Park Theatre coordinator.
“I’m so happy to be here,” said Morgan. “I can’t wait until Park Theatre is complete. I think it’s magnificent. I think it’s a wonderful thing for this community and I’m very happy to be part of it. I am really excited, as I’m sure everyone is, to see it open.”
Morgan moved to Warren County from Maryland. She has a degree in performing arts and musical theater from the University of Tampa.
“We have family nearby so it’s good to get back to where I grew up,” she said. “We have family in Tennessee. Now, we won’t be so far away. For the last two to three years, I was a coordinator for Kaiser Permanente Educational Theatre.”
Kaiser uses music, comedy and drama to offer live theatre productions with a group of professional actors. The productions are free of charge in schools and communities to address important health topics, such as healthy eating, physical activity, diversity, peer pressure, conflict management, bullying prevention, domestic violence, dealing with grief and loss, depression, sexually transmitted diseases, literacy promotion, and drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.
Morgan was the coordinator for special events and touring shows for the group.
“From partnering with the Baltimore Ravens and other really big sports teams on events, to working health fairs and going into schools with our touring theatre shows, I was the coordinator for special events and touring shows,” she said. “Before that, I lived in Los Angeles. I was a stage manager for many children’s theaters and I was a production manager for a small touring theater there. I’ve worked a lot of theaters, as well as TV and film. I did a children’s television show in LA as well.”
With Park Theatre renovation ongoing, plans for a grand opening are tentative.
“We do hope to hold a grand opening,” said Morgan. “Unfortunately, we can’t set a date. It’s still a bit too early, but we do want to offer a grand opening. We want everyone to come in and see it for themselves. Then from there we want to book it as much as possible and get good use out of it.”
According to city administrator Bill Brock, Park Theatre renovation contractor W&O Construction says the completion date is still March 31.
“As far as the paperwork right now shows and as far as I’ve been told, the completion date is March 31,” said Brock on Tuesday. “The contractor told me yesterday they will make that date.”
The marquee renovation will be done by Cook Neon Sign with owner Randy Adcock a subcontractor under W&O.
“The go-ahead has been given on the marquee,” said Brock. “Hopefully, they will begin their work soon. Maybe they are ordering supplies. I just don’t know. He felt like he could possibly meet that date, too. He said on site was 14 days of actually working on the construction site.”
Until Park Theatre is complete and her office furnished, Morgan will be working from City Hall. The number is 473-1200.