Masque Community Theatre Needs Help With Move

Masque Community Theatre has been a part of the Temple Terrace Community since it opened in 1986 and everyone involved with the theatre is looking forward to when they can start hosting productions in the city’s new cultural center, where they will show productions on a main stage theatre. The cultural center will open when the redevelopment project is finished.

According to Ruth Kegel, the theatre’s board of director’s president, this will be positive for the theatre because they will have a place to put on large productions for bigger audiences.

“It will be great for us to start performing there,” Kegel said.

However, the redevelopment project looks to be ahead of schedule, and because of this some local businesses are having to vacate their buildings sooner than planned, including the Masque Community Theatre. They must vacate their current location, 8917 N 56th St., by Oct. 1.

This does not leave much time to pack up stages and props so the theatre is asking for help from community. Those interested in volunteering can pack up and organize equipment Sept. 17 and 24. Volunteers are needed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m each of those days. On Sept. 24., volunteers will load up a truck and take the items to their storage location.

“Any help from anyone is greatly appreciated,” Kegel said.

After the move, the Masque Community Theatre will not have a location to host auditions, rehearsals, or a place to store their equipment. They only have a storage unit to store their equipment for now.

“Once we move, we do not have a place to go to,” Kegel said. “We have a storage facility for our things, but as far as a space like we have now with our black box location for small shows, or auditions or rehearsals, we do not have one.”

Local businesses have stepped up to offer their space to Masque Community Theatre, until they find a place to call their own. Old World Cheese Shoppe is allowing them to put on the production “Love Letters” in October. They will also host “Broadway Review” auditions here.

The Lightfoot recreation center also stepped in, where the production “Footloose” will be shown in December. Rehearsals will also be here, starting in October.

Kegel and everyone involved with the theatre wants the community to know they are in need of a space and any help is appreciated.

“It would be like a gift from up above (to find a place) because it’s difficult for people to keep us in the forefront of their minds because when you don’t have a place you can  call your own and put your things in, people start to lose touch with us.” she said. “We have been getting questions like “Is Masque still around, are you guys still performing? The answer is always a resounding yes. You need that place to call your own and that place where we can rehearse and audition.”

“We want people to contact us if they have a space in mind they would like to discuss with us regarding leasing because we need it in Temple Terrace. If we can work out a lease for long term that has the right amount of space and size, we will always need a location like that even when the cultural center is built.”

For more information on the move or how you can help, contact Masque Community Theatre at info@masquetheatre.net with the dates and times of availability.