LBI's Surflight Theatre Performs Again After Isaias Destruction

BEACH HAVEN, NJ — The show had to go on this summer, or it could've meant no more Surflight Theatre. Long Beach Island's iconic venue moved its shows outdoors to meet pandemic guidelines. Then Tropical Storm Isaias turned the outdoor stage and tent into rubble.

They paused performances rebuild their set. Through community support, tireless work to return and the knowledge that the theater's future depended on it, Surflight Theatre returned Thursday with several performances.

The technical crew, all their actors, their high school-aged apprentices and some volunteers got together. They built a stage, painted, carried things around to protect them from the elements. Ocean Tents also set them up with a new big top. Two days after a storm that brought 109 mph gusts to LBI, they felt ready.

After a few days of hard work and collaboration, members of Surflight Theatre can also laugh about the difficult circumstances. Producing artistic director Steve Steiner says they've come up with a few analogies.

"The director of 'Mamma Mia!' has said it’s sort of like the squirrel that’s piling up acorns and then puts the last one on and they all fall down and then you have to pile them up back again," he said.

The Surflight Theatre has operated since 1950, but its 2020 season hasn't been like any other. While many theaters closed because of coronavirus restrictions on indoor gatherings, Surflight moved to an outdoor tent.

Steiner provided a video tour:

If Surflight did nothing, they would have lost about $600 thousand, Steiner says. That would have put the nonprofit with a $2 million annual budget in a dire position. But by pushing through, they'll lose $150-200 thousand — not ideal, but enough.

"We needed to do this to make sure we got to next year," he said.

The day Isaias passed through could have been a regular Tuesday — as regular as things can be when you're putting on a show during a pandemic. "Mamma Mia!" was set to debut that night.

Opening night couldn't happen. But even after the storm, Surflight Theatre hoped to get back up and running soon.

The community propelled them there. A GoFundMe for their rebuilding efforts has raised $36,214 as of Friday morning. Click here to donate.

"It’s pretty remarkable progress when you think about it," Steiner said. "At 4 o’clock Tuesday, we had a pile of rubble that we started clearing. And last night we did both children’s theater and main-stage shows. We’re up and running."

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