Pandemic Has Gloucester Twp.'s Mainstage Fighting For Survival

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Mainstage Center for the Arts has been there for families in Gloucester Township and the surrounding area for years. It continues to be there for residents, as was illustrated by one family’s story of a child who made it through a hospital stay by watching the community performers online this summer.

But the coronavirus pandemic has hit a lot of people hard, including those in the live entertainment industry. On March 15, Mainstage stopped having classes and performing shows, and is struggling to stay afloat amid the pandemic.

“Parents love Main Stage. They said they want to support us, and they’ll be here for us when we get back,” Mainstage Center for the Arts Producing Artistic Director and Founder Ed Fiscella said. “But we’re having a hard time staying alive. It’s been a challenge. We have so many expenses that we need to cover, and no income.”

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Mainstage is doing what it can to survive, and one thing it is doing is offering classes virtually.

Classes being offered at The Studio at Mainstage Center for the Arts will be held via Zoom.

“We decided to plan these classes more like workshops that can be completed in a six-week period rather than September to June,” Fiscella said. “As a result, the number of offerings is incredible as the teaching staff found ways to add to our programs. There will be two 6-week sessions (12 weeks total) of live Zoom classes in dance, acting, voice, performing arts, musical theatre, and much more all easily arranged by age.”

Classes will be scheduled each week, but they will also be recorded and posted to Google Classroom for anyone who misses them live. The live sessions allow for interaction between teachers and students and students with each other.

The cost is $85 per class for each 6-week session, with a 5 percent rebate of the total cost for anyone who signs up for multiple classes, including over the course of both sessions.

Descriptions of the classes and registration information can be found at https://mainstage.org/performing-arts-academy.

Mainstage has also set up a Facebook fundraiser, and an anonymous donor has offered to match all the funds that come in through Sept. 15, dollar-for-dollar, Fiscella said. Anyone who wishes to donate, but doesn’t have Facebook can do so here.

Mainstage has received some generous donations, and it is using those donations to help families who are struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic pay for classes. All this money is being used to help children whose parents lost their job or had their hours cut during the pandemic, Fiscella said.

Many involved in Mainstage are volunteers, but even the administrators are working without pay, Fiscella said. Mainstage had to cancel its annual summer stage program, and the annual Pumpkin Festival that usually draws more than 10,000 people had to be canceled.

The fundraising the group is doing is being done to simply cover the costs of the services they’d like to continue to provide to the community. Donors are expressing their gratitude to Mainstage.

“Mainstage Center for the Arts has been a part of my life since 2002,” one donor wrote. “It was home away from home for my boys. I also had the joy of working with them as Harmony Manager and House Manager. Would appreciate if you can support in any way possible.”

“I am forever grateful for what Mainstage gave to my children,” another wrote. “The program isn't just about performing. It builds confidence and long-standing. This arts organization was fundamental in making me who I am today and also brought me, lifelong friends. If you have a few extra dollars, they could really use it. We were so fortunate to ‘stumble’ onto this program. In a short time, I was amazed at the staff's dedication and it was obvious this program was not about making a profit. It was about building a community. A community that no matter when you return, it could be years later to see a performance, you still feel the connection to the community. I truly hope Mainstage makes it through these trying times so the program can continue to give to other families what it has given to ours.”

“Mainstage Center For The Arts provides low-cost, high-quality summer camp and programs that, back in the 90s, were a huge blessing for a working-class kid like me,” another wrote. “If you believe in accessible arts and are inclined to support arts organizations in these tough times, this is a worthy one.”

There are also discussions about plans for a possible streaming service to be launched at a later date.

See more stories about New Jersey's coronavirus recovery.