Moorestown Theater Company Was A Pandemic 'Lifeline' For Students

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The show must go on. For the Moorestown Theater Company (MTC), it’s more than just a mantra, and it showed during the coronavirus pandemic.

MTC went ahead with six live productions amid the pandemic, most of which were outside and one of which was held at the Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson.

When it was all said and done, no one was sick and many were entertained. MTC was even nominated as a Patch Business of the Year.

“The past year has been brutal on all small business, but especially on theater and entertainment,” Amy Barton said in nominating MTC for the award. “Most shut down. Gone. MTC kept going, safely, and they kept producing 'live musicals'! They say they have transformed lives since 2003, and it’s so true.”

MTC even touched lives just by continuing to put on productions.The theater that puts on productions for and starring residents of all ages did something to help the mental health of students in the community.

“The parents I spoke to said this was a lifeline,” MTC Artistic Director Mark Morgan said. “Their children were getting sick of Zoom. They wanted to see their friends.”

The students would see other students in their classes when they went to school as part of their district’s hybrid learning programs. They weren’t necessarily seeing their friends, though, and that’s what they missed the most.

MTC moved ahead safely. Spectators were asked to wear masks. Performers wore face shields. Everyone was spaced six feet apart in accordance with guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Everyone had their temperature taken.

Throughout the process, no one ever got sick, Morgan said. A few people came into contact with someone who was diagnosed with the coronavirus, and they went into quarantine for two weeks.

“We were doing it the right way,” said Morgan, who said MTC is different from other theater companies in the area. “Other theater companies are completely run by volunteers. They have their own building, and they’ve been around longer.”

MTC has been around for 18 years, while others have been around much longer. Morgan also compared MTC to other husband and wife-run businesses in Moorestown, such as Ralph’s Market and Moorestown Hardware, which were also nominated as Moorestown Patch Businesses of the Year.

It’s not a volunteer business, Morgan said. This is how he and MTC Managing Director Carol Ann Murray make their living. So just like other Moorestown businesses, MTC had to adjust the way they do business.

See related: Moorestown’s Pie Lady Praised For ‘Uplifting Outdoor Dining’

MTC was able to hold its summer camp with a total of about 45 kids performing in three shows, MTC Artistic Director Mark Morgan said. They performed "The Big One-Oh!," "Sister Act, Jr.," and "Dear Edwina, Jr." in the parking lot of their new Performing Arts Studio.

All three of those productions, as well as their “Holiday Virtual Concert” that went live on Saturday, are streaming on the MTC website now through Dec. 31.

They also introduced a “Rising Stage Program,” in which those who previously performed but were no longer involved in theatre had the chance to come back and perform with MTC. That program produced a performance of “Godspell.”

At that time, MTC participated in a national effort to bring awareness to the struggles the live entertainment industry faced and continues to face amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more here: Moorestown Theater Company Goes Red To Support Live Entertainment

Finally, MTC moved back indoors with its production of “The Addams Family” at Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson. Read more here: Moorestown Theater Company Back Inside With ‘The Addams Family’

There were some drawbacks. Casts that usually consisted of 70+ performers suddenly shrunk to around 20. Morgan found himself outside marking 6 feet of space between where families could sit to watch their children perform, only to do it again when the rain washed away his efforts.

“We’re not as successful as we would’ve liked to be, but you always want to do better, even in good times,” Morgan said. “Theatre is hard in non-pandemic times, but in pandemic times, it’s way harder.”

But the opportunity was there, and the MTC’s performers seized the day. Morgan hopes the non-pandemic times are on their way back.

“We’re gearing up for the new year,” Morgan said. “We’re looking forward to getting back outside and doing big stuff again.”