Electric City Playhouse Partners with Anderson Venue for Gala

(Images: ECP Gala Invitation courtesy of Electric City Playhouse. Huitt Farms photo courtesy of Anna Fairey by Chez Goznell with Palmetto Aerial Productions. Fairey Family photo courtesy of Anna Fairey by Shalon Blackwell Photography. )

Electric City Playhouse (ECP) in Anderson is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a special fundraising Gala on February 9. The Gala will be held at the popular Anderson venue, Huitt Farms. Gala tickets are available at https://ecplayhouse.com through February 1.

Anna Fairey of Huitt Farms recently talked to ECP about how the Farms and the Fairey family continue to be an important part of the Anderson community. Anna, a self-proclaimed lover of theatre, owns Huitt Farms with her parents, Lynne and Burke, sister Lauren, and brother Tripp. Anna and Lauren designed the venue on land owned by their grandparents, Shirley and Anna Huitt.

For over 40 years, Anna’s grandfather raised Black Angus cattle on the land until his passing in September of 2016. Anna explains: “My sister got engaged a month later…and had always wanted to get married on my grandparents’ farm. We decided to build the venue for her wedding, and also as a place to honor my grandparents… hence the name Huitt Farms.”

What was built for Lauren’s wedding was not originally intended to become a public venue. After the wedding, the Fairey family planned to transform the space into a house. However, people in the community had other ideas. Anna explains “…once people heard about the plans and our design for the structure, they began to contact us to ask if we’d rent it for future weddings. After that, we decided we would go ahead and keep it as a venue for events!”

From a family wedding site to an event venue, it is clear that Huitt Farms is a passion project for the Fairey family. “I truly believe our venue and our staff make you feel at home”, Anna says. “We try to treat each guest as if they are our own family and friends, and I think that sets us apart in a unique way. We’re so grateful that so many people and organizations want to have their special event at our farm! My grandfather was (and my grandmother still is) a huge advocate for the Anderson community. They both were born and raised here, and both have held important roles in the community. My goal is to continue that with Huitt Farms. My grandfather had a passion for the farming community here, and my grandmother still has a passion for helping with children, and still holds a role on the District 5 school board. I’d love to help in those areas in honor of them, as well as other areas.”

Huitt Farms hosts a variety of events, including weddings, business functions, and, like ECP’s own Gala, charity functions. Anna noted that 2019 is going to see over 50 events at the Farms. Guests are not only local: “…we had a bride from Australia, and tons of her family and friends flew all the way here. It’s amazing to see how many people, from all over the world, come to the venue as guests!”

As a member of Anderson’s thriving arts scene, ECP is also proud to be part of Anderson’s well-rounded community. Having cast and crew members come in from other towns extends Anderson’s reach through the arts. ECP’s current show, “Tuck Everlasting”, includes performers and production staff from Honea Path, Pelzer, Iva, Belton, Piedmont, Clemson, Central, Liberty, Greenville, and Seneca, as well as Anderson. A “Tuck” cast member even has family coming to the show from the East Coast. That’s family dedication!

Anna at Huitt Farms sees a similar bonus for Anderson from the guests visiting her family’s venue. “I think it helps Anderson’s economy and shows people how charming this city really is. If Huitt Farms helps other businesses in return, I think that’s something to be proud of!”

Anna continues: “We love to see how our venue is helping other Anderson businesses. We hope to be able to give back in as many ways as we can. With every event hosted at our venue, more guests come from out of town to visit this quaint little city! They eat at our restaurants, stay in our hotels, visit our stores, and hire our local vendors. A lot of business comes in to Anderson from these events, and I think that’s awesome!”

Like Huitt Farms, ECP’s presence has a connection to local businesses, plus ECP gives back to the community. For the 2018 show, “A Christmas Carol”, ECP collected several large boxes of food for Good Neighbor Cupboard. On the “shop local” front, ECP patrons and volunteers frequent Anderson restaurants during trips to the theatre. ECP show bills and posters provide a locally-targeted, affordable source of advertising for businesses.

Local businesses are valued donor for ECP’s upcoming Gala. Silent auction donors include: Black Sheep Café and Catering; Carolina Baernhaus Brewery & Winery; Grace Yoga; the Greenville Drive; the Greenville Swamp Rabbits; Huitt Farms; M. Judson Booksellers; Shucks Oyster Bar Anderson; Summa Joe’s Searing Pans; and more. A full list of the silent auction items and services will be available for bidding at the Gala.

ECP is excited to hold the theatre’s very first Gala at Huitt Farms. This “Dress to Impress” evening will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres from Black Sheep Café & Catering, a cash bar, silent auction, and entertainment focused on ECP’s first 35 years of community theatre productions. Gala attendees will also learn more about ECP’s 2019 “Season of Gratitude”. All Gala proceeds will benefit ECP’s non-profit arts programs. ECP is a 501(c)3 organization. Gala tickets are available at https://ecplayhouse.com. The Gala RSVP deadline is February 1.

Theatre productions in ECP’s 2019 season include “Tuck Everlasting” through February 3; the one-acts “Laundry & Bourbon” and “Lone Star” presented together as “1959 Pink Thunderbird”; “Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)”; “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood”; “Moon Over Buffalo”; and “Messiah on the Frigidaire”. Additionally, the season includes two ECP Plus Productions for Mature Audience: “Life’s Stages” (three one-acts) and “The Santaland Diaries”. The Summer Youth Workshop is “101 Dalmatians”. Individual and season show tickets are available. Visit https://ecplayhouse.com or call 864.224.4248.