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Theatre Macon to perform virtual, socially distanced concert

The non-profit theatre group is bringing "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" to a computer screen near you

MACON, Ga. — Thanks to the pandemic, small theaters across the country have been forced to close the curtains on their planned productions.

However, with some adjustments, Theatre Macon has found a way to continue producing live art for the community while following safety guidelines.

Now, after weeks of rehearsals, the non-profit theatre group is ready to bring their rendition of "A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" to the stage and your computer screen.

Rather than a typical in-theater performance, the show will be available for live streaming for four days.

The musical comedy follows protagonist Monty Navarro along a murderous social climb for power, love and money.

For artistic director Richard Frazier, creating the production gave some Central Georgia actors a chance to shine while pushing the limits of how they perform.

"The voices and the amount of talent in this show are phenomenal," Frazier said. "It's a style of show that we haven't seen in Middle Georgia, especially in a musical format in quite some time."

In order to broadcast the show live, directors introduced cameras into the theatre set-up.

"It was something that Richard and I had never really done on this scale before," Director of Photography Chas Pridgen said. "Adding that layer on top of everything was a very exciting challenge for all of us."

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, actors mainly rehearsed in small groups and staging positions were given enough space to maintain social distancing.

Despite having to take pandemic rules into account, both directors agree that it was all worth it to reunite with the Theatre Macon family.

"It was difficult with our masks, sanitizing, and social distancing," Frazier said. "But just to be back together again... figuring out what this new type of theatre is has really been exciting."

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder" opens on Thursday, September 17 with daily shows through to Sunday.

For more information or to purchase tickets, check out Theatre Macon's website.

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