MACON, Ga. — Macon Little Theatre is ending its 90th season with a story about embracing who you are and loving thy neighbor.
The Prom is a comedy musical about washed-up Broadway stars who, in an effort to be taken more seriously, try to help a small-town girl take the girl she loves to prom after facing backlash from her community.
"They rush into a small town and try to fix everything, but they never stop to listen first. And that, to me, is the moral of the story. You can't help fix something if you don't ever listen to what the real problem is," Director Sylvia Haynie said.
Haynie works on the show with musical director Laura Voss and choreographer Jenny Carrroll Morris.
The trio have worked together for almost 20 years and have a true passion for helping children express themselves through music and dance.
Haynie says since many of the actors are teens she wanted to show to feel authentic to their personalities and lives. Records, medals and books from the actors were even used as props in the show.
"In a community theatre show like this, we have different ages, and we have everything from someone who is a professional singer who teaches as the head of the vocal department at Georgia College all the way to young actors who this may be their first show," Voss said.
But all three in this musical trio are musicians who love helping others create magic on stage and have been a large part of making the theatre a special place for several seasons.
The 90th season is ending with a show about love, something Voss, Haynie and Morris put a lot of into their work. Love and understanding are also qualities Hyanie thinks the world needs more of.
"When you're sitting in the audience and you're watching a show like this, you have to acknowledge that there are people who are going to feel differently, react differently. Theatre raises your empathy for all positions. The more theatre you see the more truly understanding you are of other people's viewpoints," she said.
There are characters in the show who could be seen as antagonists, but Haynie and Voss said in their version of the show they lean into a more empathetic and versatile characterization.
Haynie says the show is ultimately about truly listening to those around you, so they hope when you see the show, you're left with a greater understanding of how people are different.
"If we manage to make even one person's heart feel more kindness towards someone who might be different than them, then we've achieved our goal," she said.
You can see The Prom at Macon Little Theatre on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. You can get tickets an hour before showtime or online at Macon Little Theatre's website.