Missouri Theater Unclear on When it Will Return to Normalcy

The future remains unclear for the Missouri Theater, which held a performance for the first time since March earlier this month, News-Press Now reports.

The Robidoux Resident Theatre housed It's A Wonderful Life: The Musical, with a reduced seating capacity, in honor of the holiday season.

"We need this as a gift to ourselves and as a gift to those come see it," said the show's director, Carol Myers.

However, it is unclear if the theater will be able to continue presenting shows in this manner. There are currently no shows scheduled until October 2021, when the theater plans to present School of Rock: The Musical.

The theater is run by the St. Joseph Parks, Recreation and Civic Facilities Department, and its Director Chuck Kempf said it has been a challenging year.

"It's challenging from an operational standpoint, trying to just make things happen, trying to make sure that we can do some things. It's frustrating and challenging from a health standpoint to make sure we're keeping people healthy," he said.

However, he remains optimistic that people will return to the theater now that the COVID-19 vaccine is rolling out. But it may look a little different, with indoor performances taking more time to return.

"We'd love to see this get back to normal, but I don't think that's going to happen ... at least through spring," he said. "We'll continue watching what's going on in the world. We'll continue listening to the health experts. We'll continue trying to make good, safe, intelligent decisions, but also try and allow people to do some normal activities."

Read more on News-Press Now.

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