Kenley Smith and the Studio Roanoke theater space he built downtown on Campbell Avenue may have discovered how many really felt about his venture after it was burglarized two weeks ago on a Friday night. After sound equipment, lighting, props and costumes were pilfered sometime late that night or early Saturday morning, a matinee performance of the most recent play, “Up from the Lunar Surface” had to be canceled.
Between then and the 8 p.m. show however, friends of Studio Roanoke and its dogged employees sprang into action. Smith figured that “if we really start now we can pull together a hell of a good show for the evening [show]. It ended up that we had a really great performance [that night].”
The Hollins University theater technical director John Forsman supplied lighting fixtures, a control console and amplifier, while Jennie Ruhland from Roanoke College’s theater department chipped in with costumes for the cast of Lunar Surface. Roanoke College technical director George Arthur also lent his expertise Saturday afternoon.
Others even cleaned up the fingerprint powder left behind by a police forensics crew. “This was community in the greatest sense – people just asking what do I need to do?” said Smith.
“We knew there were lots of people that would be willing to help,” said Smith, who sent a thank you note out via e-mail a few days later, also thanking his Studio Roanoke staff for “spinning straw into gold. “The curtain speech [that Saturday] evening marked my most satisfying moment in theater,” wrote Smith. “From the initial chaos a dedicated community turned darkness into light … perhaps it defined Roanoke too, as a community in which generosity trumps disaster.”
Still, it was disheartening to see much of the work that had been put into making the former clothing store a creditable black box theater “just ripped out… [it] was a kick in the teeth.” A few days later Roanoke City police arrested Michael Bowyer, 31, for the theft. He had apparently tried to sell some of the equipment in the days following the burglary. The police recovered some if not all of the pilfered equipment.
Last weekend several people at an art gallery opening said Bowyer had been seen at the improvisational No Shame Theatre, when it was held at Studio Roanoke. At least one said they had noticed Bowyer behaving erratically in recent weeks.
The borrowed equipment stayed in place throughout the run for Up from the Lunar Surface, which ended last weekend. Smith figures a more permanent solution and perhaps new equipment must be found before the next production, since some of it came back damaged. He’s hoping that insurance will cover most of the losses and could not give full details on what was taken on the advice of the Roanoke City Police Department.
The quick recovery, losing just the one matinee after discovering the theft, “defined us as a theatre of spirit and determination – a theatre that will not accept defeat,” said Smith, who earned two master’s degrees (creative writing, playwriting) at Hollins University.
With seven more plays and other events (classes, poetry lounges, etc.) Smith said nothing would be pushed back. “We’re going to make it work one way or the other.” He does urge anyone that might have been thinking about making a donation to Studio Roanoke to think about doing it now.
“We need to start getting our plans together now [for replacement equipment],” said Smith, noting that rehearsals for the next play begin this week. The show must go on. “It’s a tremendous coming of age for us. I like where we are, I really do.”
By Gene Marrano [email protected]