Story by News Editor Zoebelle Bean
Wealthy Theatre, built in 1911 and located on the brick path down Wealthy Street, is a local historic theater that shows old movies and hosts a variety of live performances. It’s known for being commonplace for theater folks and movie-lovers alike to come together to appreciate the cinema.
Through the years, Wealthy Theatre has been home to many workshops and conferences to engage those interested in theater, including round tables throughout the year for producers, actors, writers, and composers to sit and openly discuss acting, open projector nights to showcase local movies, and classes to teach young adults about movie making, hosted by the Grand Rapids Community Media Center. One such event is the “Winter Theatre Forum,” hosted by a local theatre organization called Carpenbarry.
The forum is described on the Carpenbarry website as, “A four-day conference that brings together the vibrant theatre community of Grand Rapids to share their inspiration, knowledge, and create new ideas. We believe in the power of theatre to transform lives and communities, and we’re here to celebrate that belief and ensure the future of theatre in Grand Rapids.”
Organized by Elizabeth Barry, this first ever “Winter Theatre Forum” will celebrate all things theatre, from a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, to a workshop on how to act in a Shakespearean play, to a theatre-themed dance lesson. The Forum is a four-day conference that will run from Wednesday, December 27th, to Saturday, December 30th. There are both all-access passes and day passes available, and these can be found on the Carpenbarry Company website.
Barry states that, “We’ve designed the Winter Theatre Forum to be an enriching and transformative experience, offering a unique platform for artists, performers, educators, and enthusiasts to come together, collaborate, and celebrate the vibrant arts community in our region. It’s an event filled with workshops, performances, and networking opportunities that aim to catalyze growth in the performing arts and entertainment industry in Grand Rapids.”
Not only that, but the Carpenbarry Company is looking for volunteers as well as attendees for the event. If you are interested in either helping with the venue or coming for the concerts and the events happening, Carpenbarry is more than willing to help you with either and can be reached at their email, Hello@CarpenBarry.com.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity! The Winter Theatre Forum is an excellent place to engage in the performing arts community of Grand Rapids and the Saint Newspaper will even be there to cover it all. Stay tuned for a follow-up on this event when we come back from winter break, Saints!
Featured image Courtesy of Grand Rapids Community Media Center
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