It was a cruel irony. Adventure Theatre MTC was about to launch its production of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” when it entered a “run” of exactly that, in the words of Leon Seemann, its managing director.
The “run” began with a fire, which broke out at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Friday, March 2, in the theater’s Turret/loft area of its Glen Echo location. (Adventure Theatre also has space at the Wintergreen Plaza in Rockville.)
Founded in the 1950s, Adventure Theatre aims to educate and inspire new generations of theater artists and audiences with high-quality professional theater.
But there were silver linings. No personnel were onsite when the fire broke out, so no one was injured. The performance space wasn’t touched, although damage elsewhere resulted in the cancellation of several performances of “Alexander.”
This amounted to an additional $27,000 in lost revenue beyond the $500,000 in damages to the offices, costumes, and other equipment estimated by the fire marshal.
A snowstorm added insult to injury, resulting in three more performances being canceled.
“The exact cause of the fire is still not known,” said Seemann. “We do know it was electrical, related to a windstorm. A power surge then caused two wires to arc and lose their plastic coating.”
He called the origin of the fire in the turret a “blessing in disguise,” because it didn’t have enough oxygen to spread.
The real damage was caused not so much the fire itself but by smoke and the water needed to put it out. The office drywall had to be cut; the tiles were under a half-inch of water for several days and were no longer safe.
The theater’s computers were hosed. Some 2,500 costume pieces sustained damage, as did 60 years of files and archives.
“The theater offices, which take up about one-half of the building, weren’t usable,” said Seemann. “The offices will need to be rebuilt and refurnished, and Adventure Theatre will have to replace equipment, flooring, tile, carpets, drywall, and several lighting systems.”
Beyond the damage, Seemann said, there was a residual feeling of “not being safe” that anyone who has undergone a fire or similar trauma can understand.
But the theater also responded with resolve, getting “Alexander” back in gear quickly and keeping up its spirit.
The next step is to raise the money for the repairs, rebuilding, and refurnishing.
Insurance will cover some, and the National Park Service, which owns the Glen Echo property, will take care of external and structural repairs. But thousands of dollars remain to be raised.
The fundraising has already begun. A campaign, #FillTheGap, brought in a considerable amount from what Seemann describes as “1000 of our closest friends, each giving $50.”
Adventure Theatre continues the campaign through a donation banner on its website. In addition, once the full inventory has been completed, the theater will call for in-kind donations and volunteers to assist with furniture, computer equipment, and restoration projects.
“We need to find resources for repairs,” said Seemann. “We’re speaking with a few different contractors who might offer services at or below cost.”
Adventure Theatre is grateful to several area theaters that have scheduled benefits or otherwise are raising money for #FillTheGap. So far, these are Round House Theatre, Keegan Theater, GALA Hispanic Theater, Imagination Stage, and First Draft. TheatreWashington, a fellow nonprofit in the DC area, has helped spread the word to other organizations.
The theater appreciates other kindnesses, such as neighbors letting them use their washing machines and Glen Echo Park sharing its copier.
“A lot of people are reaching out and asking what they can do,” Seemann added.
Adventure Theatre is gearing up for its next production, “Judy Moody & Stink,” to open April 20 and run through June 3. On a larger scale, it hopes to be “fully up and running” by mid-May in time for the 40th anniversary of its Summer Musical Theatre Camp — though it will need to find resources to achieve that goal.
“It’s just heartbreaking to see all that we’ve worked for, our home and our history, in turmoil like this,” said artistic director Michael J. Bobbitt. “We’re so grateful to the people who have reached out to us already, but there is a long road ahead to get us back to where we were.”
If the determination the theater has shown so far is any indication, it will make it.
For more information on how to help, click here, or call the Wintergreen Plaza location, 301-251-5766.
