The building that once housed the Artists Collaborative Theatre is now a pile of ash and debris
The building held a lot of memories for many people in the community. Interim artistic director Treyton Blackburn said that does not change just because the building is gone.
“All the memories from the building, we still get to have. Those belong to us,” Blackburn said. “It was a space. It was our space, but it was just a space.”
He said the importance of the mission of ACT was never reliant on the walls in which it thrived.
“This building. You can’t take it with you. But we can leave behind a legacy of art and a legacy of creation. And we can leave behind memories,” he said.
Blackburn said many of the youth in the area rely on the theatre as a home away from home.
“A lot of these kids, I know, feel like they don’t have any other place to be and they don’t have family,” said Blackburn.
One of those students, Elethan Bowling, has worked in the theatre through ACT for more than 10 years. He said it has helped him become the person he is.
“Theatre, it’s not just about going and putting on shows and, you know, wanting to do theatre. It’s about making better people,” Bowling said.
Bowling, now a junior at East Ridge High School, was accepted into the Governor’s School for the Arts, for which he credits ACT.
“It has really helped me with self-confidence and speaking in front of people,” he said. “And probably just figuring out what direction I want my life to go.”
He said the theatre may no longer have a building, but its mission lives long past its now nonexistent walls.
“Yes, it is sad that the building has burned down. But the spirit of ACT is still alive in its people. We’re just at a different place,” Bowling said.
Blackburn agreed, saying the show will still go on as ACT tries to figure out what its next scene looks like.
“And the challenges that come with: Okay, how do we present our art and what does this do with our art? And what do we want to present? You know, we’re not the same company we were two days ago,” Blackburn said.
He added that he will be forever grateful for the support and love showed to the crew by the community, saying the dedicated first responders who worked to get the fire out are just a glimpse of the incredible community in which the ACT resides.
As they move toward another production, which Blackburn said will be “You Can’t Take it With You.” He says the play dives into the idea of what you can take with you and what your legacy becomes when you leave things behind.
“I’m really interested to see how the show lands in this new circumstance,” he said. “In ways that it wouldn’t have otherwise.”
He said ACT is looking for volunteers and donations now more than ever as they move toward continuing the mission. To donate, or find out how you can help, visit Artists Collaborative Theatre, Inc. on Facebook.