By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
The new Interim Executive Director of the New Bern Civic Theatre, Tyler Griffin, has been busily leading the renovation of the Athens Theatre and adjacent executive space, located on 412 Pollock Street, and the transformation is both aesthetically pleasing and highly practical. “When I took on this role, I felt strongly that we needed to begin the remodel process immediately, for our community and for our Civic Theatre team,” says Tyler. “The need for a rehearsal space that wasn’t on the actual stage was imperative to the utilization of the facility. In the past our stage has been tied up as both a rehearsal area and a shop for set building. The result has been the stage has only been in active use 1.5 months of the calendar year, and if we wanted to increase programming, we had to make some quick changes.”
Since Tyler began in September of 2021, he has created a new website that is easier to navigate with a modernized ticketing system that is similar to Ticketmaster, for the ease of patrons. But the big overhaul has been remodeling the executive office space next to the Athens theatre, including a gut of the first floor, taking down plaster to expose brick, scraping and painting tin ceilings and installing new LVP flooring. “The purpose was to make a multi-venue performing arts complex and a dual space for rehearsal and performance,” says Tyler. “We now can rehearse in the adjacent space, and also use it during performances as a dressing and makeup area for our actors. We are currently looking for an off-site location that we can use to build our sets. Hopefully we can find someone in the community that could offer that up to us to help support the theatre and our efforts.”
With the first phase completed, the next step will be refurbishing the Athens theatre itself, including remodeling the walls, adding a door between the theatre lobby to new rehearsal space, purchasing a new sound system, and relocating the sound booth to the back of the orchestra area.
Tyler, who is well-suited for spear-heading the project, was born in New Bern, raised in Kinston and graduated from ECU with a BFA in musical theatre in 2011. He then became the musical director at Cedar Point in Ohio, and subsequently directed and performed with Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. He has worked in regional theatre, and across the border in Mexico. He recently returned to New Bern in 2020.
Together with the New Bern Civic Theatre Board of Directors, technology manager Kris Pierson, and the new Director of Development, Erika Butters, the remodel is proceeding forward rapidly, but as always, the theatre is relying on the community for its support. Erika is looking forward to gaining that support from individuals in New Bern that are passionate about the arts: “I’m thrilled to be part of such an iconic establishment here in New Bern. Our new donor program is not only going to benefit the town but everyone involved in the theatre, as well as patrons who come to the theatre to escape into a world of talent and creativity.
For tickets to upcoming productions and to donate the theatre, please visit: newberncivictheatre.org