CONWAY — The Lantern Theatre is moving.
Trent Reese, president of the Community Arts Association of Conway-The Lantern Theatre Board of Directors, said the community arts organization is seeking a new home. The Lantern has been in its current location on Van Ronkle Street since 2012.
The Community Arts Association of Conway was formerly known as the Conway Community Arts Association.
“After a lot of debate and conversation, the board of directors has chosen to move out of our home on Van Ronkle,” Reese said. “We have so enjoyed the over half a decade we have spent in that space, but it is time to move on. We are so thankful for the support we have received while on Van Ronkle, and we hope our patrons will continue to support us.”
Reese said several things precipitated the move, including the current road construction on Van Ronkle and the fact that the building’s air-conditioning system quit working. He said the move from the current facility was expected to be completed by the end of this month, with all of the organization’s equipment, props, sets, etc., moved to a storage facility the theater maintains on Court Street.
“But we aren’t done yet. We will continue to find new and interesting ways to bring quality, eclectic theatrical experiences to the Conway and central-Arkansas communities,” he said.
“While we are searching for a new home, we still plan to present the shows we have announced for this season. We hope to use ‘found spaces,’ such as churches, parks and other venues. We hope to follow the schedule as closely as we can. We are supposed to do two main shows and our Thanksgiving and Christmas shows,” Reese said.
“It is kind of a bummer that we are moving, but it’s kind of exciting, too. This may allow us to find more creative venues for our productions, such as nursing homes or senior-citizen centers where we might present our live radio shows that would appeal to that generation of patrons,” he said.
“We have been in quite a tailspin these past few weeks,” Reese said. “We have had to reschedule the opening date of Macbeth (originally set for July 20) and have had to find a new venue for it.
“We are so grateful to St. Peter’s Episcopal Church for allowing us to use their parish hall for this upcoming show. Tickets for Macbeth are on sale online at thelanterntheatre.com. Patrons who have bought tickets for the previous dates can email me at trent@thelanerntheatre.com to exchange or refund the tickets.”
Reese said patrons can continue to follow The Lantern on Facebook or on the website.