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San Antonio’s Magik Theatre held its grand reopening this month with its summer production of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
The Magik Theatre reopened its doors after undergoing five months of interior renovations. The renovations were courtesy of the 2022 Bond Project.
Chief Executive Officer Mel Zarb-Cousin said renovations include new seating, a new HVAC system, and a new accessible entrance inside the theatre.
“So really in alignment with our values of belonging, we still have a long way to go, but it's a step in the right direction, and having city support in that has been incredible,” said Zarb-Cousin. “We got private dollars to put in new seats to paint and just make some long overdue upgrades.”
Sharon Newhardt is with Morgan’s, a San Antonio nonprofit with a view to making inclusion the standard. She says she’s had a longstanding history with the Magik Theatre, personally and professionally.
“And so both my husband and my son have appeared in or performed for Magik Theatre shows over the years. And then the Magik Theatre reached out to us at Morgan's, excited to share with us all of the improvements they've made for accessibility and inclusion,” said Newhardt. “So it was kind of a two-way street that brought me here today, but I'm excited to be here and see what's happening.”
Newhardt added she’d like to see Magik Theatre provide more opportunities to individuals with disabilities in the arts.
“I would love to see them become a focal point for inclusive theater, both for the audience and for performers here in San Antonio as well,” said Newhardt.
Artistic Director Collin Pittmann says Magik Theatre plans to apply to the next city bond project to continue renovations for more accessible features.
“So currently in the theater there is no lift from the auditorium level up onto the stage, so it makes it difficult for us to accommodate perhaps actors who have mobility limitations or wheelchair needs,” said Pittmann.
Pittman hopes to expand its cast of actors to the disability community.
“And of course we want to have as inclusive a cast as possible and as diverse a cast as possible,” he said, “because we do have the interest regionally in our talent that comes to auditions, and we want to be able to support them and cast them in our shows accordingly.”
Pittmann said the grand re-opening includes the production of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar," which is based on the beloved Eric Carle book.
“Three actors actually operate more than 75 puppets in the show, and these puppets are actually from Rockefeller Productions in New York City. So they were trucked down here to Texas for this production in particular, and they're just so colorful, they're a visual treat,” said Pittmann. “They look just like Eric Carle's book illustrations but come to life on stage. And we've had so much fun because there's actually a local Sesame Street actor or puppeteer, Bradley Freeman Jr., who lives in San Antonio, and he has so graciously served as our puppet trainer on this show, so we've been so fortunate to have that really professional expertise.”
Pittmann expressed how grateful Magik Theatre is to have Freeman assist with the production.
“Bradley is no stranger to Magic Theater. He's attended productions here before, and some of the folks on our team know of Bradley,” said Pittmann. “I have minimal puppetry experience myself, and he was so willing to come in and just like spread his knowledge with the cast, and he's unlocked so many things in terms of how you operate the puppets and how you breathe as the puppet, and how each puppet is, of course, its own character.”
“The Very Hungry Caterpillar" runs through August 2 at the Magik Theatre with an American Sign Language performance on Sunday, July 12, and a sensory-friendly showing on August 1.
