Editor’s note: Open Call is a weekly column in which we ask arts and cultural leaders to share their perspectives on emerging from the COVID-19 crisis and welcoming back audiences.
The Grand Opera House recently celebrated its 150th birthday. Now that’s an accomplishment in itself.
But even more impressive than the building’s age is to think about the reach that we have had as an organization, the number of people who have worked here, the generations who have come to see shows, the communities who participated in so many different types of programs over the past 150 years.
With our (pre-COVID) programming, The Grand welcomed 200,000 visitors annually. We estimate that at least 7 million people have walked through the doors of The Grand. And the best part of that realization is how different everyone truly is.
In our launch of The Grand’s sesquicentennial anniversary, we started a project of refreshing the History Hallway – a space located between the two buildings with display panels to tell the stories of our past. Maya Levine, a student from Cab Calloway School for the Arts, who was working as a Junior Fellow with the Delaware Historical Society, joined our research efforts and uncovered some interesting artifacts.
We knew The Grand had always showcased a variety of live offerings, but most of us didn’t quite realize how diverse those offerings were, even as early as the 19th century.
In her research of the Paul Preston Davis Collection, Maya discovered an advertisement for an 1879 performance of “H.M.S. Pinafore,” a comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan that opened in London just one year earlier. However, the tagline was unexpected, as it read: “40 Colored People In Opera.” While the language used in this advertisement is clearly appalling by today’s standards, the fact of having an entire cast of Black actors and promoting them as relevant and quality entertainment in 1879 is uplifting, especially a mere decade after the Civil War and in a border state.
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Maya presented this information at a panel discussion, hosted by the Delaware Historical Society for The Grand’s anniversary. Among the other speakers was Benjamin Cannon, executive director of the Wilmington Ballet, who shared his reflections as an African American citizen of the arts. Benjamin had fond memories of attending The Grand and The Playhouse as a child, and credited his theater experiences as life-changing. He reacted to this revelation that Maya shared about H.M.S. Pinafore: “Seeing this ad – while the language is harsh – really gave me a sense of belonging.” That is the feeling we hope to provide for all people.”
In another program to create belonging, The Grand launched a series of sensory-friendly performances in 2018. These are fun, accessible family shows that offer special accommodations for audience members with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or any youngsters who are just beginning to enjoy live theater and may not be able to attend a “regular” show.
Whether audience members require fidget toys and need space to move around instead of sitting quietly in a dark theater, or they are highly sensitive and struggle to deal with loud music and bright lights, these performances make allowances and provisions that create a more comfortable environment for all families. Audiences are very appreciative of the effort to broaden our scope, as affirmed by a loyal attendee, Stella Mask: “Anytime you make the world wider, you make the world more accessible. It’s profoundly impactful in ways that you can’t estimate.”
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As part of The Grand’s RISE campaign, we established The Gilliam Family Diversity Fund to ensure that the cultural richness of Delaware can be shared with all citizens, both in the shows we present and in how we interact with the public we serve. As a permanent endowment, funding will be used to support subsidies for low-income students and families, focused marketing strategies to reach more diverse populations, unique artist residencies designed for inclusive programming, as well as staff training, professional consultants, and local artist development. This is our commitment to strengthen efforts in these areas with monetary resources to back it. It is hope for the future.
I’ve been here at The Grand over 15 years. I’ve seen efforts to reach everyone, some more successful than others; all have been heartfelt. While we continue to evolve and respond to the ever-changing world around us, I am encouraged by the reactions of those we are able to serve – those who choose to participate, first-time visitors, students who learn differently, patrons who are welcomed in this historic building.
We’ve got to keep this spirit alive for the next 150 years by seeking new ways to connect, finding new avenues to reach people, and opening our doors to new opportunities. We all deserve to feel, as Benjamin Cannon does, “a sense of belonging.”
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The Grand is optimistic about a post-pandemic era that will bring our entire community together once again for the shared experience of live arts and entertainment. As our Executive Director, Mark Fields, said in his anniversary remarks last month: “The Grand is for everyone. And that’s true, even if everyone doesn’t know it yet.”
Pamelyn Manocchio is managing director of The Grand Opera House.
