Milton Theatre reopens, puts safety precautions in place
MILTON, Del. – A local theater with deep historical roots opened its doors back up to customers Wednesday. The Milton Theatre kicked things off with a screening of the Wizard of Oz. As Milton Theatre opened its doors and welcomed guests back, they kept safety in mind. Guests are being seated three seats away from each other in one row apart. “The theaters capacity is about 290 and all of our events this weekend are limited to 80 or 90,” said marketing director JP Lacap.
Even with those limits – the Milton Theatre says they’re ready for a comeback. Director Fred Munzert says he believes the community is ready to connect once more. Munzert says spotlighting the arts is a perfect way to do that. “People want to immerse themselves back in it. They want to be encouraged. They want to be entertained. They want to laugh. They want to cry and celebrate,” said Munzert.
Lacap tells 47ABC that while the theater was closed to the public, the staff was busy behind the scenes cleaning, revamping, and improving. “This was actually a perfect opportunity for us to streamline some of the stuff. We have replaced some of the old equipment that we had,” said Lacap.
Milton Theatre says some programming had to change, but their large space allows for flexibility. Plus, Munzert says right now the theater is focusing on local performers. “We’re really relying on regional and local people, which is even better because it’s putting money back in the pockets of people that live in our community,” said Munzert.
Most of all Milton Theatre says this pandemic is just another chapter in their history, and will make them stronger in the end. “This building has been through so much. The town has as well. Major fires that devastated large parts of the town, and it really keeps coming back as the arts does,” said Munzert.
Milton Theatre has a number of events lined up for the rest of this week. They say they hope the community comes out to support them. All guests are required to wear masks when they visit. Milton Theatre staff also set up a mobile ordering system for food and beverages. That way, snacks and drinks are ready for pick up and face to face contact is minimized.
