By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Sept. 23 — For some of the special guests fidgeting up front in reserved seats, it was their first live performance in a theater…and certainly their first magician. Ruckersville native Wes Iseli performed card tricks, disappeared in a box skewered with swords, and made a live bird appear in his hand. Luray’s downtown performing arts center became a world of illusion for nearly two hours, and new doors of imagination and experience were opened up for every child in the room.
“I was very grateful to see how they enjoyed it,” said Miles Morimoto, a volunteer with Performing Arts of Luray (or “PAL”, as the group is known). “And who knows how that might inspire them in the future…that story that Wes told them about becoming a magician…and the fact that the magician was such a great magician, just made it all work.”
About 20 seats were reserved up front for the Sept. 23 performance scheduled by PAL at the Rebecca J. Graves Regional Center for the Performing Arts. Twenty free tickets were donated to The Rec Center on West Main Street, allowing access to quality live entertainment by local youth who made not have otherwise been able to enjoy that unique experience.
“Wes had those little kids engaged, paying attention…sometimes screaming and completely engaged for two hours, which is really difficult to do today when they’re all on their devices,” Morimoto said. “People were very appreciative and thought it was a really good thing to do.”
Morimoto became inspired to spearhead the outreach program when he saw the great things that Audre King was doing at The Rec, including the site’s new Luray Restoration Park.
“You got this sense of a community pied piper, someone who helps…his ability to draw in support was amazing, and his vision has really come to life…The Rec Center…the people…I was blown away,” said Morimoto, who assisted The Rec Center with its website.
“He told me those kids are from disadvantaged homes, and he asked them how many had been out of the area, and it was none…so they took a bus to New York City…he asked how many had ever been to the beach – none – so they took a bus to Virginia Beach…what he’s done here, and for those kids, is amazing,” he continued. “So, when the magician show came up, we wanted to open it up to kids who may have never seen a live magician before. So I went to the board, and without blinking an eye, they went with it.”
Performing Arts of Luray was established in 2005 as a local non-profit and one year later acquired the former BB&T bank building at the intersection of Business 211 and 340, square in the middle of Downtown Luray. For many of those years, the non-profit fought the stigma of being an “elitist” social club and sought to broaden its entertainment offerings to the public.
“That type of community engagement [that we saw on Sept. 23] is critical,” Morimoto said. “You have a theater, and a theater is nothing without people. This is not just for the ‘elite’…this is a community resource, for community engagement, and we want everyone to be able to participate in what PAL presents.”
From musical performances to stand-up comedians, PAL has given the community a gateway into a world of entertainment that locals usually have to travel an hour or two to experience live. As the non-profit continues to recover from the lost time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group’s board of directors is looking at bringing back some of the old, pre-pandemic favorites back, like community plays with local actors.
“A lot of things got derailed by COVID, and we’re trying to bring them back,” Morimoto said. “The more things we can do in that direction [such as local, community productions] really opens up what we’re presenting and what we’re about…bringing joy to the community and allowing people to give live performances.”
COVID put a temporary end to community theater productions that were often some of the most engaging and successful shows of the year, as well as local workshops. Morioto says PAL will begin presenting local productions in early 2024.
“The good news is that even after COVID we are still here,” Morimoto said. “It shows good financial management…we’ve kept in black, even during COVID, when others have failed.”
The organization has been in the black for the past five years, so they are now in a position to begin considering an acquisition of the building. Long-term, some capital improvements are planned for the three-story brick structure along East Main Street. The facility also hosts private events between shows and serves as a back-up or auxiliary venue for downtown events.
PAL tries to present about one program per month, always on a Saturday, but they only schedule about a quarter of the calendar at time because of negotiations with performers. The group is guided by about 10 board members, plus another half-dozen volunteers — and they are always looking for new volunteers to lend a hand.
“This is a community theater,” Morimoto said, “and we want the community to be involved and to enjoy it.”
Performing Arts of Luray has two upcoming performances:
- Brent Gordon, saxophone/vocals, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 — Brent has been performing in the Vail Valley for more than 20 years. He graduated from Shepherd University with a music education degree and has embraced the stage the way he did the practice room when he was a student. Brent is an accomplished saxophonist and vocalist performing music in any genre. His fiery soulful vocals and powerful sax rich with improvisation are captivating and provide distinct energy to each and every performance.
- The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., “Cabaret Ensemble,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 — GMCW is a renowned performance group. Since 1981, they have performed shows nationally, internationally, and at-home in Washington, DC. To date, they have 250-plus singing members, four select ensembles, 500 donors, one youth chorus, and an annual audience of more than 10,000. “Our mission is to use music to promote equality, achieve justice, and overcome our differences. That — and put on one hell of a show in the process.” Soloists from the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC will tell hilarious and heartwarming stories about photos of themselves projected onstage and sing songs from the worlds of Broadway and Pop music.
For more information about Performing Arts of Luray
or tickets for upcoming shows,
visit https://performingartsluray.org/
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