Behind the Scenes Awards

Thursday, May 6th at the Ridgefield Arts Council’s annual Behind-the-Scenes Awards we were proud to honor Catherine Malloy as our volunteer of the year. She could have been honored ANY year for her amazing service, but during the pandemic, as our bookkeeper she was a rock star! It was a great event hosted by our lovely colleagues at the Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center and it was bliss to be surrounded by our amazing arts and culture organizations here in town. Much needed and long overdue social interaction and support and love for the arts!

Live From Ballard Park

The Ridgefield Theater Barn is staging “Live from Ballard Park: A concert of light and love to benefit the Ridgefield Theater Barn” Thursday, September 17 th at 7pm.


Made possible with generous support from RKE Productions, this is a free concert, but donations are encouraged to help the theater get ready for re-opening in late fall. Patrons can make a donation when they reserve their “pod” at the park but will also have the opportunity via text-to-donate during the show. The Theater Barn is using the model developed by CHIRP, which includes all Covid-19 protocols to ensure that everyone’s participation is safe.


Featuring some of the best voices and stage personalities in the Fairfield and Westchester county theatre communities including, Shawn Tyler Allen, Anya Caravella, Zully Ramos, Everton Ricketts, Dany Rousseau, Steffon Sampson, Jess Smith, Michael Valinoti, and Jeffery Albanesi, as well as a special performance by RTB Kids Shayne Dwy, Charlotte Purcell, and Maddie Close, all accompanied by the exceptional Lisa Riggs Hobbs, the evening will be a night of song to uplift and entertain the Barn’s
beloved Ridgefield community. With Pamme Jones and Duane Lanham hosting, it’s certain the trademark RTB personality will be on full display! The concert will also be livestreamed for the community to enjoy at home on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, if they are not comfortable venturing out at this time.

In addition, there will be a pre-show episode of Duane Lanham’s “6 O’Clocktails” and for those who want to join in, ingredients for the cocktail and “mocktail” will be emailed to concert registrants in advance. As with CHIRP concerts, patrons should bring their own chairs, food & drink. Gates will open at 5:30, and only those that have registered will be granted admission. Masks are required and social distancing must be observed at all times except when guests are seated in their pod.

Although the concert is free, and walk-in space may be available, registration is strongly recommended and must account for all people in the party. Covid-19 Risk acknowledgment is required as part of the
reservation process. Pods come in space for up to 2, 4, 8, and 10 and cannot be combined, so reservations should be made accordingly.

New RTB Kids Team

Stacie Moye, RTBK Theater Program Director

Miss Stacie has worked with New York City public schools as the Production Advisor for Broadway Bound,and holds an MA in Theater Education from Emerson College. Miss Stacie brings decades of experience in children’s theater and education.

Anya Caravella, RTBK Music Program Director 

Miss Anya has been musically directing the RTBK since 2016 and launched the popular Glee program. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, Miss Anya studied classical voice in Milan, and is also an accomplished actress. 

Mr. Stefano Peña, Creative Director RTBK Summer Workshops

Mr. Peña has been driving the vision and direction of our summer programming since 2014 . Mr. Peña holds a masters in Music and Applied Teaching from Lehman College and teaches drama and music at the Windward School.  

An Announcement to Our Patrons

After long and difficult consideration, the Ridgefield Theater Barn Board of Directors has decided to suspend all Theater operations through May 31. This includes all classes, rehearsals, performances and the Ridgefield Theater Barn Kids workshop.

In coming to this unhappy decision, we considered all available options. Ultimately, the safety of our patrons, staff, students, casts and creative teams was paramount. We were also guided by recent protocol from state and federal officials.

We are deeply grateful for the support of the Town of Ridgefield and all our patrons, who have expressed loyalty beyond what we could have expected. The Theater Barn has been in existence for 54 years, and we plan to operate for another 54 at a minimum.

Our leadership will continue in an active way throughout this temporary shutdown. As you can imagine this suspension of operations has put enormous stress on our finances. We would welcome any donation to help us manage through this difficult time.

The RTB’s core community theater mission of inclusion, respect and joy drives everything that we do. We believe that in this unprecedented time, these ideals will be the cornerstone of what keeps our community together,  and the foundation on which we rise. We are eager to undertake anything we can do to keep that mission alive during this time. We  cannot wait until we can all be together again in our beautiful Barn, celebrating the gift of live theater. 

Be well. Look after each other.

Pamme Jones
Executive Director

RTB Launches Ghost Light Sessions (Live AND Remote!)

If you were able to attend, we hope you had fun at tonight’s RTB Ghost Light Session!

Now is the time for YOU to get involved!

Here are the ground rules: (1) The video must be in the dark, with an exposed, single-light bulb that mimics a traditional ghost light. (2) Submissions should be recorded on your phone or on a single camera device. Nothing fancy! (3) Please keep your video under 5 minutes in length.

In terms of content, here is what we are looking for:

Do you have a favorite theater memory, experience or performance (with preferential treatment to RTB stories, of course)? What has this quarantine inspired creatively? Did you have a performance cancelled or postponed and want share a song from that? Do you want to share your recorded Zoom session (aka “Brady Bunch” or “Hollywood Squares” style)? The possibilities are endless. Tell us your story and share the video!

Send your video to ghostlight@ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org and we will share our favorites on our Web site and social media platforms.

Share your submissions on social media using the following hashtags:

#RTBghostlightsessions
#RTBstealingtheghostlight

Introducing RTB Ghost Light Sessions

Have you been able to join an RTB Ghost Light Session yet? In these constantly changing times, as we all practice responsible social distancing, the Ridgefield Theater Barn has created a new live series for our theatre community: the RTB Ghost Light Sessions!

Hosted by Pamme Jones, the Executive Director of the Ridgefield Theater Barn, the series is dedicated to the theater lovers in our community and will happen live on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8:45pm. As the ghost light serves to illuminate our community’s darkened theaters, it also illuminates our spirits!

If you are interested in joining the fun, make sure you are a fan of the Ridgefield Theater Barn on Facebook, then log on to our page at 8:45 and join the fun!

Tonight, Pamme has an exciting announcement about our companion series and how to join in the fun!

A Message for Our Ticketholders

It was with a broken heart that we had to make the decision to close the RTB for a minimum of two weeks. The only comfort in this is the knowledge that it is the right thing to do and we are ALL in this together. The safety of our patrons, students, staff, casts and crews and our contribution to making sure we do our part to “flatten the curve” is imperative. 

We are acutely aware of the impact that COVID-19 is having on all sectors of our economy and society, and the RTB is no exception.

It goes without saying that the loss of these performances is financially devastating to our lovely theater. As a matter of fact, 80% of our operating budget comes from ticket and programming sales. 

As a ticket holder for our One Acts 2020, we are writing to you about what you can do with your tickets.

We are hoping that our patrons will consider keeping their tickets with us, for use at a future One Acts performance, or another RTB show OR convert them into a straight, tax deductible donation.  Either option will make it possible for the RTB to make it through this uncharted, challenging time and emerge ready to offer our usual fare of critically acclaimed, award winning productions. 

Of course, if you prefer a refund, we understand and will process that for you.

Please let me know what you would like to do, and as always, do not hesitate to contact me with any questions. We will all navigate this better if we are kind and supportive and keep communication open.  Be well.

Pamme Jones
Executive Director
The Ridgefield Theater Barn

Opening Night Postponed

An Evening of One Acts Opening on March 27th

In response to the developing guidance regarding COVID-19, we are postponing opening night of An Evening of One Acts to Friday, March 27th.

If you have already purchased tickets for a performance this weekend or next, please contact the box office and we will be happy to handle an exchange.  Understanding the situation is fluid, we will keep you informed as to any changes.  On behalf of the cast and crew, we very much look forward to sharing this fabulous production with you, as soon as it is appropriate and safe to do so.

COVID-19 Statement from the RTB

As we all continue to monitor the novel coronavirus COVID-19, we want to make you aware of the measures we have implemented to safeguard the health of those visiting, rehearsing, attending a production or taking a class at the RTB.

In addition to our regular practices and weekly, contracted professional cleaning services, we are spraying down all contact surfaces in our theater, rehearsal spaces and public areas, including seats, counters, railings, door handles, sink faucets, etc. This includes before and after every performance, rehearsal or class. 

Our RTB Kids will use hand sanitizer upon checking in, before they sign in and start a session.  Please reinforce handwashing practices with your families; as we are all well aware, handwashing goes a long way!

Our actors, staff and volunteers will also follow these guidelines, as we all pitch in to control infection.

We are following the guidelines from the CDC and the Town of Ridgefield Health Department as we all stay informed about the current situation. The RTB will follow the town’s lead when it comes to canceling performances and classes.  The home page of our website will have the latest updates.

We encourage everyone to follow the guidelines from the CDC.  Here are some helpful links for information regarding COVID-19:

https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus

https://www.ridgefieldct.org/home/urgent-alerts/town-ridgefield-coronavirus-update

If you have any questions about our preparations around this or any other public health issue, please feel free to reach out to us at info@ridgefieldtheaterbarn.com.

Sincerely,

Pamme Jones
Executive Director
Ridgefield Theater Barn

Casting Complete for The Exonerated

THE EXONERATED
BY JESSICA BLANK & ERIK JENSEN
DIRECTED BY SCOTT R. BRILL


OPENING NIGHT JUNE 5

The Ridgefield Theater Barn’s 2019-2020 Season continues with the announcement of the cast for The Exonerated, written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen. 

The play, based on true accounts of six wrongfully convicted death row inmates and their journey to freedom, is directed by Scott R. Brill and is produced in conjunction with The Innocence Project.

The full cast includes David Rengelmann (Kerry), Priscilla Squiers (Sunny), Kevin Knight (Delbert), Foster Reese (David), David Fritsch (Gary), Kendall Driffin (Georgia, Judge, Darla & State Prosecutor), Paulette Layton (Sue, Sandra & Female Ensemble) and Hugh Tucker (Male Ensemble).

The company is joined by Production Manager Stefanie Rosenberg and Stage Manager Nicole Veach. 

Opening night is set for June 5, 2020 at 8pm. All performances are cabaret style and patrons are welcome to bring food and drink. Doors open one hour prior to curtain. Book tickets at www.ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/tickets.