Gallery Theatre benefits from generosity of local business
Published 6:30 pm Tuesday, July 2, 2019
AHOSKIE – It can best be described as a really cool gift.
Masters Heating and Air Conditioning, located at 980 South Academy Street in Ahoskie, recently donated a five-ton Maytag HVAC unit to the Gallery Theatre.
Having serviced the Gallery since 2007, Masters Heating & Air Conditioning owner, John Masters, was quite familiar with the inner workings of the theatre’s HVAC units, so he was not surprised at the desperate call he received from Ralph Hewitt, Executive Director of the Gallery Theatre, on May 3, opening night of Our Town. The 18-year-old unit simply was not cooling the auditorium.
After examination and diagnosis, Masters delivered the bad news to Hewitt….the cost of parts alone for such a unit made the repair prohibitive. The Gallery needed a new unit, but that cost also seemed prohibitive for the non-profit organization.
Then, the miracle happened. Masters offered the unit and installation as a gift to The Gallery. Although patrons for the first weekend performances of Our Town may have suffered through some uncomfortable temperatures, the second weekend theatre-goers definitely benefited from Masters’ generosity.
The Gallery Theatre, in its 53rd year of providing cultural, theatrical experiences for Ahoskie and surrounding communities, is dependent for its survival on support from local entities such as Golden Skillet, the sponsor for the production of Our Town, and Masters Heating & Air Conditioning, businesses who truly believe in “Our Town.”
Please join your friends and neighbors for the next Gallery productions, Into the Woods, Jr., and The Castaways, which will serve as the culmination of the Summer Youth Theatre Workshop. These productions, under the direction of Gallery veteran Jordan Martin and Tracie Martin, will be presented Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. Not only will you see area youngsters at work, but you will do so in cool comfort, thanks to John Masters.
General admission tickets are $15 for adults; $13 for senior citizens (ages 62+) and $11 for students.
For more information, call the Gallery Theatre at 252-332-2976.