Muncie Civic Theatre has been a mainstay in downtown Muncie for decades. Founded in 1931, it’s one of the oldest theaters in the country, and the staff members are gearing up for another spring season, packed with a variety of performances for all.
“We have a long-storied past, founded by the son of one of the Ball brothers, William H. Ball,” said Brittany Covert, managing director. “They bought this building in 1961, a former vaudeville theater and then movie theater, so they could perform musicals.”
The purchase of the building moved the civic theater to the historic Boyce Block, built in 1880, and it remains a location residents of Muncie and surrounding areas can cherish for the history and also the entertainment.
“We are a volunteer organization ran by a board of directors, and you’ll see the people on stage are your local surgeon from Ball Hospital, your pharmacist, banker, lawyer,” Covert said. “It’s people from our community.”
For Brittany Kern, the chance to audition for her first performance four years ago changed her life.
“I don’t normally get to ‘play’ in my day-to-day life, but Civic has given me the opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and explore the creative side of me that had long been quiet,” Kern said. “I have made so many friends through the theater, and it’s so fun to be around these amazing and talented individuals who have the same passions I do.”
Kern said everyone is nervous about auditioning and the excitement teaches participants much about themselves, but if being on stage isn’t for you, there are other options.
“There are tons of opportunities to participate backstage or in other ways with set building, lights, costumes and more,” Kern said. “It’s a great introductory way to the theater to see how shows come to life.”
For example, volunteers have created dozens of pies for their upcoming performance. February 7 through 23 will feature a special performance, “Waitress”, in which Kern will play lead character Jenna Hunterson.
It’s based on the film and Tony Award-nominated musical, with music and lyrics by Grammy winner Sara Bareilles.
A pregnant woman in an abusive marriage finds her passion in baking pies and the strength to live independently.
“‘Waitress’ is not your traditional musical with big dance numbers and tons of elaborate costumes,” Kern said. “It’s a modern musical with music and lyrics that touch your heart and soul. It’s intimate, funny, and brings light to many subjects that are not usually portrayed in musical fashion, which makes it exceptionally unique.”
The show will also be a rare performance seen in 2025. “We’ve developed a reputation as a quality civic theater and the rights organization, who allows us to perform shows when they are released, reached out to a few nonprofits, offering to let us perform it first,” Covert said. “It was an honor for us.”
The rest of the season on the main stage includes “Jesus Christ Superstar” in April and “1776” in June, with youth performances “Fame Jr.” and “Frozen JR.” in February and May.
“We have a huge youth program that meets on Saturdays for grades K through 12,” Covert said. “The building can be teeming with more than 300 youth sometimes. We don’t turn any child away and there are scholarships available. In addition, there are opportunities for classes, workshops, and spring and fall plays.”
“It’s always exciting,” Covert said. “We have a lot of fun here; we have shared experiences and lifelong friends,” Covert said.
