Inside the historic Wells Theatre in downtown Norfolk, staff and crew were already days into emergency water cleanup from rain last Thursday when a storm Saturday dumped even more water into the building.
Hundreds of thousands of gallons of rainwater poured down from a two-story section of the building's roof over the past week, flooding the stage, seating areas, restrooms and backstage rooms, officials with the company said. The building did not flood from the tidal flooding Norfolk regularly sees downtown. Instead, water pooled on the lower roof section and broke through into interior spaces.
"It's been devastating. It's really difficult to describe the extent of the damage here," said Jeff Ryder, managing director at Virginia Stage Co. "There's some damage to the building that the city is working on, but also extensive damage to our equipment and the set for our upcoming production."
The building is owned by the City of Norfolk, and crews are currently assessing its structural integrity while working alongside VSC to address the drainage problems that let water in. Company staff, meanwhile, are testing lighting, sound and other stage equipment for water damage and evaluating what can be salvaged from the set built for "Come From Away," the show set to open Sept. 2.
"We haven't found extensive damage yet, but there's a lot to evaluate," Ryder said.
On Saturday, roughly 50 volunteers turned out for what was originally scheduled as a routine community day, pivoting instead to cleanup and moving equipment out of flooded areas. During the second flood that same night, actors from "Come From Away," who were rehearsing next door at the Governor's School, rushed into the theater to help staff get water out of the building.
“We had a bucket brigade going, trying to contain the water and move as much of it as we could outside, the actors were right there with us, carrying buckets and doing what they could to contain the water,” Ryder said. “They've been working really hard with us for several weeks already to get the show up and ready, and the thought that they may not be able to perform it brings a lot of stress."
VSC has filed an insurance claim, but in the meantime asked the community for financial support, whether by buying tickets or donating. Ryder said more than 250 donors have contributed over the last two days.
Company staff are re-evaluating the production schedule as they work to assess damages to the set and equipment before opening night.
"We're producing a show that's about the community pulling together, and that's what's happening here," Ryder said.
