When the musical revue “Putting it Together” opens at the Generic Theater's new location next month, it will feature an ensemble of seven.
Yet the cast that put it all together — transforming a space that hosted Scottish rite ceremonies into a black box theater in a few months — numbers more than 100.
Generic Theater is now at the Masonic Temple across the street from Granby High School in Norfolk. The 3,600-square-foot space is under construction, inching toward its first run from Nov. 6 to 29.
Theater patrons, business owners, retired military and Talbot Park neighbors are among the folks helping the regional playhouse settle into its home. Some volunteers are sentimental about maintaining the legacy of the 45-year-old company. Almost just as many have no connection to local theater.
Ronnie Lomibao and Josh Stivers are first-time DUI offenders who chose to work their 100 court-ordered volunteer hours doing what needs to be done, such as painting, hosing, ladder work and hauling.
Stivers packed moving boxes from the old theater space and helped with the initial cleaning of the new space.
Lomibao has surpassed 150 volunteer hours.
"I just love it. There's a really good family here."
Christopher Arnold, another court-ordered volunteer, feels the same way. Climbing down from a ladder, he mused on how good it has felt to work beside good people.
"Community is community. It doesn't matter if it's a church or a temple or a mosque. It's made up of people; the labor of love."
Credit Julianne Baker, one of four on the Generic's executive board, for the feel-good vibe. Her belief that people need people and community spaces led her to take on the project on top of her part-time job. She negotiated and helped write the new lease, oversees the theater's first-ever capital campaign and is a walking Excel spreadsheet. As volunteer coordinator, she knows who's doing what when.
"Of all the misfit organizations I've been part of, this is the best," said volunteer Tom Trumbauer. "Julianne is the heartbeat.”
Stivers agreed: “She's a general contractor, volunteer coordinator, project manager, counselor, therapist."
People willing to help seem to find Baker. Standing in line at a paint store, she struck up a conversation with the person behind her who mentioned how much easier it was to paint with a sprayer.
"He let us borrow it and spent an hour showing us how to use it," she said.
Earlier this year, Season 46 looked to be in doubt for the Generic, which spent the last 18 years underneath Chrysler Hall.
The location's proximity to Hampton Roads’ premier performing arts was a bonus. Only the Generic had to stage its productions around the Chrysler schedule, which used the downstairs space for touring productions to rehearse.
Because of that, "our runs had to be three weeks, never four," Baker said.
The stairs were trying for older patrons to navigate, and the only parking was paid. The hidden location often left theater-goers zig-zagging through an underground parking lot, searching for the entrance.
“We had volunteers wearing orange vests with Generic signs to help out,” Baker said. "It was hard for people to find us."
Chrysler’s plans for renovations, initially scheduled for 2020 but postponed because of the pandemic, bought the Generic time. A move to the old Riverview Theater was announced but never happened.
"We were very, very close," said Elizabeth Dickerson, a board member and actor. "The pandemic is really what crashed that. There was no money, and we needed like a million dollars."
A cooperative with Little Theatre of Norfolk was explored, but the Generic wanted to retain its independence. Another space near Waterside wasn't large enough.
After four years of searching, many board members felt discouraged until Masonic Temple manager Ricky King reached out with an offer. He had a vision.
The temple that opened in 1957 has long served as a community hub, hosting weddings, receptions, trade shows and wrestling. With Freemasonry declining, Masonic temples have sought ways to maintain revenue.
“Detroit was the inspiration,” said King, referring to the Detroit Masonic Temple housing three theaters in its building that takes up a city block.
As a music media major from Norfolk State University who played in the Spartan Legion Marching Band, King feels passionate about the arts. He also needed a tenant with the Scottish Rite moving to another location. The Rite, an appendant body of Freemasonry, used the space from 1957 until 2018.
Initially, King suggested the Generic board consider the temple's large auditorium.
"We come from a black box theater, which we're making this into as well," said Elle White, an actor and volunteer. "It didn't have the intimacy."
The lease was signed on May 24. Generic was given free rein for renovations. Risers and chairs had to be removed, and carpet ripped out. The ceiling had to be fireproofed and raised to accommodate the theater's massive grid, which had to be moved piece by piece.
The pipes are longer than 20 feet and didn't fit into the Chrysler's elevators. Volunteers couldn't get a truck to the space either. Each pipe had to be walked upstairs.
Volunteers painted the grid black and continued to sew all the curtains.
Generic won't be using a actual stage for the first show — that's coming in phase II. A semi-circle platform, donated from a recent movie filmed at MacArthur Center, will elevate the actors.
The Generic will become a theater in the round, seating approximately 150. The space will include a costume shop, dressing room hall and green room, with spacious new amenities.
What won't change: sharing the edgy stories and offbeat scripts that mainstream theaters rarely feature.
"You won't see 'The Sound of Music' on our stage," Dickerson said.
The capital campaign has a goal of $750,000. Elation Brewery will introduce Ghost Light Lager, crafted specifically for the Generic. In addition to funds for the build-out, money is needed to improve technical operations, including lighting.
As consuming as putting the theater all together is, Baker is confident about getting everything done. She credits the 100% volunteer effort.
"I get all sorts of people from all kinds of walks of life wanting to help," she said. "I think that’s pretty cool because we’re exposing them to the arts. Some of them have never seen theater, and all of a sudden, they’re involved in something bigger than themselves.
"We’re a place where community happens, and I love that."