The company celebrates their 39th season against all odds
By ZOE SMITH — city@theaggie.org
Davis Musical Theatre Company (DMTC) is finishing up their run of the musical “Something Rotten!” underwritten by Georgia Paulo. Next month “Oklahoma!” will be playing from Nov. 3 to Nov. 26.
Co-founders Jan and Steve Isaacson started the theater company on March 1, 1984. They produce 11 musicals each year and are the longest running year-round amateur musical theater company in California, according to their website.
“We provide something that really no other theater company can provide in Davis — Acme Theatre Company is for teens,” Steve said. “We have both a mainstage and a youth program. The mainstage involves all ages, and the youth is seven to 17. So we provide it for the audience, for the actors [and] for volunteers.”
Davis Musical Theatre Company, commonly referred to as DMTC, is a non-profit organization. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Isaacson’s reimbursed season ticket holders and produced 10 virtual shows free of charge. All members of DMTC are volunteers, including the founders.
“So the fact [is] that nobody is paid, not my wife and myself, nobody except the piano player, not even the orchestra […]” Steve said. “We lead by example by not getting paid. I’m not going to ask people to volunteer if I’m not going to do it. We live on Social Security. We prove you can live on Social Security.”
DMTC received the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration due to a 92% loss in revenue from the years 2019 to 2020. During the pandemic, the theater company’s rent went up seven times its normal amount. It is because of this grant that DMTC is still open and producing musicals regularly.
Audience member Linda Beckemeyer comes to all DMTC performances. She runs a group called “Trilogy Broadway Bound” for people living in Trilogy Senior Living in Rio Vista to come watch local theater together.
The group plans to attend all the plays DMTC is showing for their 39th season of musicals, as well as the 2023-2024 season for the Downtown Theatre in Fairfield.
“I loved it; so much spirit and fun,” Beckemeyer said when describing the show. “It just made me feel alive.”
“Something Rotten!” is the first of the 39th anniversary season of musicals to show. Up next is “Oklahoma!” and soon after “Seussical The Musical” will be playing from Jan. 5 to Jan. 28. “Fiddler on the Roof” will have a run from March 1 to March 24, “Into The Woods” runs from April 26 to May 19 and Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” plays from June 21 to July 14.
Cast member and recurrent actress for DMTC Cassie Mosher has been a performer at the company on and off for 10 years. She played the character Bea in “Something Rotten!” Some of her previous roles include Fiona in “Shrek the Musical” and Tanya in “Mamma Mia!”
“They don’t just stick you in a box of just safe shows, we do what’s fun and exciting,” Mosher said.
Written By: Zoe Smith — city@theaggie.org
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