Pauper Players open ‘Guys and Dolls’ tonight

Choosing an off-campus venue might be a gamble for Pauper Players, but the musical theater group is betting on a full house this weekend.

The ensemble is presenting the worlds of gambling and romance in “Guys and Dolls” at the Carrboro ArtsCenter this weekend.

Ben Boecker, Pauper’s executive production director, said he is confident that the off-campus location for the show will not diminish audience sizes, especially because the usual Pauper audience is made up of friends of the cast.

Since last spring’s closing of the Union Cabaret — Pauper’s longtime home — finding performance spaces has been an endeavor for the group.

But it is a challenge that they enthusiastically accept, Boecker said.

Pauper, like many independent student performance groups, has to get creative when it comes to securing one of the limited venues on campus, Boecker said.

“It’s a problem, but I think it’s a manageable problem,” Boecker said. “With enough creativity and planning ahead, it’s something that is workable.”

Pauper chose the ArtsCenter in an effort to experiment with their different options. They performed last year’s spring musical at the newly renovated Historical Playmakers Theater and plan to compare it to the ArtsCenter.

Boecker said the group has been pleased with the ArtsCenter, which provides marketing opportunities, performance space and the capacity to produce professional shows.

Adam Graetz, the ArtsCenter’s marketing director, said the center acts as a host, providing performance facilities and helping to offset heightened production costs.

“I see us as an incubator for the arts — we facilitate,” he said.

Performances often sell out the venue, which seats 150 to 200, Graetz said.

Boecker said the musical’s story and score plus Pauper’s strong cast will appeal to students and families alike.

“‘Guys and Dolls’ is known in the canon of musical theater as one of the best musicals ever written,” he said.

Director Hayley Wright said the new space distinguishes “Guys and Dolls” from past performances, allowing for creative staging.

Wright said that the center’s support has been phenomenal, and Pauper will continue that relationship, possibly performing future shows there.

Junior Paul Hovey, a dramatic arts major, said getting to the ArtsCenter from campus isn’t a problem because of the public transportation system.

He has gone to a few Pauper performances in the past and said he enjoys them.

“They’re the only student-run musical producers, and they have good quality performances. So if you want musical theater, you have to go to Pauper,” Hovey said.

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