Gamut Theatre staff and actors, Lily Jordan’s family and others cut the ribbon on both the “Lily’s Lift” elevator and “Lily’s Legacy Fund.”
A Harrisburg theater is taking steps to become even more accessible for visitors and performers.
During a bittersweet celebration on Friday, Gamut Theatre honored a young actress who passed away in 2020 as it announced a legacy fund in her name to improve the accessibility of the theater.
“We are so excited about this fund launching,” said Carolina Nicholson, Gamut’s public relations manager. “Any amount is so helpful for us. Every little bit helps us to help others be able to access our property.”
“Lily’s Legacy Fund” is named after Lily Jordan, a local teenager who performed at Gamut Theatre, before passing away from cancer. Jordan, who used a wheelchair, often rode in the theater’s elevator to get from the stage to the dressing room and rehearsal room space. On Friday, Gamut named the elevator “Lily’s Lift.”
While Gamut is fully accessible by wheelchair, the organization wanted to make its building and programming even easier to access.
Nicholson said that she hopes that the new fund will support scholarships for students to attend their Popcorn Hat Players’ Camp and Gamut Theatre Academy. Funds may also support building updates, reduced ticket prices for lower-income residents and additional support staff.
“It’s created in the memory of Lily […] and how she always strove for excellence and never allowed her disability to get in the way of achieving her hopes and dreams,” said Gamut student actor Kennedy Commissiong, who was a friend of Jordan’s. “Lily’s Legacy helps Gamut to give back to the community in a meaningful way.”
For more information on Gamut Theatre’s Lily’s Legacy Fund or to donate, visit their website.
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