Salem theater names new manager

Staff report

SALEM

Gary Kekel has been named the new manager of Salem Community Theatre.

Richard Fawcett, president of the SCT board of trustees, said Kekel’s broad experience in theater and the music business, and his local ties, made him the perfect candidate for the job.

“We’re very excited about the new directions that Gary has proposed,” said Fawcett. “In addition to the office-management responsibilities, his creative agenda includes some ambitious goals for the theater.”

Kekel had been serving as manager in an interim capacity since the departure of Sarah Durham last year.

He has been active at SCT and other regional theaters since 1997 as a music director, director and actor.

The opportunity to take the reins at SCT is one that he has considered for some time. “I believed years ago that the theater facility and organization could support a broader offering of entertainment opportunities,” Kekel said. “With precise management and promotion, the theater can provide a wide variety of both theatrical and concert-style events.”

Kekel, a 1966 graduate of Salem High School, has spent his entire adult life in the entertainment industry, as a musician, vocalist, arranger, composer, recording producer and musical director. In 2000, he was inducted into the Salem High School Hall of Fame for his contributions to the music industry on the national level. In addition to managing the theater, Kekel, with his wife, Cheryl, will continue working as entertainers. The Kekels also operate Mainsail Music & Audio Production in Canfield, which produces audio for TV and radio.

Kekel said his vision for SCT includes a series of concerts that will be presented between theatrical performances, the first of which will be Saturday with Columbiana singer- songwriter Natalie Sprouse.

He also plans to expand the participation and audience base to a wider geographical area and make physical improvements to the SCT building that will turn it into a multipurpose theatrical and educational facility.