16th Annual Metrolina Theatre Association Gala

The Metrolina Theatre Association is holding its 16th Annual Gala on Sunday, October 18, at the Booth Playhouse, inside the Blumenthal Arts Center. It's the association's big night of the year, and the main event is an awards ceremony that recognizes the talent and achievements keeping the region's theatre scene going. If you've spent any time in the local theatre community, you know how much of it happens behind the scenes, and this is the one night when that work gets out in the open.

There are two parts to the evening. The awards ceremony starts at 7:30 PM, but there's a pre-reception in the Booth Playhouse lobby from 6:00 to 7:15 PM. If you're coming to see someone you know get recognized, that's the time to arrive—it's the social part of the night, where you can catch up with other theatre people before the ceremony kicks off. If you're just coming for the awards, 7:30 PM is your mark.

The venue is the Booth Playhouse, which is housed in Founders Hall at the Blumenthal Arts Center, 130 North Tryon Street in Charlotte. It seats 434 across its orchestra and gallery levels, and it's a room that does more than just theatre—it also hosts dance, choral and other musical ensembles, as well as meetings, seminars and workshops. It's a guest engagement, meaning it's not presented by Blumenthal Arts, but it's held in their space.

Tickets start at $60. Between the pre-reception and the awards, you're looking at a full evening, so if you're planning to do both, you'll want to be there by 6:00 PM. The ceremony itself starts at 7:30 PM.