Flowing Wells Theatre fulfillment of longtime vision

The Greek word “enopion” has taken on more meaning for Carol Rezzelle.

In 1999, she started Enopion Theatre Co. using that word which means “in one’s sight.” And her longtime dream of a freestanding theater that her company could use year-round is finally in her sight.

After a few setbacks, the Flowing Wells Theatre on Flowing Wells Road in Martinez is making progress, and she’s hopeful for a late April opening.

Rezzelle finds it difficult to put her feelings into words when she stands in the building which started construction last year.

“It doesn’t feel like it’s happening,” she said, highlighting the surreal feeling that standing in the middle of the dream brings with it.

In January 2022, the site had been cleared, and she’d hoped to have a Christmas dinner theater production to celebrate the theater’s opening, but the paving contractor went bankrupt causing construction delays.

Now things are back on track, and the excitement overwhelms her at times.

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Rezzelle started her theater group as a one-woman show called I, Mary in 1999. In the early days, she traveled to area churches with her presentation. She’s continued to write her own plays. Some are interpretations of Bible stories while others have Christian themes. Productions have been staged in different theaters over the years including the former Fort Discovery building, the Kroc Center and since 2018 at a former glass company on Commercial Court in Martinez.

Rezzelle said she’d been looking for property to build a theater for 18 years before she finally found the site on Flowing Wells Road near Augusta Preparatory Day School.

 With each move, Rezzelle said she learned more about theater operations and what she wanted and didn’t want in a theater space. At the Kroc Center, Enopion introduced the dinner theater concept because the space had an industrial kitchen, but the Flowing Wells Theatre will have a warming kitchen instead.       

She intends to hire a caterer to prepare the meals and serve them out of the kitchen.

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The theater will have space to seat about 150 people except for dinner theater shows which will be about 80. Rezzelle said she often must cut off her waiting list for productions at the current location because of the lack of space.

A second phase includes the expansion of the theater space to provide additional seating.

Rehearsals are already underway for the first production to be staged in the new theatre.

The Cure, which made its debut prior to COVID-19, is about a pandemic. Rezzelle intends for the play to run during the spring and summer.

Not only will the group perform on the indoor stage, but there’s plenty of land outside the theater for actors can bring their performances.

In addition to the productions, the theater will be used for acting classes and can be rented for weddings and other events.