Shane Fernando embraces legacy of Thalian Hall, plans future enhancements

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — In a changing of the guard, a familiar face assumed leadership at Thalian Hall as the New Year dawned.

Shane Fernando officially took the reins as Thalian’s CEO on January 2nd after being appointed by the Board of Trustees in November.

Fernando, who spent his formative years performing on Thalian’s stage and completing homework in its seats, has an extensive background in Wilmington’s arts and theater community. His previous role was as the Executive and Artistic Director of the Wilson Center.

“They’re very different animals in terms of facility and in terms of what they do for the community. Where Wilson Center is focused on touring and bringing in those large road shows, Thalian Hall presents, in a way, the best of Wilmington on this stage with our regional production companies,” Fernando said.

With that in mind, Fernando says he’s been asked if he plans to bring larger Broadway touring productions to Thalian.

“I don’t say ‘no,’ it would be easy way to say no. But I want our audiences to come into Thalian Hall and see our people from our community, our regional production companies and I don’t want our audiences to know the difference between a touring Broadway show and a production that happens on this stage,” he said. “I want the caliber of the production quality to match that of what we see on the roads. I want this stage to make our people in our community look that good with the work that they bring forward.”

Tony Rivenbark, who guided Thalian Hall for the past four decades, played a pivotal role in shaping its identity. A close friend of Fernando, Rivenbark died in July 2022. Stepping into the shoes of the someone who left an immeasurable impact on the Cape Fear community is something Fernando describes as humbling.

Rob Zapple, New Hanover County Commissioner and Thalian Hall Board of Trustees member, was appointed to serve as interim executive director after Rivenbark’s passing.

Throughout his life, Rivenbark consistently sent Fernando various types of literature about the Hall. It’s something that struck Fernando as he moved into his new office this week.

“It’s a pretty sizable stack of documents which he’d been giving me, sending them randomly in the mail, since I was 9 or 10 years old all the way up to last year before he died. That’s been really quite powerful to bring those documents into the office where he once worked.”

Anticipating the future, Fernando aims to enhance Thalian Hall’s stage technology and explore potential expansion, coinciding with the city’s move from the historic building to the Skyline Center, formerly the PPD Building. He emphasized the ongoing commitment to upgrading and ensuring Thalian Hall remains relevant to present and future audiences.

“It’s where our community gathers and celebrates and mourns and cries and laughs. We see the best of our region — our technicians, our performers, our creatives. We see their work here on this stage,” Fernando said. “It’s one thing to make impressive work but if no one’s there to see it, if there’s no stage for it, then what good is it? That’s what Thalian Hall is. It is that place for our community gathers to experience our own homegrown work.”

As a new era unfolds, Fernando draws inspiration from the hall’s rich history, poised to take center stage in leading Thalian Hall into the next chapter of its legacy.