Evan Goetz originally came to Savannah for grad school at Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD). Now, as the executive director of the Tybee Post Theater, Goetz enjoys promoting the island and the community and sharing this hidden jewel with others.
“When I was in school, I had like five part-time jobs at a time where they were all either marketing theater or related to the arts, in general,” Goetz said of his background. “I’ve always been fine doing that because I’m working in my field. And, it’s even more special here because of the history of the area and all of the opportunities.”
With his family nearby in South Carolina, living here is perfect for Evan and his partner, Justin Addington. The two grew up in nearby towns across the state line, but didn’t meet until college.
“We love this area and wanted to come back. When I saw the job announcement at the Tybee Post Theater, I applied and luckily got it. So, that’s why we’re back here—a year now in April,” Goetz said of the almost 100 year-old structure that was used as a movie theater for people originally stationed on the island.
“When I first started here at the theater, we were sort of open. We were showing some movies at a reduced capacity and trying to offer live music. So, it was a really interesting time to transition and figure out what we would do to entertain the community moving forward.”
“We’re spoiled here because we have theater, ballet, dancing, music, all of it, and we’re anxious to have it back again and provide it to the community.”
“Savannah is a particularly interesting area—and when I say Savannah, I’m including the islands, Tybee, and everything,” Goetz added. “We’re sort of situated in this bubble to ourselves. We’re not surrounded by huge cities that take away from us. Folks come here to enjoy what we offer in terms of local artists, restaurants, theater, entertainment, you name it.”
Even though larger cities like Atlanta or Jacksonville are a few hours away, Savannah has a unique position, according to Goetz.
“We’re ‘it’ here. You have to decide to turn to come to Savannah, and it’s a great choice because of our history, people, art, etc. We’ve got these pockets of great culture, amazing food, surroundings anyone can appreciate. I think because of all that, it allows for many creative types to come here to join this unique creative environment.”
Goetz feels Tybee Island is a hidden jewel in itself. “Even as a local, if you need that escape to a quick beach moment, it’s right here. Those who visit here know they can have that short vacation getaway, but locals need to remind themselves of this unique environment for us to work and play in. It’s here every day for us when we need it.”
Goetz joked about the things he does on his days off. “What days off?”
He stressed that he’s busy all the time, and although he has a great staff at the Tybee Post Theater who can run events during the weekend for him, he said, “I actually come out here during my time off because of the concerts and events and art shows.”
“I can come to the island and just relax and have a good time,” he said. “I work a block from the beach, so there’s no excuse for not enjoying the scenery. Sometimes I just like to go for a walk and just…be.”
Goetz and his partner love to kayak in the area. “There are so many amazing natural experiences here on Savannah’s rivers. Kayaking is so much fun and is great to relax, as well.”
Goetz said he’s enjoying making Savannah his own. “We live in Sandfly and I work on Tybee, so I feel like I’m getting everything out of my experience here that I can. I get a bit of so many things the area offers.”
Goetz wants visitors and locals alike to know there’s so much more to Tybee than just sand and sea. “I always tell people about Tybee and the restaurant businesses and the scene in general,” he said. “The city of Tybee has a planning code that doesn’t allow for any chain restaurants or stores on the island.”
“So, everything you see is completely locally owned, from the shrimp stand to the bike rentals, pizza place, and t-shirt vendors. If you’re looking for big franchises, you’re not going to get that here on Tybee. It’s locals who live and work on the island who put their heart and soul into making their business, their hotel, their art gallery, their restaurant or whatever it is…a big success.”
He stressed how he doesn’t want folks to take that for granted. “Those are all local business. Mom and Pops…not chains. That’s so important for folks to know and a point that should be repeated constantly. These are the people we love supporting.”
He said living in this area provides him with so much art and culture. “Things are ramping up on the island. We’ve got a ton of galleries, art photography, and shops that offer affordable, memorable, and quality art. We seriously have a relevant art scene here that all should see.”
In addition to the art, Goetz said people might not realize that near the Tybee Lighthouse is the remnants of the old fort. “The bike trail on the north end of the island takes you to the old fort built in the late 1800s for the Spanish-American War. Not a lot of people know about that, right? People need to know,” he said with a laugh.
He hopes folks will come out to the island and see it for all it’s worth. “It’s ours. It’s right here. It’s beautiful. It’s community. It’s us. I’m just so proud of all we’re doing or the community in supporting the arts and we hope to see friendly faces out here to enjoy all the island offers.”
“We all need to come together over beautiful things,” Goetz said.
For more information on the Tybee Post Theater, visit tybeeposttheater.org
