LILBURN, Ga. — Marsha Byokawski says ‘things’ may be just things.
But they’re often used to bring people joy.
“I got a phone call from an unidentified number, which I usually don’t answer. But I did, and it was Gwinnett police,” Byokawski told Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.
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Police found a damaged and ransacked trailer owned by the Northeast Atlanta Ballet Ensemble.
Around $20,000 worth of the ballet’s theater props, which were stored in two trailers, had been stolen.
“They mean everything. Things we’ve accumulated over the years. A lot of it has sentimental value. Some of it is really irreplaceable,” Byokawski said.
The props have been used for years for the company’s annual performances of The Nutcracker at Gwinnett’s Gas South Arena.
The thieves broke into one of the trailers parked in the ballet school’s parking lot in Lilburn.
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The other was hooked up to a white pickup truck, captured by a security camera, and hauled to Duluth where the crooks cracked it open and stole most of the contents.
It included set pieces, furniture and backdrops.
Some of it was left behind in the mud and volunteers with the ballet company brought it back home.
Production of The Nutcracker has wrapped up for the season, but Marsha said they have to find a way to replace all the props in time for next season.
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“We will move forward. We’ll do the best we can. The show must go on,” Byokawski said.
A fundraiser has been set up to help.
Donate by visiting: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nutcracker-recovery.
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