CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Swift Creek Mill Theatre's impact goes beyond its stage performances. Behind the curtain, the theatre has formed a community and relationships that have led to lifelong partnerships. Swift Creek Mill Theatre is fighting to stay open after it paused performances ea rlier this year. "I came to this theater as a replacement for a performer in 'Into the Woods,'" Joe Pabst said. "I played Rapunzel's prince. She was playing Cinderella in the same production of 'Into the Woods.' And that's where we met." Pabst affectionately smiled at his wife Debra Wagoner. They got married three years after that performance of "Into the Woods" on the Mill stage in 1995. MORE: The show must go on for Swift Creek Mill Theatre in Chesterfield For Pabst, it was supposed to be a two-month stay in Richmond. Now, it's been 36 years. But they aren't the only ones who found love at Swift Creek Mill. Joy and Eric Williams met through a mutual actor-friend at the theatre. Joy recalls one of their first dates. "We came to see a play here, and that was our first... sort of out in public going out with each other as opposed to we're just buddies," she said. Years later, Eric and Joy don't recall which play they saw, but they do remember sitting in this area. Not only did Eric meet his wife here, but his mother also performed in the first stage performance Swift Creek Mill Theatre had in December 1965. He was in the audience that day. Joy has played Drifty in "Drifty the Snowman" for nearly 40 years at the theatre. "The kids that I saw when they were kids now bring their kids, and it's a tradition for many, many families," Joy said. The theatre is hoping to raise enough money to bring this tradition back in December. Joy said she enjoys meeting every person in the audience after those shows. "That's the kind of interaction you can't get, like in a movie," Eric said. "This is the only kind of place that does that." For artistic director Tom Width, after 50 years of working at Swift Creek Mill Theatre, one of his favorite parts is working with the children. "I love making theatergoers out of kids and teaching them that the theater is a wonderful, safe place where you can feel things and experience things and think about things without any fear and most of the time with a big smile on your face," Width said. The theatre is hoping to raise $250,000 by the end of the month to help bring back live performances and keep the theatre open. As of Wednesday, more than $100,000 has been donated to the SAVE the Mill campaign. For more information, visit Swift Creek Mill Theatre. ...read more read less