"It's going to happen." That's what Councilman Matt Catalano (R-3) confidently predicted about the Shakespeare Theater at an informal neighborhood meeting Friday at the Housatonic Boat Club (see previous and subsequent posts). Working with theater consultant Jim Volz of the University of California/Fullerton (author of How To Run a Theater: A Witty, Practical & Fun Guide to Arts Management), the town put together a Request for Qualifications that attracted 12 submissions. Six were invited for interviews, and the first two interviews -- Frank Tobin Associates and North Carolina-based Michael Hardy Management -- took place July 15. The remaining applicants will be interviewed July 21 and July 26. They are:
• Victor Gotesman of New York;
• Willem Brans Theater Arts Consultants, also of NYC;
• New Jersey-based Maggie Harrer;
• AMS of Fairfield.
Catalano also estimated it would cost "easily" $15 million to finally reopen the doors to the long-shuttered playhouse. Scary!
But...Catalano also said he had induced Middlebury-based Timex Corp. to commit $41,000 to restore the sundial on the east facade of the theater building. If spending 41 grand on a project that's been dormant for 21 years and doesn't yet have a developer sounds a bit fanciful...well, whatevs.
2 comments:
This Theatre is a project, though the parcel itself is a prime location on Elm St. for theater shows and/or events. Also the property holds enough parking to entertain the Stratford community. Should this property reopen for entertainment, it will be a great attraction for the town and reconnect our ties with Stratford-of-Avon. Stratford is a small enough town with a close community to operate such a theatre.I have driven around this property numerous times thinking of people pulling in the lot on a friday night for its grand opening. We need a willing and able group of developers to start the reopening.
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