Theater Restoration Hopes to Invigorate Community

Author: Anne Dewitt Local News Editor

Beginning its early descent toward the horizon, the sun beams through the stained glass windows of the red brick building at the corner of Pleasant Street and Merchant's Row, illuminating a huge, empty space that Town Hall Theater, Inc. hopes will soon serve again as an artistic and community center for the town of Middlebury.

The project of restoring the building is progressing as Town Hall Theater, Inc. continues to collect funds and hopes to begin work on the building next summer.

It all began in 1997, when Douglas Anderson — now director of Town Hall Theater, Inc. — was approached by the Middlebury Community Players to investigate the building, then up for sale by the Knights of Columbus, as a possible theater. Appalled by the low ceiling, Douglas initially decided that converting the space to a performance area would be impossible. Then he asked for a tour of the upstairs.

He describes walking into the attic, glimpsing the remnants of a proscenium arch at the end of the building and realizing that the structure had once been a theater. "I had a religious experience. I said 'Oh god, I've got to save this building,' " he said.

Along with members of the Middlebury Community Players and other people from the community, Anderson founded Town Hall Theater, Inc. Max Eaton, president of the Board of Directors, said that the organization hopes to make the Town Hall Theater "the focal point of our community." He and Anderson both express the hope that the new theater will provide an economic boost for downtown Middlebury.

Town Hall Theater, Inc. purchased the building in August 2000 and is currently in the middle of a capital campaign to raise the money to fund the many renovations to take place. The first stage of the project, estimated at a cost of $1.8 million, will address the building's structural weaknesses, replace the roof, re-open bricked-up windows and landscape the entrance.

After the exterior renovations are complete, work on the interior can begin. The Breadloaf Corporation, which has essentially donated its services, has finished a full set of architectural drawings. The existing space will be transformed into a theater, with sloped seating and a balcony. The stage was designed with help from Dick Forman, a theater consultant and Middlebury College's technical director in the Department of Theater, Dance and Video for many years. Anderson called it "state-of-the-art" and said that in some ways the fact that the building was gutted in the 1960s makes life easier for Town Hall Theater, Inc., since otherwise it would be restricted by historical preservation ordinances.

The theater will be named Erie Volkert Mainstage Theater. According to Anderson, Volkert was the only "theater person" at the College in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s; he was also involved with the local theater scene and helped create Middlebury Community Theater.

As well as the theater, an addition is planned for the west side of the building. Designed in glass, it will preserve the original windows and brick wall, creating an outdoor feeling for an indoor space and highlighting the building's unique features.

A multi-purpose community room built off the back will serve as a black-box theater and will also host such events as wedding receptions. Anderson hopes that the theater's prime location — within walking distance of five downtown churches — will help finance the Town Hall Theater once finished.

Until now, local theater groups such as Middlebury Community Players have been forced to perform in whatever space they can find, from the Middlebury Union High School stage to the basement of St. Mary's school. Eaton added that the College has been very generous about sharing its performance space with the community.

Still, borrowing stages from other organizations is somewhat inconvenient. Among other things, it means no permanent place to store props. With the Town Hall Theater renovations complete, Middlebury Community Players and other organizations will have their own home. Town Hall Theater, Inc. also hopes to bring in performers from far away. "[We want] to introduce a lot of venues to the community," said Eaton, meaning the surrounding area as well as the town itself, calling this "more than just a project for Middlebury."

Designed by local architect Clinton Smith, also responsible for the old courthouse, the Town Hall Theater was built in 1883. It held the town offices and the town hall, a 600-seat theater that later became a movie theater. Eaton and Anderson described the glee expressed by many older members of the community when they recall the old theater — especially the balcony, where, apparently, many of them stole their first kiss or cigarette.

The building was sold in the 1960s and since then has gone through a number of incarnations, including a restaurant, a law firm, a furniture store, an automobile dealer and most recently, the Knights of Columbus hall.

The greatest problem now faced by Town Hall Theater, Inc. is money. Begun during the boom years of the 1990s, the project is now experiencing the difficulties of a slowing economy and the catastrophe of Sept. 11. "If we had a two million dollar donor everything would be fine," said Anderson. Such munificence, however, is now hard to come by. To make up for it, Town Hall Theater, Inc. is looking for support from foundations and community members. The College has also been generous in their support. Nonetheless, Anderson expects that the project will take five to 10 years.