The exterior of the Jaffrey Park Theatre is nearly finished, and the theater is on track to open by mid-2020. During the annual meeting for the organization, Board President Caroline Hollister recognized how far the project has come since 2006, when it started as five people gathered in her living room, talking about reviving the previous Park Theatre building.
Last year, at the same time, the Park Theatre was getting ready to officially break ground on their new building, located on Main Street, on the footprint of the previous Park Theatre. Throughout the year, organizers have watched the old building be torn down, and it’s new, larger incarnation go up in its place.
It’s becoming a reality, Hollister said, to the crowd that attended the annual meeting on Thursday night at the Jaffrey Woman’s Club, just down the street from the construction of the new Jaffrey Park Theatre.
“Going to the theater, walking through these spaces that have lived in my mind and on paper for 15 years, is really something,” Hollister said.
“We’re far beyond the skeleton of what this incredible building is going to be,” CEO Steve Jackson said.
The Park Theatre has become an example for other small communities with groups interested in bringing a theater to their downtowns, Jackson told Park Theatre supporters. The success of a the fundraising for the theater shows a grass-roots campaign for a community arts building can be successful. Though it has taken years of dedicated work, the Park Theatre is now only months away from opening.
“It’s a unique situation, very precious and it’s wonderful,” Jackson said of the theater.
Though no firm opening has been announced, the day is drawing near, and fundraising for the theater equipment is still ongoing. Even during the annual meeting, donations came in.
Owen Houghton of Jaffrey won Thursday’s 50/50 raffle prize of $500, and donated it back to the theater. Following an impromptu auction of a novelty holiday antler headband, Dorrie and Don Upton donated $225 to the cause.
The exterior of the building is complete, Jackson said, and crews are only days away from beginning work on the electrical and heating work. Sheet rock has begun to be put up, creating the beginning of walls.
The theater is planned to have two auditoriums that would present both film and stage productions. The smaller theater, located on the second story, will have about 90 seats, and would be fitting for small live performances by bands or comedy acts, but will also have a screen and projector. The first-floor auditorium will have a stage for live performances as well as movie showings.
While organizers have raised more than $6 million for the theater, through donations and federal loans for the design, architectural plans, and construction of the theater, they are still not fully funded. The theater is continuing its fundraising campaign, including selling sponsorships for the 365 theater seats, to complete the goals for decorating the interior of the building and theater equipment.
The theater is still short of its ultimate fundraising goal, which Jackson said will be covered by the remaining sales of the seat sponsorships, as well as sponsorships for the individual theaters and box office.
But the theatre could soon have enough equipment to stage shows, and Jackson said at that point, the theatre will likely have a soft opening before its official grand opening in mid-2020.
“People will love a sneak preview, and that could happen as early as this winter,” Jackson said.
During Thursday’s annual meeting, Jackson announced there would be an electronic collection box making the rounds at local businesses downtown, where residents can donate to the Park Theatre by credit card.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.