Raise the Roof

And the curtain rises on Town’s newest production—

The Roof!

Let’s travel back in time to December of 2011 when we discovered that the aging roof over the auditorium and lobby needed to be replaced. The hue and cry resounded from these hallowed walls - “We need money!” And, what to our wondering eyes should appear but a bevy of folk dedicated to answering the call. First to respond was volunteer extraordinaire Frank L. Thompson III. You have witnessed his talents onstage as well as directorially but “you ain’t seen nothing yet” until you have seen him in action as a fundraiser. His first idea was the wall of plaques to “raise the roof by building a wall” and, as of this printing, 36 plaques adorn the entrance to the auditorium, accounting for $9,000 toward the cause.

And then Frank created the Late Night Series which included the Cocoa vs. Craft Dance- Off, the King and Queen Diva of Town Theatre Pageant and the Election Special to choose the President and Vice-President of the Town Theatre Bucket Brigade. These three events alone raised more than $5,000 toward putting those shingles down.

The need for funds reached the Richland County Conservation Commission whose $35,000 grant propelled us toward achieving our goal.
Additional contributions were made and the names of those individuals will be included on a plaque which will hang with the wall of plaques at the entrance to the auditorium. GM Associates, Inc. and Tom Monaham of our Board provided project management and assistance and Floyd Abrams Roofing Consultants prepared the bid packages and oversight of the work as it progressed. Funds from the Burrell Sanders Trust contributed significantly to the monies needed for the roof. The Trust funds also allowed the theatre to construct new exit stairs with rails outside of two of the doors leading from the auditorium.

And so, on November 26, 2012, the roofing process began. We would be remiss if we did not thank our gracious neighbors, NBSC, who allowed us to utilize a portion of their parking lot to house the construction materials and trailer.

The work began….and now it’s done!

And so, as we close the time line on these projects, visions of other things “dance in our heads” – refurbishing the bathrooms, “surround sound” for the auditorium, and on and on. We would love to add more plaques to our walls – we promise we will find the space. The Razoo button will remain on our home page for any and all donations. Remember, we are a 501©3 and these monies are totally tax deductible.

Click here to help "Build a Wall" of playbill plaques