Belleville, ON: All eyes of those driving
and walking along Pinnacle Street in Belleville have been watching
with interest the new addition that has been going up at the
Belleville Theatre Guild.
Designed and executed by Guthrie Engineering of Belleville, the project is
nearing final completion and all of their members are very pleased with the
finished project. A few trial runs were taken during the last production,
most notably when Beryl Rutland, a long time Guild supporter and past member
of the Board of Directors took a ride up at the start of the evening, then
back down after the performance. "It was very nice", she
said when asked after the show how she enjoyed her ride.
Many members of the audience are looking forward to enjoying the same benefits
when attending a show. "Our box office figures show that over 50%
of our season's ticket holders are senior citizens and we were losing
subscribers who had been with us for years because they couldn't handle
the stairs" said Guild president Phil Bowerman.
An added benefit is the brand new barrier free washroom, which will help seniors
and the physically challenged, as well as the luxurious new box office. With
its sparkling chandelier and half circle window, it is a welcome addition to
the streetscape.
There have been many generous donations made to support this project. The most
significant was the $75,000.00 donation from the Ontario Trillium Foundation
last Fall. The project was slated to cost a further $95,000.00 and
there have been many donations made towards the renovation.
The most significant of those donations are to be honoured at a special gathering
at the building on Thursday, December 18th at 2:00 PM. In attendance
will be a representatives from Belleville Minor Sports and former mayor Ross
McDougall, who each made a substantial donation to the worthy cause.
It is to be noted that a new playbill sign will be installed soon at the front
of the building, which will further broaden the Belleville Theatre Guild"s
profile in the City of Belleville.
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Fundraising campaigns
are still under way. "We are looking for at least $20,000.00 more to be donated in order to complete this project," said fundraising
chairperson, Jim Ross. "We were able to access $50,000.00 from
our building fund, which the Guild has been saving for years
for this type of project".
Donations can be made to The Belleville Theatre Guild Elevator Addition. No donation is too small and now is a good time to make it in
order to take advantage of the tax benefit before the end of the year.
The Belleville Theatre Guild's next major fundraising project will be
a production of Richard Cory Went Home Last Night, by T. Rob Brown. It
was performed to sold out audiences at The Waring House in Picton recently. The
next show which has been generously donated by the writer/producer will be
held on February 14th, 2004. It is a brand new genre of theatre, an interactive
murder-mystery dinner theatre. More details will be announced in the
weeks ahead.
The Belleville Theatre Guild began in the Fall of 1951 with little or no money
and no home to operate from. They found places that ranged from the third
storey of a downtown building that burned down with all of their props and
costumes in it, to a leaky donated room at the back of a building on Campbell
Street.
In 1969 the City of Belleville contributed the D.L. Storey Centre on Pinnacle
Street. They renamed it The Pinnacle Playhouse and it has been the source
of their success ever since. Renovations were done in the 1980's,
which included new washrooms, a new entrance and an addition at the rear for
a backstage and dressing rooms.
Their slogan for this campaign has been "Help Give Us A Lift". The
Belleville Theatre Guild continues to give a lift to many in this community
and has been for many, many years. They are a cherished cultural component
of this vibrant community. Long Live The Belleville Theatre Guild!!!
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