A group of Boyertown residents with a common interest in re-opening the State Theatre has banded together to form The State Theatre Preservation Society, a non-profit organization whose goal is to purchase, preserve and reopen the historic building.
Chuck Brumm along with a group of other board members all had a similar vision in mind when they heard The State Theatre closed and went up for sale. Brumm said, “I remember going to the Theatre as a kid. I knew we had to do something to keep this piece of Boyertown history thriving.” After getting a tour of the Theatre, Brumm contacted Adrianne Blank, Manager of Building a Better Boyertown to see what was being done with the building. “Adrianne told me they were holding a meeting with other concerned community members and that is how I met the people who would eventually form our Society.”
Owen Dietrich and Jake Zimmers were Assistant Scout Masters on a ski trip and struck up a conversation about the closed Theatre on a ski lift. Zimmers said, “we both had this passion about opening up the Theatre on our own. We talked about how cool it would be to show these old movies and what we would do with it.” When the two learned the Theatre went up for sale they knew they wanted to be a part of it. “We contacted Adrianne Blank and she told us about the meeting where we met the others,” said Dietrich. Zimmers said the group shared their ideas about what everyone wanted to do with the Theatre and the Society members started forming.
Alicia Brisbois had been in the performing arts her whole life. “I am an actor, a director and just in love with the arts. When I learned the Theatre was up for sale I called my realtor to see how much it was. I was convinced my husband, four kids and I would just live there and fix it up. I wanted it more than anything.”
The mission statement of the State Theatre Preservation Society is to “preserve and operate the historic 1912 theatre through a broad array of quality films, performing arts, and education, thereby enriching the cultural life of the local community and surrounding areas.” Their goal is to show current films, hold live theater performances, concerts, film festivals, private functions and more.
Brumm said, “we all agree that the Theatre is a small piece of a puzzle that will help keep downtown Boyertown thriving. Just like the Colebrookdale Railroad being restored, it brought in a new form of entertainment and enriched the history of our small town, we believe we can do the same with the State Theatre. This town has such a potential for growth and we want to be a part of that change with the revitalization of this landmark.”
The society is still in the beginning stages, however has been making great strides toward acquiring the Theatre. As a state recognized not-for-profit, the Society has reached out to theatres that have been down a similar path. Zimmers said, “I reached out to Mary Foot of the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville who has been a great resource to help us move the process along and guide us to what should be our next step. We have also been in contact with the Strand Theatre in Kutztown.”
The Society is now looking to the Boyertown community for help. “We are looking for members to join the Society and donors to contribute to the revitalization,” said Brumm. The fee for a membership is $50 annually for adults, free for youths under 18 years old.
For more information about becoming a member or donating, e-mail <statetheatrepreservation@gmail.com>.
The State Theatre will celebrate 105 years in 2017.
