This month
could be a clincher for the Col. Drake Cultural Alliance, a little known
group with a big purpose — the restoration of the old Lyric Theater on Oil
City’s Seneca Street on behalf of the 52-year-old Community Playhouse Inc.
“We’re
picking the project off, piece by piece. It may look quiet but we are busy
and things are happening,” said Joe Boland, president of the Col. Drake
Cultural Alliance.
The
alliance’s primary obligation is to manage and restore the old Lyric
property, which most recently housed the former Ray L. Way Menswear store.
It is, said Boland, the “sister organization” to the Playhouse, which
actually owns the property.
The Playhouse
bought the old theater in 2001 and while substantial interior work has
been done by volunteers, the overall restoration project has a long way to
go.
In September,
though, the alliance and playhouse are due to get a big boost with a
rather simple construction project — an exit door.
“We needed an
emergency exit (at the rear) and a lot of legal stuff had to be gone
through because the only option we had was to go through the Transit
building next door. But, we jumped all the hoops and are getting it
started,” said Boland, adding the Civic Center, overseer of the Transit,
“kept us in business by allowing us to exit through that building.”
Bids to do
the work, funded by $20,000 from the Pennsylvania Heritage Area Program
and the Edith C. Justus Charitable Trust, will be awarded Sept. 27. The
construction, required if the Playhouse is to use the facility, should be
done before the end of the year.
Another grant
is pending and that money, pegged at $25,000 and pumped with another
$25,000 in matching funds, would be used to install heating, ventilation
and air conditioning. Up next would be the construction of rest room
facilities.
In the
meantime, Boland and his cohorts are researching a variety of topics from
tax credit options to grant applications, a business plan and a major
capital fund drive. Boland and Playhouse member Gary Dittman picked up
some expertise recently at the League of Historic American Theaters
meeting in Boston.
“It was a
cram course in capital fund campaigns. There are many, many theaters in
the country that are in the same scenario we’re in and we’re all learning
how to do this,” Boland said.
Campaign on
horizon
While the
Playhouse and the Col. Drake Cultural Alliance have done some minor
fund-raising to collect “seed money to keep operational,” said Boland,
they are close to launching a major campaign. The drive would be aimed at
raising $1.5 million or more to finish the theater restoration. It won’t
go public for a year or two.
“We want to
get other funding, from grants and other sources, in place first so we can
show the public that we have been successful in lining up support. You’re
more likely to contribute if we can show you we have backing already,”
Boland said.
One big fund
raiser has been scheduled for September. The Canadian folk music group
Tanglefoot will present a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the K.
of C. hall in Oil City. Tickets, priced at $20 each, must be purchased in
advance by calling 677-7738. All proceeds will benefit the restoration
project.
The full
restoration involves the installation of 214 theater seats and a
multi-purpose grand lobby available for art displays, meetings and more. A
performance stage from the old Lyric, which closed in 1956, remains
intact.
“A lot of the
original theater is there. It has its charm and will be a wonderful space
for the Playhouse as well as for lectures and meetings. We’ll keep
plugging away with work here and work there until we get to the big
picture. But at least for now, we have that emergency exit door on tap and
that was essential,” the 25-year Playhouse veteran said.