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Culture
Theater To Star in Revival
Village of Baltimore mayor hopes to return Victorian stage to splendor
Residents hope to renovate a historic theater on the second floor of the building that houses Baltimore Village Town Hall in order to bring more entertainment downtown.Village of Baltimore Mayor Robert Kalish would love to hear a little racket upstairs.
Kalish is joining with other members of the community in a project to refurbish the Victorian theater on the second floor of Baltimore Village Town Hall, just above the mayor’s office.
The theater was a popular spot for movies and shows in the 1940s and 1950s, before time and wear pulled the curtain down. But if the Baltimore Town Hall Theatre Renovation Committee can pull it off, “We will take it out of mothball status and realize what a gem we have,” Kalish says.
The mayor believes a refurbished theater could be the linchpin in a revitalized downtown. Top-flight arts and entertainment, combined with nice restaurants and other amenities, could “put some nightlife back into Baltimore,” he says.
The renovation committee hopes to raise $1.3 million for the renovation of the theater. Besides individual donations and commitments from businesses, the committee will be working to secure funding through state and local foundations and government agencies.
The restoration effort already has a leg up in the process through the work of committee co-chairman Joe Schappa. A Columbus architect, Schappa provided the cost figures for the changes needed to bring the theater back to life and up to code.
Renovations would provide handicap accessibility and an elevator, among other cosmetic and practical improvements.
Several factors attracted Schappa, who lives just a few miles outside Baltimore, to the project.
“It’s an important corner of the community in a building that has some history,” Schappa says. “I wanted to see the building saved and put back to use.”
The project also has the backing of several local arts organizations. The Lancaster Festival, a 12-day celebration of music and the arts, has committed to using a Baltimore venue for one of its performances. Additionally, the Millersport Community Theater, which hosts summer productions, and the Liberty Union High School Drama Club have thrown their support behind the renovation effort.
“It’s a good venue for them to draw in and grow their performing arts program,” Kalish says of the local school.
Donations to the renovation effort can be made through the mayor’s office at the village hall, located at the intersection of State Roads 158 and 256 in Baltimore.
Story by Dan Markham
Photo by Brian McCord
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