Ridgefield News
January 21, 2000

Playhouse Gets $200,000 State Grant

Ridgefield Playhouse Awarded $200,000 Grant From Ct. Commission On The Arts

Ridgefield Symphony, Aldrich Museum Also Receive Grants

Interior view of the old high school auditorium, which will become the Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts. This view is from the balcony.

Jan. 21 -- Governor Rowland and the CT. Commission on the Arts announced grant awards of almost $250,000 to three Ridgefield groups, The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts, the Ridgefield Symphony and The Aldrich Museum. The Playhouse received $200,000 of the $250,000 grant request submitted to help restore the old Ridgefield high school auditorium. These state funds bring the total raised to date to $1.25 million: $300,000 in private funds, $750,000 in Ridgefield town funds and the $200,000 in state funds.

Selectman Barbara Manners [center, in black shirt and khaki trousers] hosted an Open House at the future Arts Center in September 1998.

Asbestos removal in the auditorium has been completed and construction is currently scheduled to commence no later than the beginning of April. Barbara Manners, Democratic Selectman and President of The Friends of The RPAC, Inc., the group which has undertaken to restore and operate The Playhouse, said that she was thrilled that the state had made such a tangible demonstration of support for the project. While additional funds are still needed to complete the project and begin operations, Ms. Manners added that "these additional funds will go a long way to help swing open the doors and we are very grateful to Representative John Frey for his continued assistance in helping us secure state funding for this important project."

Ridgefield's noted Aldrich Museum was awarded $40,000 to help purchase video equipment and training in its use for future video exhibitions. Additionally, the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra got $5,000 to help defray the cost of next season's children's concert.

Speaking of the total State funding just awarded to Ridgefield organizations, Selectman Manners noted, "In sum, Ridgefield received 240,000 of the 2.5 million awarded in the State's 'special capital grants' program for the arts - almost 10% of the statewide toal. This is concrete recognition of the vitality of the arts in our town."

Ridgefield State Rep. John Frey, who was instrumental in securing the grants, commented, "I was particularly pleased with the Playhouse grant. The Friends of RPAC -- especially Barbara Manners -- have spent a great deal of time on the project and it showed in their application. The Commission on the Arts and the Office of Policy and Management -- who jointly administered the grants -- were quite impressed. RPAC was one of a handful who received grants in excess of $50,000 statewide."

Rep. Frey's role consisted of notifying the Ridgefield Playhouse group of the grant opportunity, attending the State workshop on the grant with Ms. Manners (the only state rep. who attended any of the five workshops), and shepherding it through the process. He also arranged to have the Director of the Ct. Commission of the Arts come to Ridgefield last April, meet with the RPAC board, and tour the old high school auditorium.

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