May 1 -- The Ridgefield Playhouse today moved one step closer to completion. Barbara Manners, President of the Friends of The RPAC, Inc. ("The Friends"), the group which has leased the auditorium from the town and will be operating it as The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and the Performing Arts, announced that the contract for renovation of the auditorium and its reincarnation into The Ridgefield Playhouse has been awarded to Roche, Inc, a local general contractor whose reputation for excellence has been earned in such high visibility construction projects as the creation of Every Women's Spirit at Copps Hill Commons and renovations to the clubhouses at Silver Spring, Waccabuc and Redding Country Clubs. Ms. Manners stated that the drawings which were done by local architect Douglas MacMillan, have been submitted to the building department for its review and approval and Gerald Roche is ready to begin as soon as permits are in hand.
On behalf of the board of The Friends, Ms. Manners expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Benton Delinger of Theatre Projects, Inc., also a board member, who has been responsible for technical design of the Playhouse and who is current chair of The Friends' building committee and to Douglas MacMillan principal architect of the renovation. According to Ms. Manners, Mr. Delinger and Mr. MacMillan have both donated countless hours to the project.
Benton Delinger, a Ridgefield resident, has been on the building committee since its inception and has been chairman since Steve Zemo resigned after being re-elected to the Board of Selectmen. Mr. Delinger, before coming to work for Theatre Projects Consultants two years ago, was Facility Project Manager for the San Jose Repertory Theatre. In that capacity he oversaw the construction of its new home from initial concept to final completion. The theatre was a joint project of the Repertory and the city of San Jose Redevelopment Agency. Some of the more widely known projects he is currently working on include The Goodman Theatre in Chicago, the new Philadelphia Regional Performing Arts Center and the long awaited permanent home of the renowned Roundabout Theatre Co., the totally restored Selwyn Theatre located in Manhattan's theatre district. "Without Benton's willingness to spend so much of his own time as well as Theatre Projects Consultants willingness to permit him to undertake this project, we would have required several hundreds of thousands of additional dollars to create The Playhouse. Since the fall of 1994 when we first proposed the renovation of the old high school auditorium, Richard Pilbrow, also a Ridgefield resident and President of Theatre Projects Consultants, has supported us wholeheartedly through every phase of the project. The Friend's board and all Ridgefield residents who are eagerly awaiting The Playhouse opening should recognize that if Richard and Molly Pilbrow were not such community minded residents, this undertaking would have been virtually impossible,"said Ms. Manners.
Mr. MacMillan who is responsible for the architectural drawings for the project is also a Ridgefield resident who has been on the building committee since it was formed. In addition to designing the recently opened Mirabella Restaurant in Ridgefield, Mr. MacMillan's recent projects have included the new banquet hall at Capellaro's Grove in Bethel and Cannondale Bike's new headquarters, also in Bethel. "We are very fortunate to have so many talented residents who are so generous with their time," Ms. Manners said. "If Mr. MacMillan had not volunteered his services, we would have had to pay anywhere from $30,000 - $50,000 for a comparable set of drawings."
Phase one of the restoration of the auditorium which will bring it up to code and enable The Playhouse to open will include complete electrical rewiring and installation of a new HVAC system. Additionally, The Playhouse will be installing all new seats, window treatments and draperies in the auditorium. New bathrooms which meet current building codes are also part of Phase I plans. Ms. Manners stated that the women's rest room will be larger than absolutely necessary to cut down on the aggravation many women experience and the extended time they have to spend waiting on line to use the facilities in so many public theatres and arenas. There will also be a concession stand, dressing rooms and a ticket office. A sound system for the hearing impaired is part of the plans. Phase One will also provide the necessary infrastructure for the additional lights and more sophisticated sound system which will be part of Phase Two.
Phase One which will include all equipment necessary to show movies in The Playhouse and to use it for concerts and recitals will cost no more than $1,650,000. $100,000 of that total has already been expended for asbestos removal. The funds to pay for the renovations are coming from the town ($750,000), the state grant ($200,000) and private donations ($700,000). Ms. Manners stated that thanks to the generosity of townspeople The Friends have already raised the bulk of the necessary private funding. An announcement of some of the more recent gifts will be made at the groundbreaking of The Playhouse scheduled for 4:00 p.m. Saturday, May 6.
Doors to the auditorium will open at 3:30P.M. and following the groundbreaking ceremony Jon (sp?) Farrell, a noted local children's performer, will give a concert starting at 4:30 p.m. Refreshments, courtesy of Ridgefield Bank will conclude the day's event. Admission is free and residents are invited to bring blankets and folding chairs to sit on, although there will be a limited number of folding chairs available for those who don't bring their own. Come one, come all. See The Playhouse now - appreciate it even more when its complete!
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