BY BILL BRADLEY
The Sudbury Theatre Centre will continue to entertain audiences for years to come. Recently all three levels of government, the private sector, and citizens opened their wallets to pay for building repairs and upgrades.
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POTHITOS |
Many of the donors now have their names written in stone on the Walk of Fame outside the theatre.
The arts facility was in dire need of money to repair a leaking roof and replace heating, lighting and aging equipment, according to artistic director George Pothitos.
?We were forced to use our Visa to fund the necessary repairs and buy new equipment. Otherwise, we were in danger of closing. Luckily the community came through...? said Pothitos.
And come through they did surpassing the goal of $550,000.
?I?m pleased to say our capital campaign raised $680,000,? said Steve Irwin, chair of the board of the STC.
The biggest government contributor was the federal government. MP Diane Marleau was present to give the good news. ?We really believe in the role of theatre, of culture for Canadians. I am so proud of those who created this theatre. I am announcing a $155,000 contribution from the Cultural Spaces Program of Heritage Canada and $145,000 from FedNor,? said Marleau.
The largest private sector contributor was Inco. Presenting a $50,000 cheque was Ken Scholey, manager of production management. ?Inco has a long history with the theatre...But most important for us at Inco is that when I recruit the professionals we need, like young engineers, it is an advantage to tell them we have a great theatre here,? said Scholey.
Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, echoed Inco?s remarks. ?This theatre centre is very important for a thriving community. And the Sudbury Theatre Centre is part of a larger arts and cultural community that is an economic generator for our community.?
He announced funding of $110,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.
The City of Greater Sudbury contributed $50,000. Individuals who contributed $1,000 had their names etched on Walk of Fame bricks. Many other people contributed smaller amounts.
Pothitos said he thinks they gave because they are proud of the theatre.
?This has been a wonderful campaign. I came here as an actor to this building in 1987. I think this building was so well designed that it has a life force in it.
?It is alive in a sense. No other city has this size of theatre with the technical ability we have. The building has been here for 25 years. With these repairs I know it will keep us going for another 25 years,? said Pothitos.
For Peter Beckett, a biology professor, the money is well spent. ?I?ve been a theatre patron for as long as I have been here, that?s 30 years. It?s excellent they got this funding today. Now they can take on even more challenges,? he said.
The next STC production is Romeo and Juliet scheduled to open Friday, Sept. 30 and run until Oct. 16.
According to Judy Straughan, education co-ordinator, the audience will be thrilled with a traditional Shakespeare set. ?We have not done Shakespeare in over 10 years. We will have the lavish costumes plus our own artistic touch that makes for a wonderful production,? she said.
A complete line-up of plays is available from the Sudbury Theatre Centre at www.sudburytheatre.on.ca.
