By: Deborah Johnson Wood
On July 5, Whitehall's 91-year-old Howmet Playhouse debuts its 2007 summer stock under a new owner, the City of Whitehall. Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, who had operated the 400-seat theater since the 1970s, gifted the playhouse to the city last year.
"The synergy between the theater, the nearby bed and breakfasts, and the downtown restaurants make it a wonderful destination," says Tom Harryman, playhouse manager. "White Hall has a real walkable, small-town feel. People recognize it as soon as they park their car and get out."
The playhouse brings in actors from around the country, and calls on the talents of regional performers and musicians, as well.
In November, the playhouse launched a campaign to raise $310,000 for an endowment fund. Harryman hopes to reach the goal by September. Parts of the building and some of its performance-related systems need upgrading. But Harryman will address those issues and a proposed capital campaign after the summer productions.
"We'll be looking at the roof, the building's skin, and an HVAC upgrade," Harryman says. Also on his wish list are new riggings, lighting, and sound system for the stage. "We want to upgrade but not lose that great quaint historic feeling the building maintains."
The summer schedules opens with Sylvia by A.R. Gurney and includes the popular Escanaba in Da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels and E.B. White's Stuart Little. Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for students.
Source: Tom Harryman, Howmet Playhouse
Photo courtesy of Howmet Playhouse
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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