Archive for the 'Weekly Emails' Category

Aug 28 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: August 29, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

The Shelby County Historical Society Uniphone Theatre Pipe Organ destine for the Strand had to make a move this week. Since the organ was acquired in October of 2004 it has been in climate controlled storage. Its previous 25 years were in unheated and dirty storage, the organ really needed the warm confines of a new home. This storage has been graciously provided at no cost by Lester Lee and Bill Nalle of Maxim Global, LLC. The organ, constructed mostly of wood, was able to acclimate to the heated environment. This will make it much easier and stable to rebuild.

Well, last week I got a call from Bill Nalle. After 4 years, their business is expanding and they needed the space. So this past Tuesday Strand volunteers Chris Clark, Bob Schlick, Steve Frazee, Wayne Rose, DeP Ewing and Gary Nolley joined David Finkel in the move. Since the organ is palletized, it was relatively easy. Chris Clark was the designated fork lift driver, and the rest went smoothly.

We transported the organ to a new heated storage space (again provided at no cost) with the help of Pat Huesman and LaCap Container. They provided their dock high truck for the journey. It is easy when you go from loading dock to loading dock…..no lifting! Thank you to Pat, Roy Knopp and Jerry Caplinger for helping us with this move. The organ is safe and sound in its new home. The organ, Opus 531 from the Uptown Theatre in Louisville, Kentucky is sitting next to Opus 512 from the Oriental Theatre in Indianapolis. Both were built by the Louisville Pipe Organ Company. They are both extremely rare, and we look forward to getting 531 rebuilt and expanded for our Strand project.

This past week we had another excellent audience for the finals of Shelby Idol. There was wonderful talent on our stage! I hope you were able to hear the winners perform at the Bears of Blue River Festival this past Saturday night! On Sunday after the festival, the Pete Jarvis Organization produced "Rock the Strand". This show was a benefit for several organizations. Thank you to the PJO for making this a reality.

Do you like our popcorn? Well, we have 2 secret ingredients that make it taste so yummy. First is our master popcorn chef Steve Frazee. He has brought his many years of popcorn experience from the Shelbyville Band Boosters to the Strand. Second is our Cretor Popcorn Machine. This is an industrial size popcorn popper that can really do a great job. The Cretor was left in the theatre from its movie theatre days. It is old (maybe not as old as Steve, but still old). It has been quite exciting getting it going reliably. Steve Dennis has rewired and replaced just about everything electrical in it………except one thing. The motor that runs the stirrer for the kettle. Guess what? Yep, you guessed it, with 246 audience members in the Strand for Shelby Idol, that poor old motor decided to quit functioning. Somehow Steve Frazee was still able to make enough popcorn to sell 39 tubs! Steve Dennis to the rescue. A new motor is on its way and will be installed shortly. Just one more exciting thing that keeps us on our toes.

Soon we will be installing our new Valance for the Grand Drape. It was originally 64" long. It had to be hemmed to 34". This isn’t an easy task. It is very heavy fire rated velvet. The sewing also had to be done with Nomex (fire retardant) thread. Patty and Carolyn Schneider of Sew Tec had the large industrial sewing machines to do the job. They also shortened it to 38 feet! Thank you Patty and Carolyn for your help and generosity in getting this done. We look forward to hoisting it in the air!

The theatre has a little lull the first few weeks of September. We have a long project list that we are going to try to accomplish. It includes some floor painting in the balcony, and a general scrubbing of the whole auditorium. We will use this time to our best advantage. Many of the items needed to be accomplished require drying or no traffic for several days. We have (fortunately) been so busy, we couldn’t get the time to do the work.

Thank you for your support. We are honored to be a part of our community.

 

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Aug 21 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: August 21, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello Strand Fans,

This week sees the return of Shelby Idol.  On Friday night August 22nd, the final six contestants will vie for top honors.   The winner of this contest will perform at the Bears of Blue River Festival on Saturday night.    Speaking of the BBRF, the Strand will be open for tours during the Festival.   Come downtown and support not only the Strand, but the great work that goes into producing the Bears of Blue River Festival.  

 
The Festival has been helping with the mission of the Strand well before any of us even dreamed of a performing arts center.   The BBRF stage on the square has provided a venue for local talent for two decades.    We believe strongly that live entertainment is part of the vitality of our community.    Kudos to the Festival for helping make this a reality year in and year out.
 
If you missed the Shelby County Players fundraiser "Divas and Duets on Broadway" you really missed out.   It was a wonderful show.   The performers filled the Strand with wonderful music.   The show highlighted some of our best talent.    The Strand hopes that the SCP were successful in this fundraising effort.
 
After the "Divas" left, we had to return the theatre to a usable space for this week’s events.   This facilitated raising the downstage portion of our stage back to the level of the rest of the stage.   Strand volunteers Gordon H., Bob S. and Lou M. all got up early Sunday morning to help rebuild the stage.  5 hours later is was back to its original look.   By Monday it was repainted and ready for the new shows.
 
This week Beck Studios will again return to the Strand to finish a few items on our screen.    Beck has been a wonderful vendor to work with, and we thank them for all their generosity towards our project.    We also want to thank Quality Concepts Awnings & Signs of Indianapolis for providing grill cloth for our stage surround built for the "Divas" shows.   They do a lot of work providing awnings for our downtown businesses, and we appreciate them supporting the Strand. 
 
Work is still progressing on the exterior windows.   They are almost completely hung.   We will have to align and adjust them to work perfectly.   The chandelier is being hung soon, so when the windows open, you will be able to look into a beautifully decorated and lit space.
 
Should you have any suggestions for things you would like me to write about, please send me an email at david.finkel@strand-theatre-shelbyville.org    I am always interested in answering questions that should arise.    Our theatre is packed with history and is blazing a trail into the future.   There are lots of things to observe and document.
 
Thank you for all your support.   We are proud to continue to establish ourselves as part of our community’s landscape.   Hope to see you at the theatre to help support the performing arts in Shelbyville and Shelby County.

 

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Aug 15 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: August 15, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

 

Last week the Strand had quite a surprise.   Gretchen and Marsha from Energy2Action, LLC, the producers of Shelby Idol, told us to expect about 100 patrons for the event.   They were wrong…..we had 319!   It was incredible seeing the line down the block to get into our theatre.    The competition was well run and 6 very talented performers will advance to the finals.   The last round will be held at the Strand on August 22, 2008.    Thank you to Gretchen and Marsha for packing the theatre!
 
Friday night local talent Austin Siebert and seven of his friends performed an eclectic mix of music on the Strand stage.   It was a very entertaining show.   The did a great job in preparing for the performance in our venue.   Thank you Austin for bringing your talent to the citizens of our community!
 
The Strand is preparing for the Shelby County Players fundraising event "Divas on Broadway". In order to accommodate this show, the Strand stage had to be extensively modified.   When the stage was designed and built, it was to be flexible.   This past weekend was certainly a test.    Fortunately the components assembled just as planned, and really didn’t take that long given the amount of work to be performed.
 
In addition our friends at Advanced Plumbing Contractors have been in the theatre doing all sorts of things.   They installed the bathroom behind the stage and a sink in our concessions area.   The bathroom was there, it just hadn’t been used in about 50 years.   If anyone out there knows when the last time it functioned, please let us know.    The remodeled bathroom has a new sub floor and vinyl floor.   Thank you Ray and Cindy Wetnight for helping us out with the floor! The bathroom also sports the theatre’s paint scheme.   Thank to Gordon H., Debbie E., Bob S. & Steve F. for each doing what was necessary for its completion.   Again thank you to Pat Turner of PET Construction for doing the construction.
 
This week in order to fulfill a request of the Shelby County Players, Ron B. is preparing to install speakers for our Cabaret Area. Steve D. and Darin M. will be inside the balcony fishing the wires for these speakers.   When completed it will fill the sound in under the balcony area.     This is a major job being done in a very quick manner.   Thank you to Rick and Darla H. of Kash Entertainment who were able to get our equipment shipped from various places around the country and to the Strand on time (and UNDER budget!)
 
Gordon didn’t want to get left out.   To accommodate the change in the stage floor, certain touch up painting was needed.   Not good enough for Gordon…..he repainted the whole stage so it would look great for the Players.    Also Gordon drew the short straw and replaced the horns in our top speakers.   This is not easy to get to, and once there it is not an easy job.    Somehow we blew both speakers, but considering they are 50 years old, we will forgive them.   The replacements are installed and sound great!   Thank you Gordon.
 
Work is still steaming along on all other fronts.   The Players will perform "Divas" this Friday and Saturday.   You can consult their web site www.shelbycountyplayers.com for more information.

Thanks for your support.   The Strand Theatre of Shelbyville, Inc. is thrilled at the success of the theatre. Without you, it would not be possible!
 

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Aug 08 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: August 8, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

This week was fantastic at the Strand.  First, Steve F. is getting oh so close to having the center windows and office ready.   The windows are painted and stained and ready for reinstallation.   When completed not only will they look great, but they will work perfectly.    Steve has really done a great job and soon the whole community will see the fruits of his labor!

We had our friends and Strand vendor Beck Studios install our movie screen this week.   It took several people to unload the 30′ crate from on top of the truck.    It was an all day affair to get it hung.   The guys from Beck Studios left for home at 12:20 AM!    It was worth the effort.  I looks great.   When it is in the up position, you don’t even know it is there.   This screen was anonymously endowed to the Strand.   If by chance one of you out there is that person, THANK YOU!   Your gift will give back many times over to the community!
 

It will take several months before we can start our film series.   We are now going full force on making our projector booth ready.   Check out our web site for pictures of the installation.
Beck Studios also installed our Grand Drape.  Not only did they do the installation, but they donated the curtain to the Strand!   That is a big gift!   It really changes the feel for the theatre when closed.   It looks beautiful and is a great addition to our theatre.

We have built the back stage bathroom and the plumbing is being installed this week.  The old fixtures were not so nice after sitting for several decades.   We are installing all new fixtures.   The basement under the stage is clean and clear of all the old mechanical equipment.  We installed a floor that covers to old stained concrete.

This past Sunday, Brenda and Randy Mershon of  the Indianapolis area visited our theatre.  The write a blog about fun activities to do in the Indy area.  We spent a very enjoyable 90 minutes with them.  They have added us to their website with a very nice article.  Their website is http://worthyourattention1.blogspot.com/.  Please take a few moments to enjoy their site.
 
This week we have Shelby Idol on Thursday night at 7:00 pm, Austin Siebert & Section 7 on Friday at 8:00 pm,   Next week the Shelby County Players are loading into the theatre for their fundraiser "Divas" on August 15 & 16.
Thank you for your support of the Strand.  Hope to see you at an event soon.
 

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Jul 25 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: July 25, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Last week the Strand hosted "United We Sing!"   This performance raised money for the flood victims of our county. Cindy Houpt, Angie Davies and crew raised over $2700 that when directly in the Relief Fund at the Blue River Community Foundation.   Thank you to all who participated in this event!

 How about a few statistics?   Too bad, you’re getting them anyway.    Our marketing efforts on the web site have been slowly gaining speed.   Here are the locations that we have received hits from this past month:
 
United States
United Kingdom
Japan
Hong Kong
Romania
Poland
Spain
South Korea
France
The Netherlands
Germany
 
Within the US we have been viewed by people in 31 states.   Remember these statistics are for the past 30 days only.   We also can thank some referring sites that put our link on theirs.   We have had referrals from:
 
www.mainstreetshelbyville.org
www.smashedproductions.net
www.shelbyvillecommunitychurch.org
www.satelliteblues.net
www.cinematreasures.org
www.shelbychamber.net
www.grovermuseum.org
www.shelbyarts.com
www.visitshelbycounty.com
 
Thank you to all who list us. This is a great way to get the positive things about our community known to a larger audience. If you haven’t visited the site recently, check it out www.strand-theatre-shelbyville.org     We are posting historical articles too.   If you go far enough back on the site (like 1925) you will see postings from the era.   It is a fun way to get our research material in the hands of everyone.   If any out their would like to help comb through the old papers at the library, we would love the help.    The site also has an integrated search tool, so if you would like to search on "Schlick", you will get all the articles that has good ‘ol Bob is listed.   

Speaking of the web site, we FINALLY got our first donation via the web!   Thank you Strand Supporter Mark W. for your web based donation.   Mark doesn’t currently live in Shelbyville, but has been a supporter since the beginning and a volunteer when he is in town.   Thank you Mark!   (Now if I can just figure out how to transfer the money out of our PayPal account!)
 
This week we host another Smashed Productions concert on Saturday Night July 26 @ 8:00pm.    Thank you to all the performers and Joey G. for bringing our community this entertainment.   At $5 advance and $7 at the door it is affordable too.   Remember, the Strand is the recipient of ALL proceeds.   Thank you Joey G…a real community leader!
 
See the shiny new door handles discussed last week.   The Strand received quite a pleasant surprise from Shelby Plating & Polishing on St. Joseph Street.    They discounted the price of the work by 84%!!   Thank you Shelby Plating for helping the Strand.
 
We used our choral risers for the first time on Sunday.   These risers were donated by the NFL.   They worked great and looked good too.    While Gordon was getting them ready we discovered that the drain lines for the A/C units are a little too low to clear the risers when stored. How did we find this out? The big puddle of water on stage and in the basement was a clue.   Bob S. has that fixed.  

I spoke last week about installing safety switches on our A/C units.   This week they saved the day. One of the old freon line fittings broke apart due to age and vibration. Instead of burning up the compressor with lack of freon, the unit shut down just like advertised. Thank you Bob S. for insisting we do this work.   Thank you to Shelby Heating and Air for assisting with the items needed.
 
Hope to see you at the theatre soon.   Thank you for your interest and support!
 

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Jul 18 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: July 18, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello All,

This week has been a flurry of activity at the theatre.   You might have noticed the change in color on the front facade.   We (Gordon actually) brightened it up with a limestone color.   We still have some trim work to do, but when done it will look great.   In preparation for painting, Bob S. power washed the front of the building.   It was black with grit and grime.    The new color is a few shades lighter on purpose.  Give it a month, and it will darken down to what we need.   After only 3 days, there is already a film of black soot on the new paint!
 
Take a look at the chains holding the marquee.   They are now gloss black.   They used to be painted the same brown as everything else.  When completed all these small details will help make the most of the visual presence our facade needs to project.
 
Check out the door handles as you drive by.  ;  The first of next week, you will see that they are all shiny.   Half of them are currently getting re-chromed.   We wish we could put a nickel plate finish back on, but our local plating shop only does chrome.   That is OK, they will look great.   Sandman Brothers has agreed to clear coat the handles to help protect the finish.    A little tidbit we learned is to install a small o-ring on the mounting screw before installation.  This will help keep from cracking the new chrome.
 
The office upstairs is slowly turning into a butterfly.   The windows are being reglazed this week by our neighbor Adam’s Glass.    After everything is done, we will take the plywood off the center set of windows, then on the the next set.   Steve F. is leading the charge on this project.    They will look wonderful when finished.   When you see Steve in front of the th eatre looking hot and dirty, well now you know why.
 
Bob S. has officially completed the total rebuild of our heating and A/C system.   He completed the last task with the help of his lovely wife this week.   He cleaned the A/C coils above the stage.  Much to Bob’s surprise, when opened they looked brand new!    He said there was hardly any dirt.    With that task completed, every component of our system has been cleaned, checked, rebuilt and given an new lease on life.   We also have installed safety sensors on all our compressors to prevent damage in case of a failure of any component of the system.   
Last week the Shelby Community Band was able to raise $451 dollars for the victims of the tornado and floods at our Friday night concert.   The audience was asked to bring non-perishables to the concert too.   Over 200# of non-perishables were delivered to Human Services on Monday morning.    Thank you to all the members of the Community Band and the Strand staff for helping us "give back" to the community.   Also a thank you to the Shelbyville News for publishing the very nice color picture on the front page of the paper showing the delivery of the donations.
 
This week we will continue in our small way in helping others.   Strand volunteer Cindy H. is producing a concert on Sunday July 20 entitled "United We Sing".   Members of our community and many of the church choirs will perform.   All the money collected will be given to the Blue River Foundation for flood relief victims.   P lease help us fill the theatre.   The concert will start a 2:30pm.    Hope to see you there.
 
On Saturday July 26th at 8:00pm Joey G. will produce another outstanding show.   Adam and Amanda O’Connor will be headlining the night.   They play a very warm and easy style of music.   If you have yet to come to one of these concerts, this would be a great time to try it out.   
 
On a final note, we have been given a due date for our movie screen.   It will be installed the week of August 4th.    We will need 20 volunteers to help walk the 30 foot long crate holding the screen into the theatre.   Once in, we will lift it onto the stage.   If you are available during the day, and can spare an hour, please send Steve or I an email.   It will only take about 5 minutes to move, but by the time we reinvent the wheel, an hour will pass.
 
Thank you for all your support.   Without your interest and participation, this project would not be where it is today.   We passed our 6 month anniversary this week.   We have come a long way since starting the operation phase of our mission.   We are thrilled you are a part of the process!
 
See you Sunday
 

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Jul 11 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: July 11, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello All,

 It has been a busy week at the Strand.     We have had the theatre used every day this week.   The Shelby County Players held their youth acting classes on our stage this week.   It is good to get the participants comfortable performing on our theatre.    In addition SCP volunteer Don Newman built a new stage staircase for us.    Don doesn’t believe in skimping on the material.   It is stout!     No sooner did Don install the stairs, then boom….Gordon had it painted.     Thank you Don and Gordon.
 
In addition, we have rented the theatre for a series of adult dancing classes on Tuesday nights.    Strand supporter Cindy Houpt is producing these classes. Everyone seems to have a great time.    To round out the week we have 3 events.   Tonight, the Strand will host a benefit concert for our County’s flood victims.   The Shelby Community Band will play starting at 7:30.   Admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable items is encouraged.    Donations to the Relief Fund will also be accepted.  
 
Arts can play an important role in the community.   The Strand, through its mission, is doing something thrilling with this concert.   We are giving BACK financially to our community.    Remember, we have yet to do any fundraising, so this event is quite amazing.    This is a great example of what our facility can do it help increase not only the quality of life, but also the opportunity to participate in community needs.     Thank you to Russ Smith and the Shelby Community Band for sponsoring this concert.
 
On Saturday during the day, Mainstreet Shelbyville and WSVX are hosting "Summer on the Square".   All proceeds will help the Strand with our ongoing Marquee renovation. We will have the theatre open during the day, and Steve F. is scheduled to be on the radio at 10:00am.   Thank you Mainstreet and WSVX for helping with this project.   I hope everyone comes out and spends a little time in our downtown on Saturday.   We are very fortunate to have our town square.   It is unique in many ways and should be celebrated.
 
Saturday night we have another Smashed Productions produced concert.    Joey G. has a fun line of bands starting at 7:00.   Tickets are $7 at the door, and remember, the Strand keeps 100% of the revenue.   All the bands donate their talent to the project.    Thank you Bands!
 
So lets recap…..we had an event Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, Thursday, 2 on Friday and 2 on Saturday.   Not bad, considering most theatres like our don’t do much in the July!     Thank you everyone for making our project a success.
 
Last week we had world wide visitors to central Indiana in conjunction with the American Theatre Organ Society’s annual convention.   We also had visitors from several states at the Strand.    I was amazed at how many people across the country knew about our theatre and our organ project.     I posted a little review daily of the convention on our web site.    Take a look, it was neat stuff.    From a marketing standpoint, my travel log has a purpose.    Many people who attended, and also those who didn’t attend will Google "2008 ATOS Convention".    We come up 3rd on the listings.    That will drive a wider audience to our site and our project.

Steve F. is getting close to having the center widows reemerge from their slumber.   The office is going to look great from the street.    He has one piece of cherry wood to mill and install, then the assembly can begin.   Steve’s skill has allowed us to really stretch our Mainstreet Facade Grant monies.   Good thing Steve had a house on Shelby Street that needed the same thing 15 years ago!
 
Next time you fly over the theatre, take a look down.   You will notice the top of the marquee is clean.   It had been the receptacle for trash for years.     Russ S., Weedie S., Hillary S., Bob S. and I cleaned that off this week.   Bob power washed the front of the building too.   Gordon has been given those magical words…."it is ready to paint".   I think you will see a difference very soon.   This is all work that has to occur ahead of the window covering removal.   We hopefully will all finish the same time.
 
Speaking of grants, thank you once again to the Blue River Community Foundation for funding the Strand.   We received a $3100 grant to expand our sound system.   With the knowledge we have gained these past few months, many needs became apparent.   This grant will help us achieve the level of professionalism needed with our system to easily accommodate a plethora of entertainment.   Thank you BRCF!
 
Hope to see you soon.   

Thanks,

David

 

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Jun 26 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: June 26, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello All,

Isn’t summer fun?!   It is proving interesting for all of us at the Strand.    The theatre is humming along.   Several things have taken place in the past few days.   First lets talk about our events.
 
We hosted the Shelby County Players "Divas" auditions.   I know that everyone will want to come and see this performance and help support our friends at the Shelby County Players.   They will have their benefit concert on August 15 & 16.   The local talent will be fantastic, and I am sure that Cindy L. and her crew will put on an entertaining show.  
 
The Shrine Club Concert Band did a very patriot concert last week too.   They also had a little "audience participation". The director made everyone stand up and do the Chicken Dance!   You can see a picture of that on our web site.    Trust me, you had to be there.
 
Smashed Productions returned with another entertaining night of rock music.    The bands that played the Strand on June 21st were fun.   If you haven’t been to the theatre to listen to one of these concerts, please try to fit it into your schedule.   We have a local duo, Adam and Amanda O’Connor taking the stage on July 26th.   It would be a great time to hear some live music….and don’t forget, the Strand receives 100% of the revenue generated from these concerts!
 
The Blue River Community Foundation hosted their Annual Meeting at the theatre this week.   It was very well attended, and the patrons enjoyed see all your work.    The majority of comments center on how far the theatre has come, how little time it took us, and how many different people volunteered.    That is what we are all about.    The Clarinet Ensemble performed for the event.   The catered evening was yet another different type of event we can host.   Thank you to the BRCF for holding their meeting in our theatre!
 
Next time you are driving by the theatre, go around back and drive through the alley.   The rear exit doors are cleaned and painted.   Soon they will sport very nice Strand Theatre signs.   Once again our friends at Stage Door Graphics made it possible for us to install those signs…..Thank you Stage Door and the DeWitt Family. 
 
Since you are in the back of the theatre, I hope you notice the general cleanliness of the area.    When we first started work, the alley and the areas adjacent to our building were full of trash and debris.   We have constantly picked up trash and swept.   I think you will agree it is a noticeable improvement.   These are the types of little things that must be remembered and accomplished for us to be completely successful in our mission.
 
We really need to have a Saturday work session.    Our problem is too many events!   That is a problem we will gladly take.    Here are some of the things that we need to accomplish in the future.   If anyone has time to help, please contact Steve or I to arrange times.   Many of us are at the theatre odd hours, and help is always appreciated.
 
First we need to paint under the marquee.   This isn’t a difficult task, but we need to pressure wash the dirt off first.   It will be painted a limestone color.   We also need to scrape and prepare the marquee.    Dr. Paul Inlow at one of our events asked us about the lights for the marquee.   We told him that we do not have the funds to purchase them yet.   Dr. Inlow took a sample of the socket and the lamp and gave the Strand enough to redo the entire marquee!!   Thank you Dr. Inlow.     We need to drill out the old sockets, prepare the metal, and reinstall the new sockets.    This isn’t hard, just time consuming.   It will be satisfying when the are all lit again.
 
Every notice the chains holding the marquee?   They need to be black.   Gordon will lead the crew that will prepare and paint those chains.    We also need some interior help. Our basement under the stage still has old compressor parts that need to go to Pettit’s for recycling.     There are also small plastering jobs inside the theatre that still need accomplished.    These are things that if we don’t really push to get them done now, we may never get them finished.
 
Here is an update on our movie screen.   Beck Studio’s, our contractor, has informed us that the screen will be manufactured the first week of July.   We are going to assemble a crew to help Beck install the screen the second week for July.    This will be a great addition to our theatre.   Thank you to the anonymous donor that purchased the screen on our behalf.
 
We hope to see you at an event soon.   Check out our web site for details (and don’t forget the Chicken Dance picture).
 
We appreciate your interest and support of the Strand and the Arts in ShelbyCounty!
 
David
 
 
 
 

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Jun 14 2008

Strand Theatre Weekly Email: June 14, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello All,

The past few weeks the Strand has seen a myriad of activity.   On a daily basis something is happening in or to the theatre.   Steve F. is busy reworking the office windows.    Along with the restoration of the windows, the offices are being remodeled back into usable and good looking space.   Remember, when the boards come off the windows, you will see into the offices…and they have to look good too!    Bob S. has been a busy bee keeping our A/C going.     So far we have lost 3 of our 4 condenser fan motors.   When these motors quit, they cause the A/C units to shut down.    Thank goodness Bob knows everything to know about that….he has replaced one after another.    This week while he is fixing number 3, I think he is going to preemptively replace number 4!    Our theatre has been comfortable, thank you Bob.
Ron B. is also a busy bee with the sound system too.  We discovered we had a few funds left over from our Blue River Foundation Grant.  Not a problem for Ron, he knew just how to spend it.   We again went to vendor extraordinaire Kash Entertainment and order two compressors.    These, according to Ron, are a must.   If you ever take a look at the rack under the sound board, the compressors are the gizmos that have the pretty flashing lights.    Ron is getting the system better and better all the time.
 
Mainstreet Shelbyville delivered a nice sign which we will place in our window as we work on our facade restoration.    The grant from Mainstreet will certainly help us accomplish this task.   There is lots to do, but unlike last summer when the theatre was closed, it is a bit more difficult to squeeze in the work sessions.   Fortunately we have bookings that we have to work around.
 
Nick Ciarletta and his crew put on a great show Thursday June 12th.     They raised lots of money for our theatre!   Thank you Nick!    Please check out the pictures on our web site of the hair show.   It was quite the entertaining event.    I am a bit disappointed that they didn’t ask me to be a hair model.   Gordon was disappointed too, but that is OK, we can handle it!    Those of you who know both of us understand the joke.
 
Friday the 13th, Smashed Productions had another fun night of rock music.   We heard from three diverse bands.   Check out the web site for more details for that entertaining show.   It too had all the proceeds donated to the Strand.   On a side note, the band Faded Daze had an interesting mix of musicians.   Not because they were good and sounded great together, which they did, but for another reason.    3 of the 4 worked for me while they were in high school.  The were playing music back then, and it nice they are still playing today.   The show was a great success.   Thank you Joey G.!
 
Between Nick and Joe, they have kept us afloat for yet another day.   As we prepare financially for the challenges ahead, it is nice to have these great financial shots in the arm.    As a bunch of volunteers, help from many makes it better for all.   When you see either of them, give them a big Strand Thanks.
 
Next week we have a few things at the theatre.   The Shelby County Players are holding auditions for their "Divas" fundraiser.   On Wednesday the 18th the Shrine Club Band will perform a free concert at 7:00pm.    In the following week the Blue River Foundation will hold their annual meeting at our theatre.
 
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Rhonda S. at rhonda.schwegman@strand-theatre-shelbyville.org   We could really use some additional help during the performances.    We always have fun, and it is nice to talk to our many patrons at the various shows.   Please drop her a note if you are interested.
 
This week was yet another milestone for the Strand.   We passed the 3000 audience member mark!     Thank you for all the support, and making our theatre available to help support the performing arts in Shelbyville and Shelby County.

David

 
 

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Jun 01 2008

Strand Weekly Email: June 1, 2008

Published by David under Weekly Emails

Hello All,

 This week Exit 113 played the Strand on Saturday night.   It was enjoyable to get to hear the music.    This coming week the Library is celebrating its 105th Birthday with a Piano Jazz concert by Dave Hepler at the Strand.   This free event will start at 7:00pm.    There will be birthday cake for all who attend!   Please so your support for the Library and the Strand by attending this concert.
 
When you are in the lobby on Friday night, look at the nice cabinets in the concessions area. Steve F. finished hanging the upper units this week. Thank you to Indiana Downs for donating these cabinets to our project.    We still have a little work left to do, but so far we have made great strides in improving our concessions area.   We have done all this without spending hardly a nickel.    The plumber will change that, but we’re pleased with the progress so far.
 
Did anyone notice it was in the upper 80’s on Saturday?    We didn’t.   The Strand was nice and cooool.    Thank you Bob S. for having our A/C ready to go.   As the heat loads go up, it is nice to know we have a reliable system (actually 2 systems).   We just spec’d out our stage lighting equipment.   We purposely chose stage lights that run cooler than most fixtures. This will help on those really hot days when we have a full house and the humidity is sky high!    Hey, how about giving Bob a little to worry about.   400 at the Piano Jazz concert on Friday will keep him hopping with the A/C.
 
We have several events on the horizon.   Nick Ciarletta is doing a Hair Show to benefit the Strand.   It is billed as "Lady’s Night Out".   I guess I won’t find out what it is all about since I don’t qualify as an audience member, but you out there who can, please go an let me know how it turns out!   I can guaranty Nick will be entertaining and informative.   Thank Nick the next time you see him for stepping up to the plate and helping the Strand.   He is doing this in conjunction with the Shelby Arts Council.

Speaking of people helping, the rock bands that have played our theatre have really kept us afloat.   Every cent of revenue comes to the Strand.    We have 2 more concerts planned for June.   Attendance at these really helps our bottom line, as well as gives you a great evening for affordable entertainment.    If you see any of the billed band members, give them a Strand thanks!

We are preparing the necessary items to start the marquee.   We’ll let everyone know when we start.   It will be fun to see it lit up when finished!   The windows are progressing well.   Steve F. is leading the charge from the inside.   If you are available during the week, give Steve a shout, he would enjoy the help.
 
Thanks for all the support.   Please forward this message to people who would be interested. We would love to add them to our list.     Have a great first week of June.

David
 

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