Jul 11 2008
Strand Theatre Weekly Email: July 11, 2008
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
