Encouraging news in theater report

4/2/2007

Good news on the Shakespeare theater front has Stratford hoping the long-running drama may finally end happily. If last week’s repair estimate is any indication, the town has chosen wisely in its bid to finally get the facility up and running again.
The report, submitted by New York developer Koerner, Kronenfeld Partners, LLC, predicted repair costs at less than $1 million; at less than half the original estimate, the Town Council is all but guaranteed to approve it and move forward.
The estimate forgoes certain enhancements unnecessary to the theater’s basic operation. All that matters is getting the place open, and in that regard, the news is encouraging. The fact that there is no structural damage, even after 55 years of use and disuse, helped keep cost estimates reasonable.
It’s also encouraging that vandalism, while a continuing problem, has been kept to a minimum while the doors have been shuttered. Roof and water damage have made their mark, but the developer says the problems are well within the group’s abilities to handle, and the six-month time frame will apparently not be a problem.
After so much wrangling over the site, when all anyone in town wanted was just to see the place open again, it’s a relief to finally have some good news. Town officials are convinced this report vindicates their choice to bring the theater back, and they are right to be proud. After so much back-and-forth over the years, Stratford’s beacon of the arts may soon shine again.