Milton Theatre unveils new capital campaign
After completing the restoration of its balcony earlier this year, Milton Theatre is moving to Phase 2 of its plans to renovate the century-old theater: building an addition that will improve education programs and upgrade artist facilities.
The theater unveiled plans for Phase 2 at a special event Aug. 2, which featured short films on the theater’s education initiatives and testimonials from former students, live performances from the current theater camp show, “Finding Dory Jr.,” and a video on what the updated construction will look like.
If Phase 1 was about improving the audience experience, Phase 2 is about improving the experience for those who are on stage. The $2.5 million addition includes two new studio spaces, which Director Fred Munzert said will better accommodate shows with bigger casts, in particular the growing numbers of kids signing up for the theater’s summer camp productions, all of which sold out this year.
There will also be a green room and new dressing rooms that will make it easier for artists to get on stage. Currently, Munzert said, artists have to walk out on the roof and then back down to get to the stage.
While the renovation and expansion are geared toward the artists, there will be a number of improvements for theatergoers, including a new box office, a new bar and concession area, and new bathrooms.
Munzert said the goal is to start construction in summer 2024. Much like during the balcony project, he said the plan is for the theater to remain open during construction. If all works out, the project would be complete in 2025.
Board Chair Annette Babich said, “I think that the education wing will be the most important and most significant contribution the Milton Theatre will make to this town. Art and culture is not a luxury. It is a necessity. It is our heart and soul. It fuels creativity. It promotes cultural understanding. It enhances critical thinking. And it fosters personal well-being. We want to ensure that arts and education will receive the attention and support it needs.”
The project comes on the heels of Munzert’s 10th anniversary as director of the theater. In the context of where the theater is now, he recalled his first visit to the facility. It was on a cold, wet January day and the building he came into then was in bad shape, with moldy seats and no electricity, but he felt there was something there.
“I felt like the walls were talking to me. I really felt like this was such an important project. We started talking to people in town, and they all talked about how important this was to them. It was closed and it was damp and it was dingy, but it still meant so much to the people here. That made it all the more important that we do this,” he said.
