By The Keystone Newspaper Theater to have first “soft opening” event scheduled for the holiday season
By John Mahoney
After a long renovation period and highly awaited return, the Strand Theater has officially announced their showing of the holiday film “Saint Nick of Bethlehem,” slated for Dec. 7 and 8. This will be the first of a few “soft opening” style events that the Strand will hold over the coming months of renovations and refurbishing. The holiday event will include an official Q&A with actors from the movie after the screening.
Photo Credit: John Mahoney
The event will not have a proper concession stand, however there will be a table with snacks and drinks for sale.
Barbara Vogelgesang from the Kutztown Community Partnership (KCP) has helped to spearhead this project and shed some light on the current standing of the renovation process. Vogelgesang has said that with some recent help, and a new grant awarded, the Strand is once again making a huge stride towards a grand reopening.
Photo Credit: John Mahoney
“We had an in-kind donation company who came in and cleaned all of the seats and the carpets for us so that we can start showing movies,” Vogelgesang said. She then explained that the recent grant of $370,000 will go towards renovating the building’s bathrooms, fire safety systems and stairwells. The first grant of $450,000, which was used for restoration of the roof and HVAC, has ensured that both are nearing completion this winter.
Vogelgesang then explained that even though the construction efforts are moving along swiftly, the next soft opening event may not be held until Spring 2025.
Photo Credit: John Mahoney
“There’s a lot of factors like knowing when the proper materials will become available, when the grant money comes through, raising more money,” Vogelgesang said. The team behind the theater’s restorations has remained adamant about making the Strand’s return a high quality one, and certainly not something to be rushed.
Despite the arduous construction process, with the help of the Kutztown Borough and many volunteers, the team and everyone involved are hopeful for the Strand’s future beyond the December events.
Photo Credit: John Mahoney
“Now we are seeking a planning grant so that we can get all of the mechanical and electrical drawings done for what needs to happen for this next phase of renovations,” Vogelgesang said. “We’re also applying for another pretty big grant to get everything else done on the first floor.”
The total goal for complete renovations of the Strand is $1.8 million dollars.
Other than the typical movie screenings, other event ideas for the theater involve a potential book-to-film analysis club, live on-stage shows and performances and a screen-writing program for middle and elementary school students.
Photo Credit: John Mahoney
“We have a fully funded program – it’s called Story Guardians – and we will go into Brandywine Middle School and Greenwich Elementary School starting in January, twice a week after school and teach the students to write their own screenplay,” Vogelgesang said.
The Story Guardians program aims to then take the screenplays and transform them into real productions with the help of film maker volunteers. Vogelgesang envisions the events as a gala-like experience where these students can have their moment in the spotlight. As for KU students, the Strand is working towards development of a stage setup for later use in productions and performances. Story Guardians and the stage development are just two of the many ways the Strand is tailored to bring members of the community together.
“I think in our world today, we need to come together more and enjoy things together so that we can further understand and appreciate one another,” Vogelgesang said.