Stadium Theatre’s next act
A big grant award for the historic theater means it can move forward with plans to expand space, programs
WOONSOCKET – The Stadium Theatre Foundation has received a $249,000 state grant it intends use to complete the Stadium Conservatory for the Performing Arts, a rehearsal and educational facility taking shape in the five-story office building adjacent to the 1926 Stadium Theatre in Monument Square.
The grant comes from the $35 million Cultural & Creative Economy Bond approved by voters in 2014 and was among $4.6 million worth of grants to 38 recipients in the third round of funding from the bond. Other recipients in the Northern Rhode Island area include the Museum of Work & Culture in Market Square, $40,752; the North Smithfield Heritage Association, $48,211; Mixed Magic Theatre and Cultural Events of Pawtucket, $30,000; and the Old Slater Mill Association, also in Pawtucket, $100,000.
The grants were announced at a ceremony Tuesday morning at the Newport Art Museum by Gov. Gina Raimondo, Randall Rosenbaum, executive director of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and Jeffrey Emidy, acting director of the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.
The latest infusion for the Stadium Theatre Foundation brings to nearly $2.4 million that the nonprofit organization has received from the bond. The foundation received some $2.1 million in the initial round of funding for the conservatory project – one of just nine organizations in the state selected for competitive capital improvements grants at the time.
Cathy Levesque, executive director of the Stadium Theatre and Conservatory, said the money was largely used to improve infrastructure and eliminate code violations in the 30,000-square-foot worksite structure, original- ly known as the Stadium Office Building. The work included the construction of a second means of egress on the east side of the building, the installation of an elevator, facade improvements and extensive interior renovations.
The new funding will allow the foundation to continue working toward its goal of transforming the office building into a new hub of rehearsal, performance and educational space for aspiring actors.
“We’re thrilled and extremely gratified for the support,” said Levesque. “It’s more than just gratifying – it shows they believe in our work.”
Among the amenities the foundation envisions advancing with the funds are:
● A lower-level “underground” theater
● Annex dressing rooms to accommodate theater productions in the Grand Hall and the underground theater
● Second-level educational and rehearsal wing
● Third-level costume creation and prop-construction shop
● Fourth-level administrative offices, opening up new space at the street level for a gift boutique and a coffee shop
In 1991, the Stadium was an abandoned and boarded-up relic that seemed destined for the wrecking ball – until a dedicated band volunteers, led by the late Mayor Francis Lanctot, set their sights on rescuing the historic the— ater. The Stadium was instantly recognized as gem of the city’s architectural history when the renovation was unveiled a decade later, and since then, it has mushroomed into perhaps the most important engine of the city’s downtown economy.
According to papers the foundation filed in support of the grant application, the Stadium hosted 180 events that drew 110,000 visitors to the city from all over New England during its most recent season. The foundation’s membership drive has subscribers from as far away as Lancaster, Mass., Plainfield, Conn. and Brooklyn, N.Y.
Stadium patrons frequent local restaurants, which increases the city’s cut from the state meals and beverage tax, a figure that has grown nearly 20 percent since fiscal 2015, to about $581,307.
“Restaurants call each week to check on our attendance so they can manage their staffing needs,” the foundation says.
Meanwhile, over at the Museum of Work & Culture, Director Anne Conway says the facility will use the $20,000 grant to re- place a set of entryway doors with new ones that are period-authentic to the mill era. The museum is situated in the original Barnai Worsted Mill, which was built in 1915.
State officials identified MoWC as the recipient of the grant, but Conway said that technically it belongs to the city, which owns the museum building. Chris Carcifero, deputy director of housing and community development, applied for the grant, she said.
State officials say all the grants announced yesterday require the recipients to supply matching funds from other sources.
Gov. Raimondo applauded the latest round of funding, saying arts and culture have a vital role to play in the expansion of the state’s economy.
“The arts and history help make Rhode Island a destination for visitors and a source of pride for our citizens,” Raimondo said. “Maintaining and rebuilding our cultural infrastructure also strengthens Rhode Island’s economy – supporting our arts and cultural institutions and creating jobs in the building trades and beyond. These cultural improvement grants contribute to the economic and cultural vitality of our state.”
Follow Russ Olivo on Twitter @russolivo