$10.7 million campaign aims to improve historic theater

The Springer Opera House, the historic State Theatre of Georgia in Columbus, has launched the public phase of a $10.7 million capital campaign to construct an outdoor theater park, boost its education program and preserve and upgrade the 153-year-old building.

More than 80% of the “Forever Springer” fundraiser goal has been secured in pledges during the quiet phase, which started a year ago, Springer CEO and executive producer Danielle Varner told the Ledger-Enquirer.

Based on the “overwhelming” generosity of the community, Varner said, she expects the Springer to reach or surpass the goal in the next four or five months.

“It just warms my heart how many people love the Springer,” she said. “And they love it for so many different reasons.

“There are people that love the building and what it means to Columbus. There are people that love it because of what it does for their children and enhances their lives. It means a lot to people who have performed on the stage. They’ve been an usher. They’ve been a board member. … It’s just incredible how generous this community is.”

Springer senior adviser Paul Pierce, who retired last year as producing artistic director after 35 seasons, co-chairs the campaign with Frank Schley III. The other campaign committee members are Lauren Chambers, Tom Flournoy, Cindy Garrard, John Greenman, Barbara Kennon, Lisa Powers and Sally Turner.

“Our campaign committee has been fantastic and very engaged,” Pierce told the Ledger-Enquirer. “They’re great advocates of the Springer Opera

House.”

He estimated 150 donor prospects have been contacted.

“And I can count on one hand the number of people that said, ‘No thank you, that’s not an interest of mine’,” he said.

The project’s architecture firm is Hecht Burdeshaw of Columbus, the contractor is Thayer-Bray Construction of Phenix City, and the project manager is Newt Aaron of Columbus.

Here’s a breakdown of how the Springer plans to use the $10.7 million.

THEATER PARK

The most dramatic change this capital campaign will fund is a theater park, dubbed “the PATIO,” an acronym for Pierce Anderson Theatre in the Outdoors, named for Pierce and the late Ron Anderson, founder of the Springer Theatre Academy. They helped the Springer grow its annual audience since 1988 from approximately 10,000 to 100,000.

“This is just a small token of how we can show our apprecia

Courtesy of the Springer Opera House The “Forever Springer” campaign will fund an array of initiatives including transforming the Springer’s parking lot at the corner of 10th Street and 2nd Avenue into a park with an outdoor stage.

MIKE HASKEY mhaskey@ledger-enquirer.com Danielle Varner, CEO and executive producer at the Springer Opera House, and Paul Pierce, who recently retired from the Springer talks about the “Forever Springer” campaign.