[NEohioPAL] New Performing Arts Center Planned!

[Ted Larsen]

In these uncertain times for the arts, the arts still manage to flourish and
survive.  It's good to know that there are still plans and dreams to enhance
the availability of the arts in the area.  The following article was
published in today's Sun Newspapers:

Two groups work to create performing arts center in Strongsville for plays,
music, art, dancePosted by
<http://blog.cleveland.com/sunstar/about.html>Shelly
Guerra  <http://blog.cleveland.com/sunstar/about.html>April 02, 2009 08:36AM

STRONGSVILLE -- A partnership between two community groups will bring a
full-scale performing arts center to the southwest suburbs.

The Strongsville Community Theatre and Angel House, a center for art and
creative life change, officially launched the project in mid-March.

"What originally began on both of our parts as a dream for a theater has
become a performing arts center," said Ted Larsen, a Strongsville Community
Theatre board member. "We want this to be the center for the whole area, not
just Strongsville. We want it to be a very busy hub for the community."

A barn on the Angel House property on Mill Hollow Lane will be transformed
into the center -- a home for theater, music, dance and art exhibitions, as
well as a center for performing arts education.

The goal is to have performances 200 nights a year and every weekend.

"It would be nice to have that community hub. I think that is something that
Strongsville is missing," SCT board member Elaine Gritti said. "We've never
had anything like that, and it is a need we hope to fulfill."

The city's community theater has been in existence for more than 15 years.
Performances currently take place Strongsville High School, but Larsen
explained the organization has wanted a new home for a long time.

"We don't have the room to grow. And when it comes to scheduling, we have to
fit around football games and fight for parking spaces during basketball
games. It's difficult for us," he said.

Last summer, Larsen called Angel House's Carol Dombrose about the
collaboration.

"Their ideas of what they wanted the theater to be so matched with what I
was thinking," Dombrose said. "Not with just the play performances, but with
all of the other things we could do with a theater facility there. We were
right on the same track."

The Angel House property was once a farm. The neighboring schoolhouse had
been the community center where Sunday gatherings took place, Dombrose said.

"According to the history, it was a community within a community, and that's
exactly what I was hoping to turn the property back into," Dombrose said.
"It fits totally with what I wanted to do with Angel House."

The Strongsville Community Theatre and Angel House hope the public will also
get involved in the center's development.

"We really want to reach out to the community for help and we hope that we
will get the connections we need to get us up and running," Gritti said.

It is estimated to take two years before the first curtain goes up.

Larsen said having a full-scale performing arts center here is significant
for the entire area.

"There is nothing in the southwest area resembling what we are planning
here," he said. "In this economy, some people may be asking why they should
pony up for this now. But we have a ton of statistics that show that
performance arts centers mean business for the communities in which it is
located. It's a good investment."

For more information on the performing arts center or to volunteer, contact
Ted Larsen at popcorn55 at wowway.com or (440) 846-1331.

http://blog.cleveland.com/sunstar/2009/04/two_groups_work_to_create_perf.html
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