Village Theater Foundation Races Clock for Funds
A view of the stage from the rear of the Village Theater in Robbins
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Efforts to bring performing arts to northern Moore County are at a crisis point.
The nonprofit foundation restoring the old Village Theater in the heart of Robbins has a limited window of time to buy a building next door.
It’s a barbershop, with the old Masonic lodge upstairs. The space includes restrooms, a small kitchen, a large upstairs room, and exterior rear access. Punching through the wall separating it from the theater would make it possible to add restrooms, exits and other necessities required to reopen the place for audiences.
“We need to raise $12,575 as soon as we can,” said Laura Ann Brady, the former Robbins mayor who is the foundation’s finance officer.
The nonprofit Robbins Village Theater Foundation bought the theater with a targeted grant and private donations. It has cleared out the interior, and removed partitions blocking the balcony and the auditorium section beneath it.
Now the foundation hopes to add the next-door building and connect it to the theater as a way of meeting a number of needs. Albert Brown is ready to end his long years of trimming and cutting hair at his Salisbury Street shop — but he’s holding the spot for the theater foundation in hopes they can buy it and make it part of a legacy for his town.
“There’s a lot of good people in this town,” Brown said. “You run into a lot of good people if you run a place. I’ve been here 23 years and never had anything bother me.”
Brown hopes this will come to pass. But he said can’t wait forever.
The foundation is urgently seeking angels who can put a gift toward something meaningful for the whole county.
Two engineers — offering their time as volunteers — have already examined the theater from rooftop to basement and declared its structure basically sound and needing only a few repairs. The rear wall needs an exterior drain, and there is a section over the stage at the back corner of the roof that needs fixing.
Posts beneath the stage floor can safely be removed once a supporting beam is attached to the rear wall — thus entirely opening the understage for traps, make-up and costuming.
In order to open, the building needs to meet requirements for access and safe exits, adequate bathroom facilities, and possibly a sprinkler system. Much of the work, Brady said, could be done by Robbins residents who are handy with tools.
Key to this is acquiring the barbershop building, and the foundation has a promised donation in the form of a matching gift toward the $45,000 cost to buy it.
“We have been promised an additional $10,000 once we raise $35,000,” said Jean McSwain, secretary to the foundation board. “We need to raise $12,575.85 to qualify for this gift.”
The nonprofit has been working hard to raise money. A series of gospel sings — growing in popularity — has been bringing in a few hundred dollars at a time.
McSwain said the gospel sing June 24 was a “huge success.” The next one will be Aug. 26.
Before that, a sanctioned 5k run on Aug. 2 (during Farmers Day) will also serve as a fundraiser. While each of these efforts raises something toward the cost of bringing the performance space to life, the foundation needs help urgently to take advantage of this chance to solve so many problems in a single stroke.
So far, the foundation has raised $459 from outdoor movies and the annual Bear Creek Plunge, another $450 from two gospel sings, and donations of varying amounts. At last count, the donation jar at Robbins City Hall had $20.25 in it.
“We have had contributions of $11,428.15 since signing the option to purchase in January of this year,” McSwain said. “Once we have collected the $35,000, the additional $10,000 will be given. The purchase price of the building is $40,000. The extra $5,000 is for the legal fees and plans for the building.”
An “as built” drawing of the entire theater was constructed using a state-of-the-art laser-driven imaging device. Prints are on display now in lobby windows.
The Village Theater was built in 1946. At that time, it was the third theater in Robbins and the largest by far.
Race laws in those days required entirely separate entrances for blacks and whites. Stairs to the segregated balcony still exist, along with two small bathrooms upstairs. That historic aspect adds to the foundation’s hope of restoring the theater.
Ironically, the existence of that second stairway to the balcony makes its future use safer. At the back of the balcony area is the old projection booth with its fused fire shutters, where old projectors once beamed Saturday serials. A large resistance dimmer once used for house lights still holds its place between projector bases. A third balcony restroom is inside the booth.
A count of bolt marks where theater seats used to be anchored gives a rough estimate of a seating capacity between 750 and 800. Old seats from the Sunrise that volunteers once lovingly restored when the Arts Council bought that building were sold and subsequently donated for use in the Village Theater.
The late Sherwood Lapping and others bought them, hoping someday to have a space in Carthage or somewhere else in northern Moore County. (The outdoor theater in Nancy Kiser Park in the county seat is named for Lapping.) Volunteer town workers brought them from storage at the old Carthage water plant to Robbins, where they now wait for installation.
If enough benefactors can be found to help the Robbins group raise this $12,000 needed to qualify for the matching gift, Brady said she is sure they will find enough willing hands to go to work on the place.
They’ll break loose crumbling plaster to expose original brick, and make a doorway from the theater lobby to the downstairs section of the barber shop building. Then they will clean and repair bathrooms there. Upstairs, it would also be possible to open the walls of the balcony to the old lodge room, thereby adding additional fire exits.
Many theater professionals have visited the Village Theater and expressed excitement about its prospects. The stage could easily be widened and somewhat extended. Other suggested improvements include raising the roof above to provide a fly gallery.
A recent study cited by the Arts Council of Moore County shows the economic impact of the arts to be more than significant. Shows are a huge draw. The biggest tourist attraction in neighboring Lee County is the Temple Theatre.
The Village Theater, once restored, could accommodate an audience twice the size of that of either the Temple or Sunrise. Its location — barely more than an hour from the center of downtown Market Street in Greensboro and nearly as close to the Raleigh/Durham/ Chapel Hill area — makes it more than viable as an attraction.
Contact John Chappell at (910) 783-5841 or by email at jfchappell@gmail.com.
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Comments
emb6683 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Robbins' favorite son could contribute the entire amount, without a dent in his bottom line, recent legal costs notwithstanding. Name the theater after him, and you could have John Edwards Drama every week!
JD 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Best post of 2012 here folks. Congrats emb.
JohnChappell 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The foundation has a website at http://www.robbinsvillagetheater.com/
Here is a web page that accepts donations online.
The Robbins Village Theater Foundationi has a Facebook page here.
A video about the Robbins Village Theater is online at this link
Tax deductible donations (and pledges) may be sent by mail to this address: Robbins Village Theater Foundation Inc. PO Box 843 Robbins, NC 27325
Donations may also be made online through PayPal: (PayPal Donations)
herecomesthescience 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Maybe Randy Parton could help out with finance and management.
Jean 10 months, 2 weeks ago
We are very excited about this project. We see it as a beneficial addition to downtown Robbins. All of us working together, we will see this completed.
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
A great idea on paper for the people of Robbins. In reality, the expense of upgrading structures to meet present day building code compliance, which will probably cost more than building a new building from the ground up. Every aspect of the structure will have to be retrofitted including electrical and plumbing, all before anyone considers HVAC to heat and cool a large structure. The cost to meet commercial building code requirements will be like a money pit, and that will be a hefty pile of cash before any paint goes on the walls... Mucho Denero, Si
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
O' by the way ... you might want to check the building for asbestos like in ceiling tiles. Any building built before 1978 had asbestos in most final materials. Now we are talking big bucks like the lottery.
difflook 10 months, 2 weeks ago
To above, yes! I hope they do get an Inspection that looks like an old buildingn I read that the first building did not. But people of Robbins will rise to the occasion
believer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Goodness.......so much negative energy! I on the other hand......choose to be a believer! Good for these folks in Robbins working hard to get some good things going up that way! I'm sure these people aren't going into this without getting the proper permits and paperwork.....they seem to have a plan. Kudos to your hard work thus far! Keep it up and keep on believing despite any negative people that you encounter along the way! It was nice to read a hopeful article about a community trying to bring a positive venue into their town! Good deeds never go unrecognized! Keep believing! Good luck as you continue on this journey! I wish you great success......and thank you for the donation information! I will be making a donation and I will encourage others that I know to do the same! If only a fraction of the non-believers would choose to be positive.......this world would be a better place.....and you guys would be well on your way to owning an operational theater! Who cares if it does end up being successful or not.......it's easier to be a believer......to try......to attempt.......to do some good......rather than sit back and have all that negative energy. Believe with these folks! "You may say I'm a dreamer......but I'm not the only one!"
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
believer 6 hours, 56 minutes ago => Just one question. How much building experience have you or the group had to properly assess the trials and tribulations of retrofitting an older building?
You chose to call my insight "negative" when in fact I call it information for those who have no on-site building experience. What may appear to be an honest jester may in turn become a money pit without resolve.
I found in my 30+ years of building residential and commercial properties planning ahead with all questions answered is much more proactive than reactive...Just my humble opinion. Go ahead and jump in for a reality check.
believer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I personally.......don't have building experience......and I don't know how much the group has......but again, I doubt they are going into this whole thing with blinders on. I'm the cheerleader type......merely trying to be positive in an often negative world. As I said.....the project may prove to be unsuccessful......but at least these folks are attempting to get some good things going up that way. I would be willing to bet that the group working on this project has consulted people in the "building" industry.....and I would hope that things like mold.....asbestos.....and such were discussed. I looked into this on their website and it seems they have been working on getting things moving along up there for a couple of years. I didn't call you out as negative......and I appreciate your viewpoint and your experience! It certainly sounds like you are passionate about your craft and you have a vast amount of knowledge! That is definitely positive! I'm willing to help out with some positive comments and a donation.....that's what I can offer these folks. It sounds like you could offer them so much more than I could. Perhaps you could fuel your knowledge and passion into a worthwhile project like this......offer some advice.....look over their plans.......make sure they've gotten that mold problem checked out.......etc. It sounds like a simple telephone call from you might help these guys out! I simply think the world would be a better place if people would just be willing to help people.......however they can! That's just my humble opinion! Go ahead......jump on in.......give them a little positive help! Perhaps it will equal a harsh reality check for these folks.....but just perhaps......you went through all your experiences so that you could get involved and help this particular project reach a successful end! Go ahead......there's contact information on the website mentioned in the comments section!
doughnuts 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I’m a believer that expressing to much discern over something positive in a negative way could lead to “stress and unsafe blood sugar levels”. Just my humble opinion.
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
“stress and unsafe blood sugar levels”
Jean 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The Robbins Village Theater Foundation holds monthly meetings. I know the above negative people have not bothered to attend to learn any facts. They base their opinion on hearsay never bothering to search for the truth. Both buildings have been inspected by licensed structural engineers. Minor flaws which are easily corrected have been identified. Ceiling tiles have been professionally tested for the barbershop and do not contain asbestos. Both buildings are safe. The reason the theater is not being used is because it has not had updates to meet code and for cosmetic reasons. These can easily be met as money becomes available for renovations.
We have a licensed contractor who has and will be advising us free of charge. His advice has saved money in plans and inspections. We know renovating the theater is a big job. It is going to take a lot of people working together to accomplish it.
We have negative outsiders who put their two cents worth in without knowing any facts. Speaking of two cents, I heard a speaker talking about raising money for a hunger project use the census population for a town and multiplied it by two to get a figure and then used the census population of NC likewise. Using the same formula, if the population of Robbins gave 2 cents to the theater, we would have $24.00, but if the population of North Carolina gave two cents, we would have $190,709.66. If all of us would chip in, we could raise the money to have the theater open.
cantstandya 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Being a licensed contractor and one that is willing to give advice free of charge sounds great,but the contractor of record,and one has to be a contractor out of the group,other than that who is going to carry the liability insurance and contracts for the sub contractors,electrical,plumbing,mechanicals,these all have to be licensed contractors also,just asking who will be the one who takes the responsibility,free supervision is great but unless he uses his contractors license he bears none of the responsibility,not being negative just wondering.
cantstandya 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Will a sprinkler system be in the plans also,again just asking.
Bflat 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I hope anyone renovating, repairing and other things around Lead Based paint take every precaution as the dust can cause serious illness and even death. All these folks that are going to be "hands on" with the project should be warned. Also, where there is water intrusion, as mentioned that the roof needs fixing, it is likely there is mold. Mold can be toxic and deadly when disturbed or inhaled. Not all mold has a color. If there is more than a certain number of sq.ft., then remediation should be done by a certified professionals which can be very costly at around $10,000 and up. Again, anyone working on these projects should be careful in old buildings. Go ahead and call me negative for pointing out those facts. To those that started the whine about people being negative, you can be first to jump in hands on.
believer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Goodness.......all this just because I encouraged everyone to be a little more positive! Jean sounds like someone that knows what they're talking about..........perhaps Jean could shed a bit of light on the above comments. Again, it seems to me that the folks working on this project know what they're getting into. I would hope that all those involved in the renovation of the theater remain safe during the entire process and I would hope that no one wishes them any negative consequences. I will continue to wish the renovation process a successful journey! To the group of individuals working hard to make the project happen........keep looking up!
difflook 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Dont worry Believer, its ok! Robbins people will rise to the occasion, thanks to the poster Jean who gave great comments, and also Believer to your comment to come on in and "join" One thing is true, Urge them on because they are doing something!!
Arestorer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
How about getting the new Conducter and Symphany from Pinehurst involved..Heard they are looking for a place...
Arestorer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Robbins IS part of Moore County,ya know!
cooldaddy 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Warning: Lead Based Paint leads to bitter blogging! Pregnant women should avoid such bloggers, lead paint, and alcohol...in that order.
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
cantstandya => a notable explanation as a follow up to my previous threads of "Negativity". Over the years I have seen good intentions end up as a misguided expense.
All I can contribute at this point without being "negative", have at it and the best to you and the committee on your project. It should be a learning process and experience.
Jean 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Thanks for all the comments. The foundation owns the theater building. During the planning stage we learned that to meet code for bathrooms etc., we would loose most of the historical features of the building. We stopped the drawing of plans until we could approached the barber next door about his willingness to sell his building. The upstairs of that building was built for the Masonic Hall. Therefore, it was constructed for a large occupancy. In days of yore, barbershops had bath facilities for men and boys. The back portion of the building will be perfect to house the restroom facilities required to meet code. With the addition of this space, not only can we preserve the historical features of the theater, we will have room for expanded uses.
We are in the planning stages. To meet code, a sprinkler system will be required. The licenced contractor who is advising us during the planning stages and beyond is a certified Lead Paint Renovator and has completed renovations. The structural engineer whom we hired is qualified to draw specs, has extensive experience in renovation of old structures, and is qualified to oversee the renovations. Staff of the company drawing the plans has experience in overseeing renovations and they are insured. Again, we are in the planning stages. Until we have the final plans and specs, we cannot finalize who will lead us through this project. One thing for sure, if they need willing hands to do some of the task, we will volunteer.
Robbins will benefit from the theater as a cultural arts center and meeting place. PLEASE HELP US!
davidlambert87 10 months, 2 weeks ago
This is a worthy cause! I have donated and so should everyone else. Go to the website and donate a few bucks (or a lot of bucks). It's easy and every little bit helps.
bubbasmith 10 months, 2 weeks ago
@Jean- Can you keep at least the front part of the barber shop intact as historical also?
Bflat 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Is Robbins going to be the next Mayberry?......
difflook 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The Town of Robbins and people should be thankful to Jean, as she comes from another couty just to help!!! Thank you Jean!!!
mcgal 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Robbins is in northern MC not BFE. Instead of asking if they know about lead paint, mold, asbestos, and sprinklers, go to Robbins, walk around, drink some iced tea, talk to folks,go to the town hall and put a donation in the jar. They will invite you to come to Farmer'sDay and the movies on the lawn. It is a nice town filled with friendly people. We can all benefit from this project.
cantstandya 10 months, 2 weeks ago
It is a shame but I guess needed in order to keep all safe,but new building requirements have been changing through the years,fire codes,ADA requirements,egress issues,most things these older buildings did not have and worked quite well in their day, my own remarks were not meant to question those who are working on this project,only open minded questions of interest,most likely will donate what I can,know many people from Robbins and all are down to earth honest and hard working,and all that I know are very proud of their town.
Toda 10 months, 2 weeks ago
mcgal 4 hours, 16 minutes ago => I'm not sure where anyone said that the folks in Robbins aren't good people. I have family who live in Robbins and several friends. That's not a concern of not liking the people of Robbins.
For the life of me, I can't understand those who post on these boards jump to so many conclusions about one's comments or opinions. Just try to be considerate of others thoughts and opinions. Unless one chooses to engage in a debate of intellectual insight on progressive topics like politicians and Fracking. A great revenue source for projects in and around Robbins, Westmore, and HighFalls.
cooldaddy 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Jean,don't get discouraged by the same ol same ol bloggers here who oppose and are negative about everything. They mean nothing. Look at their history. ALL talk. Never done a thing but run down towns. There are about 3 or 4 of them and they have more posts than everyone else combined. The trail of negativity is miles long. No one takes them seriously.
Bflat 10 months, 2 weeks ago
The article mentions things like Robbins residents handy with tools that could do a lot of things. I couldn't help but see that discolored ceiling in the photograph and wonder about the roof that needs to be fixed. My comments should not have been considered negative but helpful due to years of experience.
Before assuming things mcgal, consider that I grew up within 10 mins of Robbins and my family took me there as a child. I frequented Frye's, the drug store, and other shops. Remember Dr. McDuffie? I have attended many Farmer's Days and was in the parade a number of times. My spouse was a talented musician that performed on stage several times. It is a small town where Pottery Hwy 705 goes through it.
mcgal 10 months, 2 weeks ago
I still live just a hop and a skip up the rabbit path. My first trip to Robbins was also as a child with my grandfather. My most recent last week to the DMV located in the town hall. That's where the collection jar I saw is located. Our 2 cents worth would better serve the town in that jar.