Mon Sep 06 2010
by Laura Freeman
Reporter
Hudson -- "Everything is bundled, boxed and ready to go."
With those words, Actors' Summit co-director Neil Thackaberry said July 26 the theater will leave Hudson for Greystone Hall in Akron.
"We're not happy about leaving Hudson," Thackaberry said. "We've gotten spoiled by the quality of people we've worked with here, and if there had been a way to stay, we would have. The opportunities presented by Akron are too good to pass up."
A press conference to formally announce the move was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. July 28 at the professional theater's new location at 103 S. High St. in Akron.
"The space is absolutely gorgeous," Thackaberry said. "It's quite a change from what we're accustomed to."
Actors' Summit has been in Hudson at 86 Owen Brown St. since 2001. Its lease at that building expires July 31.
Greystone Hall Theater, built in 1917, was the original home for Actors' Summit in 1999 for its first four performances. It can seat about 150, the same as the Owen Brown stage, and the rent will be less expensive, Thackaberry said.
The city of Akron owns the building, and theater's lease will be with the Akron Summit County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Thackaberry said.
"They put a package together for us," Thackaberry said.
Up until a week ago, Actors' Summit officials were considering the former American Legion building on Hudson Drive in Hudson for a new home, he said.
"We made seven offers to purchase it," Thackaberry said. "We could not come to an agreement with the owners."
Other possible locations in Hudson included the former Clarke Ford facility on Darrow Road and a vacant storefront in First & Main next to the former Vue restaurant. Buildings also were considered in Cuyahoga Falls and Solon.
"Short of standing on our heads in the middle of [state Route] 91, we tried to stay in Hudson," Thackaberry said. "There wasn't anything here for us, and not for lack of trying."
The new space will include a large lobby, a full bar and new bathrooms, and it's handicap accessible, Thackaberry said.
It will have a thrust stage, where the audience is seated on three sides of the stage with no more than five rows, and offers space for offices, costume storage and dressing rooms.
Dinner will be available on the third floor with the theater on the sixth floor.
"We'll be able to offer a dinner theater option, which will allow patrons to have a first rate meal and won't impose clinking coffee cups on the actors," Thackaberry said. "It's the best of both worlds."
Actors' Summit won't announce its new season for a couple of weeks, Thackaberry said.
The new season is scheduled to begin Oct. 14.
"We have a different audience profile in Akron," Thackaberry said. "We're scrambling to get the rights to shows we want to do, and until they're in place, we won't announce anything."
Actors' Summit relies on ticket sales, contributions and grants to fund its operation.
E-mail: lfreeman@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3150
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