Christmas has come twice in one week in July for the Prince Theatre – first a princely gift of $25,000 from Uncle Sam and now a king-sized $100,000 grant from mum-mum Maryland.
The newest package came Monday through the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. It is designated for recapturing the Prince’s original lobby.
“These two gifts are particularly exciting together because they are operating and capital grants and really elevate the theater on the state and national stage,” says Prince manager John Schratwieser.
“We hope this will translate into more support as others see the recognition we get and feel secure about investing in our future.”
Schratwieser credited Elizabeth Watson of the Eastern Shore Heritage Area Inc., with working tirelessly with the state to get this and other grants for the area, including recent ones for the Sultana Project and for the C.V. Starr Center at Washington College.
Since purchasing the building last September, the Prince foundation has made capital improvements such as repairing leaks and building a backstage storage loft. Insulating the building is a big next step.
The new grant allows the Prince to expand the lobby, which has been chopped up to serve a number of shops, most recently the Kerns Collection and now Flower Child.
“We will open up the wall between the two spaces for one large lobby with a permanent concessions/bar area, with a ticket office, coat room and a nice place for people to gather before shows,” Schratwieser says. He points out this will be a friendlier space than “our 8-foot-wide hallway with one door.”
Architectural draws for the lobby should be ready this fall. Renovation work should be underway next spring and summer. Schratwieser is planning “a grand reopening as we celebrate our 82nd year in the fall of 2010.”
Mary Wood says
I heartily congratulate the Prince. They have certainly been Princely to my efforts BUT I hope that they will consider improving the terrible acoustics as a first priority.