In 1910, Annie G. Packette, whose family tree included George Washington, raised $50,000 and employed a Washington, D.C. architect to design and construct the New Opera House. It was a classic theatre structure, complete with fly-space for hanging scenery above the proscenium stage, an orchestra pit and a curved balcony. It seated 500 people. It lived through two wars, a depression and the advent of radio. But 1948 its stage went dark. Then in 1971, Dixie Kilham, owner of Hilltop House in Harpers Ferry, and Robert and Diane Angel contacted the owners of the building, Mr. and Mrs. Augustine Todd about using the old abandoned theatre for local productions. The Todds agreed to the cleaning of the structure. ("cleaning" included hauling 35 dump-truck loads of pigeon droppings out of the auditorium). Once the building was clean, a theatre group was formed of local citizens. In 1973 the Todds generously donated the land and building to the theatre group, and the Opera House came back to life as the Old Opera House Theatre Company, Inc., a non-profit organization. Its goal - to restore the theatre as a center for the arts, to preserve history, to offer professional theatre, and to train young people in the arts. Fund-raising drives produced funds to restore the old theatre -- the 4,000-square foot ceiling was re-plastered, a new floor was laid and new seats were installed. An adjoining pool hall was transformed into the Old Opera House Theatre Workshop with offices established upstairs. And in October 1976, the "new" Old Opera House opened with a production of My Fair Lady. In October 1976, the “new” Old Opera House opened its mainstage doors to the public with a production of My Fair Lady. Since then, the offerings of the theatre have continued to increase in diversity and frequency. In 1978, the theatre building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and over time, the season has expanded to offer six mainstage productions, one summer children’s show and theatre camp, dinner theatre, concerts, and black box theatre. Since 1998 the Old Opera House has continued to see audience growth. Productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar (1998), The Sound of Music (2001), and Grease (2004) continue to set new records for audience attendance. In 1999, the world premiere of the production The Sword of the Spirit, a saga of John and Mary Brown performed by the group Magpie, was performed at the OOH. As defined within the bylaws of the board, the mission of the Old Opera House Theatre Company is to “stimulate an interest in drama and the arts by the presentation of plays, and education in and the development and application of the arts necessary to such presentation, utilizing the talents and abilities of interested persons.” This mission is inclusive and unlimited. Our mission is primarily accomplished through the presentation of six main stage productions and one summer children’s production. The theatre is also used for community concerts and recently a benefit for the September 11th Fund. We also are home to the Charles Town Dance Studio (providing dance classes for kindergarten through adult) and the Jean Heiler Gallery (presenting visual arts judged by the Arts and Humanities Alliance of Jefferson County) . The theatre is supported by an active Theatre Guild which meets monthly, holds fund raising activities, and contributes to beautification projects for the theatre. The Op Shop, a secondhand clothing store completely operated by volunteers, contributes all of their net income to the theatre and is a source for costumes. The support of local leaders may have been most visible last September, when the mayors of Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, and Ranson rehearsed and performed a tap dance on stage for our community variety show. Area restaurants provide food free of charge for our annual Taste of the Best fund-raiser and cater opening night receptions for a reduced price. Our financial goals are to continue moderate growth in programming while keeping pace with rising fixed costs while at the same time reserving money for extensive improvements. We plan to become less financially dependent upon outside sources as our box-office and membership income continues to improve. Artistically, we continually raise our standards and broaden our programming horizons, without losing our core audience. The implementation of artistic quality controls such as audition committees and guest director training have improved our offerings. Keeping our core volunteer community status, we hope to add semi-professional repertory theatre on a seasonal basis. The first annual New Voice Play Festival, supported by the Arts and Humanities Alliance of Jefferson County and featuring non-published new plays, was begun in 2001. Facility goals involve improvements and additions to the existing structure and upgrades in outdated technical equipment. Recent improvements include: adding a new roof surface, refinishing the rehearsal hall floor, replacing both furnaces, and painting both the green room and workshop, in preparation for additional second-stage productions. Technical advances have also been made, including a digital lighting console, floor and body microphones, and the recent funding by the West Virginia Budget Digest for replacement rigging and new lighting equipment. Our goal is to make our theatre attractive and accessible for volunteer and professional performers of various art forms, especially theatre arts. The programming schedule is now greatly limited by our dressing, shop, and rehearsal spaces. Storage space is at a premium and most sets and many props must be constructed from scratch each show. The WV Division of Culture and History approved a grant in 2000 for the first phase of the Old Opera House’s three-phase renovation project, to include roof replacement and address many of these opportunities for growth. WV Governor Wise toured the theatre in April of 2001 and presented Managing Director Bill Morgan with $25,000 for use in replacing rigging and light fixtures. He enjoyed the view from the unique balcony and viewed the works on display in the Jean Heiler Room Gallery. In 2001, the theatre company became a United Way partner agency in Jefferson County. This inclusion was a significant step in emphasizing the role that “quality of life” organizations play in benefitting the community. Our larger community goals include greater participation by area businesses, more educational outreach, and wider appeal. The board approved the creation of a part-time position of “Children’s Program Director” to serve as liaison between the theatre and area schools and as director of two children’s programs. The possibility of showing movies has been discussed as an enhancement to revenue and a way to broaden our demographic appeal. This would also return the theatre to one of it’s historical uses. The Old Opera House Theatre Company is operated by one full-time and one part-time employee. The full-time employee is described as both Manager and Artistic Director. The manager: oversees the artistic programming, as consultant to guest directors and as a director of at least two main stage productions per season; maintains financial accountability, creating and implementing the annual budget; serves as marketing director and advertising agent for the theatre; coordinates volunteers for the theatre, maintaining an up-to-date mailing list and working with producers of individual projects; maintains the building; oversees bi-monthly newsletters to membership and volunteers.
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