Seven years ago, Ron Carter set out to restore a 1914 theater in a tiny town in southwestern Butler County. This week, his dream comes back to life with the grand re-opening of The Strand Theater, a Main Street landmark in Zelienople.
Debbie Reynolds adds a touch of Hollywood glamor to the two-week celebration in a one-woman show July 23-26; a fourth show has been added after the first three sold out. Carter says that’s just one indication of the appeal of live theater in a rural area.
“We received $400,00 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture–$300,000 as a low interest-loan and $100,00 as a grant,” says Carter. “They look at us as a community facility.” The theater also received a $400,000 Redevelopment Assistance Capital Project grant from Pennsylvania and $750,000 from local foundations to rebuild the dilapidated theater.
Carter says Zelienople’s location near the Pittsburgh metro area, and its charm as an authentic historic settlement, will draw patrons for theater and films–and to businesses along the street
“Our market within a ten-mile radius is 125,000,” he says. “But it grows exponentially at the 15-20 mile radius. We’re convenient to Beaver County, Allegheny County, and Lawrence and Mercer Counties because of proximity to I-79 and Route 68.”
Source: Ron Carter
Writer: Chris O’Toole
