Drama Society plans $120,000 theatre expansion
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from March 2002.
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Work should start in April and be completed by September, planners announced last week during a reception hosted by the Governor, Mr. Peter Smith, and his wife Suzanne. Mrs. Smith is the drama group's patron. No help is being sought from government, CDS chairman Malcolm Ellis told the gathering.
Funding will be by way of box office revenue from CDS shows plus "the generosity of members and the community at large."
The additional space will be at the "front of house", which translates into more comfortable facilities for theatre patrons: more washrooms, larger lobby, added bar space, a dedicated sound booth to enhance the quality of productions.
"We need to do some work to bring the theatre up to the standard we've come to expect from the Cayman Drama Society," Mr. Ellis said.
CDS member Mr. Tony Rowlands, who assisted with drawings for the project, explained that the expansion will add just under 1,000 square feet to the facility at the front of the building.
The design includes a curved ramp for wheelchair access. New space created on the upstairs level will provide a large rehearsal area.
The present stage and audience seating will not change: capacity will remain at around 130. Mr. Ellis thanked members who worked to get the project to the point that CDS could ask for construction bids this week: Mr. Rowlands for help with planning approval applications; Mrs. Penny Phillips, for help with the paperwork required to get planning permission; Mr. Peter Riley and Mr. Malcolm Stephenson for a scale model of the structure as it will look on completion.
All members of the Cayman Drama Society are volunteers. There are no salaries for administrators, no stipends for performers, Mr. Ellis noted. "We're all in it for the love of live theatre."
After examining the scale model and asking detailed questions, Mrs. Smith congratulated all members who give their time and talents so freely and do "a grand job" in the process. She indicated that she and her husband have attended most of the CDS shows during their almost three years in Cayman. They enjoyed the current production, West Side Story, so much that they planned to see it a second time.
Her appraisal of the Cayman Drama Society comes from a distinct perspective: "It's as good an amateur drama society as we've seen in 38 years travelling around the world," she declared.
