Nonprofit seeks to help Colonial Theatre thrive

LACONIA — A new nonprofit organization formed to fundraiser for the Colonial Theatre could help with required upkeep and improvements there.

Friends of the Colonial Theatre, a soon-to-be-formed 501(c)(3), could spearhead fundraising for projects at the theater, the centerpiece of Main Street downtown. Spurred by conversations held among the members of the Colonial Theatre Advisory Board, attorneys at Wescott Law volunteered to help the board organize the charitable organization for free.

The advisory committee includes Cori Tessier, Karen Sullivan, Seth Wingate, Jim Rogato, Jared Guilmett, Bob Salome, Donna Hosmer and Spectacle Live President and Founder Pete Lally and Chief Operating Officer Brandon Caron. They’re tasked with oversight and planning for the Colonial Theatre and its operations.

And there’s a lot to think about.

At present, the badly-damaged stage surface needs replacement. Special black paint, used for stage productions, for example, is exceedingly expensive. A successful nonprofit fundraising effort could help the theater take care of items like that on their punch list. 

Thursday afternoon, at a meeting of the advisory board, Guilmett — who is chair — said the nonprofit's mission will be to fundraise to provide enhanced equipment, maintain preservation efforts, and support maintenance and facility upgrades so those items don’t need to be supported by city budgeting. 

“It would also help with different community programming and access to the theater for the community,” Guilmett said.

Hosmer, who has nonprofit experience, said the paperwork is in process to formally create the 501(c)(3). She reached out to Allison Ambrose of Wescott Law, who agreed to help create the organization free of charge. Attorney Sarah Rudbury is working to bring it to completion. 

“Donna has been spearheading the formation of it, but not necessarily going to be the chair of that nonprofit,” Guilmett said Thursday. 

Hosmer said she’s a huge fan and supporter of the arts and that, for the advisory board at the theater, “there’s always a punch list of improvements that are needed.” 

The arts always need patrons, and offering tax relief to individuals who support the nonprofit organization with donations creates a win-win-win scenario: for the nonprofit, for the donor and for the theater itself.

The stage floor is badly damaged and requires repair. A quote prepared by Wes Taggett of Hollis Construction Management indicates replacing the stage floor would cost $9,095 — that work includes removal of the quarter-inch medium-density fiberboard sheathing at the stage area, and installing new quarter-inch sheathing.

Painting the new stage floor will also be expensive. For two coats of Rosco black primer paint, the specific type of paint needed for stage productions, the cost is $4,508. 

“The wear of that wasn’t anticipated so quickly,” Hosmer said Friday morning.

Following the official, legal creation of the nonprofit organization, they’ll need to create a board of diverse and talented people to lead it, prioritizing the investment and driving revenue for the theater.

“I think we’re on the finish line,” Hosmer said. 

The nonprofit could hold events and attract attention to the theater, generating interest among potential donors. 

“I want to see it thrive,” she said. 

Key people who may provide expert advice to the nonprofit could include Bryan and Johanna Halperin, producers of the Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative, which regularly rehearses and performs at the Colonial. 

Between community events, like Powerhouse performances, and events put on by Spectacle, the theater is quite busy at times. Between July 6 and Sept. 20, for example, there are eight dates scheduled for Spectacle events and 22 community events. Many of those dates include “tech week” or auditions, but some are also performances open to an audience.

Local schools, like Lakes Region Community College and the Huot Career and Technical Center, hosted graduation ceremonies at the Colonial this year, and LRCC is set to hold theirs there again in 2026. 

“I just want to help them, because I really value what they do,” Hosmer said, noting anything done to ensure the theater thrives would, in turn, make Laconia a more vibrant community.

At the meeting on Thursday, Guilmett asked Lally if Spectacle is taking on efforts to increase the number of opportunities for the broader community to use the space.

“I only ask because I feel like there’s a lot of rehearsal, tech stuff in here, and if those were out, it would be a thinner list in terms of what the community is able to come in and utilize the facility for,” Guilmett said.

“We’re definitely always on the look to see what opportunities there might be,” Lally said.