The Flying Monkey Alex Ray's proud (and worst) business decision

PLYMOUTH — It was in 1971 that Alex Ray, fresh out of the Culinary Institute of America, opened his first Common Man restaurant. In the years since, his business model has been a success on two fronts: his restaurant empire has grown to include 13 locations and as each new store opened, he's expanded his reputation as a business owner who treats his employees like family members and the local communities like a beloved home town.

Last year, Ray jumped on an opportunity to purchase a movie theater on Main Street for $125,000. He admits it was something of an impulsive move.

"When I bought it, I thought, well this will be fun. I have a movie theater."

Since then, he's committed "several times" the original purchase price into a renovation of the property. It's an investment that will take a long time for Ray to recover, so long that it might be considered by some to be a poor bet.

For Ray, though, the Flying Monkey project isn't about profits, it's about performances. If he had any regrets about the theater, they evaporated within the past two weeks, when it hosted its first two performances since the renovation began. The first event was a blues and rock concert on July 23 headlined by the James Montgomery Blues Band, a show which 500 people attended. Following that was a group of Plymouth High School drama students who produced and performed "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged."

"They were just geniouses at it," Ray said of the high schoolers behind the Shakespeare production. Creating the venue where the performance could take place made him proud, he said. "It gives them confidence, a jump start in their passion."

"The recouping the investment, for me, is seeing people enjoy this place."

The theater was built in 1928 as a vaudeville venue. In the 1980s, a wall was put up to divide the theater into two screening rooms, as the building was used exclusively for movies. Ray purchased the building in November of last year, and played classic films such as "It's a Wonderful Life" as well as recently-released movies, until March when it was closed for renovations.

The first phase of renovations involved what Ray called a "complete gutting" of the building. A stage was constructed and reinforced, a new lobby was built as was a new balcony, which features a bar. Elevators were put in, the building has new bathrooms and a kitchen is being constructed in the basement. A second phase will add a 125-seat screening room in the basement as well as a "black box" theater.

Dave Christensen, who'll be doing the booking and promotions for the theater, said the Flying Monkey's stage will see performances ranging from community and school productions as well as regional and national acts. He and Ray expect that their theater will draw audience members from hours away, who will travel for the opportunity to see major acts in an intimate setting. As such, they think the theater will provide an economic benefit for neighboring businesses who can offer a meal to the travelers or a place for them to stay the night.

The next production on the theater's schedule is "A Star Spangled Salute," an original musical created using letters New Hampshire children wrote to parents serving in the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan. The musical will be performed by young actors in the Kearsarge Arts Theater Company. The theater is offering free admission to active or retired military personnel and their families, they are asked to call 536-2551 to arrange for tickets. The "Star Spangled Salute" will be performed on the evenings of Friday and Saturday this week.

Beginning August 12, the theater will begin a monthly series of silent films. Also on the schedule for the near future is a dance performance, a comedian, the Red Hot Chili Pipers and a documentary about logging and the Berlin mills.

Of the 476 seats in the theater, 200 are at tables so that those who wish to have dinner before the show. Ray hopes the re-designed theater will encourage more interaction and discussion than typical theaters.

Asked why he decided to jump into theater management – a field he's admittedly a novice in – he responds that there's no room for another Common Man restaurant in the state. They Flying Monkey – named after a character Ray played in a recent community production of "The Wizard of Oz" – instead represents a fresh challenge for Ray, a chance for him to see if his signature way of doing business can succeed in a new arena and in doing so, enrich the culture and economy of the region.

"I'm charged now with making this work," Ray said.

CAPTION: FLYING MONKEY in AA:

Alex Ray, owner and founder of the Common Man family of restaurants, sits in the new balcony of the Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center on Main Street in Plymouth. The theater represents a new challenge for Ray. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)