Theater moving to Meredith

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse will move from its venue at The Weirs to new quarters in Meredith following the 2008 summer season. Executive Director Bryan Halperin said yesterday that the theater company will make its new home on property on Reservoir Road purchased from Chuck and Karen Thorndike of Annalee Mobilitee Dolls, Inc. by Hidden Green Properties, LLC, a limited partnership formed by his parents.

Hidden Green Properties acquired three lots — almost 17 acres — and buildings, including the headquarters, gift shop and museum of Annalee Mobilitee Dolls, for more than $1-million. The properties have an assessed value of almost $1.4-million. Halperin said that Annalee Dolls will lease back its headquarters, a 16,495-square foot facility on 5.09 acres while the theater will be quartered in the gift shop and museum on the adjoining 10.72 acre lot.

Halperin and his wife Johanna founded the Winnipesaukee Playhouse in 2004 together with Neal Pankhurst and his wife Lesley, Halperin's sister. Halperin said that "my parents have always been very supportive of the arts, and not just because of their children." He explained that the theater opened as a commercial enterprise, seeking to combine professional performances, community theater, youth activities and drama lessons. Several storefronts at the Alpenrose Plaza were converted into 2,900 square feet of theater space, with seating for 80.

"The first year was terrible," Halperin conceded, "but the second year was better and the third better still and this year has been our best season yet. We're really very pleased with how the community has embraced us," he said, explaining that we just turned up here wanting to start a theater company and raise our families.

Halperin said that the theater's current venue cramped its growth and hindered its operations. "We keep our ticket prices to $20 or less," he said, "and with only 80 seats that creates financial challenges." Moreover, with little space to store equipment, sets, props and costumes, he said that a great deal of time was spent moving stuff around to accommodate the company's varied offerings and activities.

Although plans for the new property remain to be developed, Halperin said that the company intended to convert either the former Annalee Doll's gift shop building or the former museum building to a theater with a capacity of between 100 and 125 in time for the summer season of 2009. "We will see how it goes and expand further later," he said.

The playhouse stages five or six productions during the school year, drawing on amateur talent from around the region, and five professional shows during the summer season. "We want to provide opportunities for all age groups all year long," Halperin said.

Halperin suggested that the future of the theater company will hinge on the response from the community. In December 2006 the playhouse became a non-profit corporation and began soliciting contributions to support its operations. "We were pleased with the number of people who responded to our first fundraising effort," he said, adding that "we hope to attract more patrons from the business community as we go forward." The new venue, a campus which will include picnic tables and nature trails, Halperin said "will really add to the cachet of the theater, make it more of a destination for an evening out. We will see where the community wants to take it."