A good size crowd, along with Georgetown residents and dignitaries gathered on Friday to celebrate the grand opening of the recently completed 4,400 square-foot addition to the Kings Playhouse.
Almost two years ago the board, along with the Town of Georgetown, decided it was time to expand the capital of Kings County’s world-famous entertainment venue, Randall Fletcher, chairman of the Kings Playhouse board said.
"One of the major reasons we decided to build onto the existing facility was because of our small lobby, which becomes quite congested during large concerts or community events," Mr Fletcher said.
Construction of the reception/banquet area and 400-square-foot modern kitchen began last fall and was completed in June. In addition, the stage area received new spotlights, snow and fog-making machines as well as sound dampening panels to eliminate distortion in the theatre. The $700,000 project also included a wraparound deck in the back of the Kings Playhouse, larger washrooms and refurbished dressing rooms and boardroom.
"Brian Pound, a member of our board, was the driving force behind this project and served as a volunteer project manager," Mr Fletcher said. "We were able to secure funding through Skills PEI. ACOA, Canadian Heritage and Active Communities, which provided us with bookkeeping services. Also, the Alberta-based company All weather Windows and Doors donated $10,000 in windows and doors for the new area."
During the grand opening, after short speeches by MLA Mike Currie and Georgetown Mayor Lewis Lavandier, Mr Fletcher gave a detailed presentation of the history of the Kings Playhouse to the guests in attendance at the wine and cheese reception.
From The Eastern Graphic