Planning and Zoning Board has Approved our Expansion Plans!

The Planning and Zoning Commission didn’t take long to approve plans to renovate and expand the Ridgefield Theater Barn.

The commission unanimously passed a revision to the building’s special permit to allow a 1,217 square-foot addition to the town-owned building that the community theater rents for $1 per year.

Read the complete article printed in the Ridgefield Press!

The Ridgefield Theater Barn Received 18 Nominations from Broadway World!

We are proud to announce that we have received 18 nominations for our 2016-17 season. All three of our mainstage shows: The 39 Steps, Rumors and Body Awareness received several nominations and The Ridgefield Theater Barn was nominated for Best Community Theater Company. We strive for artistic excellence and integrity and are so honored to see that commitment recognized in these nominations.

Please consider voting for our nominees:

 

Best Play
Best Ensemble
Best Actress ~ Suzanne Powers
Best Actor ~ Matt Austin
Best Director ~ Katherine Ray
Best Lighting Design ~ David Zahacewski

 

Best Play
Best Ensemble
Best Director ~ Scott Brill
Best Set Design ~ Scott Brill & Timothy Huebenthal
Best Lighting Design ~ Mark Hankla

 

And…

Best Community Theater Company

Enter The Ridgefield Theater Barn and Meet Executive Director, Pamme Jones

A true hidden gem on Halpin Lane in Ridgefield, The Theater Barn is celebrating 53 years of bringing quality live theater to the residents of Ridgefield and surrounding towns. From humble beginnings as a small theater group in 1965, Ridgefield Theater Barn has grown with leaps and bounds and now offers a host of workshops for children and adults, Comedy Improv Series, One Acts, and more. Here, Pamme Jones, the Theater Barn’s new Executive Director, talks about award-winning Fences (currently on stage), the Theater Barn’s upcoming productions, the mission of the Theater Barn, and how you can be part of this community theater.

Read Ridgefield’s HAMLETHUB interview with Pamme!

In Loving Memory of Our Friend, Maureen Kiernan

On Sunday, February 18th we lost a dear friend and a long time supporter of the Ridgefield Theater Barn. If you live in Ridgefield you have been touched by all that Maureen has given to our town as our Treasurer but perhaps more importantly as one who worked tirelessly toward the betterment and beautification of our town from spring flowers to holiday lights at Christmas.

Maureen put her heart and soul into everything she did and the Theater Barn was just one of her passions. She was our Board Treasurer…that was her title. But she did so much more. Whatever needed to be done, Maureen was there lending a hand…picking up programs, helping with mailings, putting up posters, helping with the kids programs. Remember the tablecloths we used to have? Maureen spot treated and washed them after every show and made sure they were back on the tables with tea light candles, ready for the next show. Remember before Vendini? Maureen took all of the phone messages, processed the credit charges, assigned the tables making sure we got to sit with our friends…then made sure the volunteer in charge of the door had the schedule for the evening. And by the way, she was often that volunteer.

We are truly blessed to have worked with Maureen and to have had her as part or our Theater Barn family. Thank you, Maureen, for all you have given to our community, but thank you most of all for being our friend. Rest in Peace!

In Loving Memory of Myles Gansfried

Reminiscing from his winter home on Sanibel Island, he gladly recounted how his natural curiosity helped an engineer became a set designer, technical prop master and playwright. Myles certainly left his mark on our little Barn.

“I remember when I was 8, and painting, off and on. Then when I was 10, I went to see my first show in NYC, Finian’s Rainbow. I thought the theater was magical. That was when a little seed was planted, and I wondered: can I combine my art and theater?”

So Myles had a career as an engineer, raised a family and then, retired. “I knew I had to do something to keep myself occupied and happy.” Fifteen years ago, he found the RTB, and someone gave Myles a chance. He started to learn to build sets and was quickly hooked.

“I fell in love with the process of talking with a director, taking their concept and physically building it out on the stage. I took any problems to solve and engaged my fellow engineers. One of my favorites was in Lucky Stiff- they needed an airplane. We engineered one to fly in over the audience and come to a stop and release two parachutes when it reached the stage. My fellow engineers and I loved designing all those kinds of things.”

Myles gained critical acclaim for his gorgeous sets, they often took your breath away. Patrons and professionals could tell a set designed by Myles with one look. Now, another creative process began to grow within. He put pen to paper and the plays came out. To date, Myles has written 5 full- length and 3 one-act plays. Two of the full-length plays have been done as Black Box productions at the RTB. His hilarious one-act, The Computer Lesson, was a part of our Evening of One Acts 2017 and a finalist at the Aery Theatre Company’s 2017 One-Act Festival.

Its been a few years now that Myles and his partner Judy spend part of their time down on Sanibel, and Myles doesn’t build sets anymore. He is on the RTB Artistic Committee where his curiosity continues to serve us in our artistic mission. He is taking a course in drama down on Sanibel and still writing plays. Life is good, and Myles has one more thing to say:

“I wound up in the bosom of the Theater Barn. I am deeply indebted to the RTB. I feel that I got a master’s degree in theater because I was allowed to do so many things- sets, light & sound design, write, direct and even a little acting! I got to observe everything, and I feel so enriched. I thank the Theater Barn deeply.”

Actually Myles, The Ridgefield Theater Barn thanks you.