On the surface, it would appear that not much is happening at the Triplex right now, but, behind the scenes, everyone is hustling to get things ready in order to open in November as planned. Allegrone Construction is finalizing what they need to do in order to begin their work next week. Several POS (point of sales) systems are being studied to see which system will be able to track tickets, concession sales, memberships, and special events all in one system. Various committees have started to meet to discuss film programming as well as environmental, cultural, and educational programming. Applications are being written for government, corporation, and foundation grants. We are thrilled to announce that we submitted our first grant last week that was beautifully written by Cia Turner. A shout out to this volunteer, who worked tirelessly on this, while holding a full-time job and, along with her husband, raising a two-year-old.
As mentioned in the past, we have a working Board of Directors who are involved in every decision that affects the Triplex. To better acquaint the community with the people involved in the decision-making process, I periodically spotlight a member of our Triplex team. This week, it gives me great pleasure to shine a light on someone who most likely knows the Triplex better than anyone else, a friend and a one-time co-worker: John Valente.
Spotlight on: John Valente
John Valente is a member of the Board of Directors and served as the general manager of the Triplex and Beacon cinemas, working with owner Richard Stanley for 17 years. Richard and John helped launch the Berkshire International Film Festival while adding the fourth screen to the Triplex. They then opened the Beacon Cinema, which greatly helped in revitalizing downtown Pittsfield. John has led teams, large and small, here and abroad, and always with the firm belief that success comes from interdependence, not independence. Prior to moving to the Berkshires with his wife, Holly, John had a long career in theater and television, first as a stage manager and theater administrator in regional theater and then as a program executive and producer in Daytime Television. He was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work on “As The World Turns.”
John got involved with the Save the Triplex group because he said, “When Nicki stepped forward and started to assemble the non-profit organization that would eventually purchase the Triplex, I knew we were headed in the right direction. I was confident that the Triplex mattered to this community. The theater may have been buffeted by the storms of streaming, COVID, and, frankly, age, but I know there’s a gem of a theater there just waiting to have new life breathed into it and a community waiting to embrace it once again.”
Like so many others who have donated their time and/or their money, John reached out to do whatever he could do to make the dream of a new Triplex a reality. If you would like to learn more about the Triplex or donate, please go to our website: savethetriplex.org.
