“What’s happening with the Triplex? I hear four different stories a day about what’s going on there.” This was a question I was asked last weekend at The Great Barrington Farmers’ Market, and it is a question I get many times daily.
No matter how many articles are written in the press, people still are uncertain about what’s happening with the theater. So, as president of the board of the Triplex Cinema Inc, I decided to write a regular column updating the community on our progress and The Berkshire Edge has agreed to publish it. After all, it’s only through the community’s donations and volunteering that any of this is possible.
For those who need a quick background review, here it is. At the end of March there were reports that the Triplex would close its doors immediately following the Berkshire International Film Festival. A group of concerned citizens came together to discuss the possibility of the community trying to buy it. To them, the Triplex was more than a movie theater—it was the heart of GB.
A team of volunteers emerged from that gathering and worked nonstop to form a nonprofit (Triplex Cinema Inc) to begin raising the money to buy the Triplex.
Since the beginning, the enthusiasm has been enormous. To date over 665 people have donated. The photographer Gregory Crewdson donated the proceeds from a one-week-only sale of signed prints of a never-before-seen photograph (we look forward to announcing the amount received from that sale next week). Walton Ford, the well-known watercolorist, is donating an elaborate drawing in one of his art books. The Coffee Shop in Stockbridge is hosting a small works art sale with all profits going to the Triplex. There are dozens of more plans afoot, and it is thrilling to see how our community is coming together to raise the funds needed.
So, what’s happening now? On June 5th the Triplex closed its doors. Yesterday, Sam Handel, the Treasurer of Triplex Cinema Inc, and I signed a Purchase and Sales Agreement with Richard Stanley, the owner of the Triplex Cinema. We’ll pay Richard $1 million over the course of a five-year mortgage. The clock is now ticking on our 30-day due diligence period. The Triplex is currently closed, but if all goes well, we will open later this summer.
Although we have raised $356,063 dollars to date, we will need to raise $1.7 million dollars this year. This money will go to operating expenses, staff, building expenses, film rentals, filming equipment and extensive upgrades to bring it up to modern operating standards. In the past two weeks we have hired a bookkeeper and Allegrone Construction, who will put together a schematic for us so that we can have an overall picture of what needs to be done.
In addition, we have hired a Managing Director, Ben Elliott. Ben comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and experience. A film and video major in college, Ben grew up in Great Barrington going to the Triplex. During the last few years, he has worked as the Production Manager for a theater company, Director of Building Operations for an educational-tech company in NYC, and as a writer. John Valente. the former longtime manager of the Triplex and Beacon Cinemas said “We couldn’t be more fortunate in our choice of hiring Ben for this position. He has exactly the right skill set we need, a perfect balance between creative and managerial experience. Add to that his local connections and we have exactly the person we need to help the Triplex to reengage with the community.” John will be working closely with Ben as he transitions into his new role. Ben’s first day was this past Monday
Yesterday, in another piece of exciting news, Lauren Ambrose, the actress known for her roles in “Six Feet Under” and “Yellowjackets,” recorded the outgoing Triplex message. Give us a call at 413-528-8885 to hear what she has to say!
In the coming weeks, I will keep you updated on our progress. This is a community effort and as such, we are counting on everyone to contribute their ideas, money (if you have it) and your goodwill. Although our financial goal is steep, we believe we can attain it and are hoping that everyone in the community will support this effort. For information on how to donate or to read more about us, go to savethetriplex.org. As the saying goes, “It takes a village,” and there’s no village quite like ours.
