Air issues limit use of theater

Safford said this week that the town’s public works department retained the services of a mechanical engineer, but there were no further updates on the state of the theater’s air quality.

This development was yet another blow to the hard-hit Stowe Theatre Guild, which had just announced a two-night run of the play “Love Letters” by the traveling two-person troupe of John Weltman and Linda Monchik for Aug. 18 and 19 following the cancellation of its regular season at the beginning of the summer due to a lack of viable productions.

At the time, board member Cheryl Casey said the guild hoped to do small-scale productions, which have now also been cancelled.

“Stowe Theatre Guild is very disappointed about this latest development and we’re feeling a bit battered by one thing after the next,” Casey said. “We had several small weekend engagements, like ‘Love Letters’ lined up over the next five months, and now everything is once again in limbo.”

Casey said the guild wasn’t “terribly surprised” that the air handling unit required replacement, noting that last summer the air conditioning malfunctioned on several occasions during performances, and that it had been problematic for the past several seasons.

“Nevertheless, we are a group inspired and driven by the old adage, ‘the show must go on,’ and the board remains in conversation with town officials about the timeline for repairs and whether it will be possible for us to use the theater in the cooler months of fall and winter,” Casey said.

Casey said the board is focused on planning a return to form in 2024.

“Town officials have been supportive and transparent about the situation, and we appreciate this positive relationship as we work to revive community theater in Stowe,” Casey said.