Take A ‘New’ Seat At The Edmond Town Hall

By Kendra Bobowick

In recent weeks, guests to the Edmond Town Hall theater have had to carry their buttered popcorn up to the balcony seats since the downstairs doors were closed for renovations. The upper level’s 150 seats — originals from 1930 when the town hall was built — are the only option until a project to replace the main theater’s roughly 370 seats, carpeting, and footlights, is completed. With the work nearly finished as of Wednesday, June 27, building manager Tom Mahoney, for one, is anxious for final permits.

“I want to open it as soon as possible, I am not certain if it will be this weekend [June 30 and July 1] or not,” Mr Mahoney said. “We’re trying to get finished and get open.”

The third week in June saw boxes piled beside the stage while crews worked to bolt down the approximately $56,000 worth of new seats replacing the older set. The Newtown Lions Club played a strong fundraising role in “selling” seats. Sponsors names will be placed on plaques on the seats.

As recent work found the well-cushioned seats placed row-by-row before the movie screen, Mr Mahoney is already looking ahead to additional theater restoration work.

As money becomes available he has plans to repaint, repair plaster, put in new acoustical paneling, and do some work on the stage, screen, and curtains.

“There is still a lot to do,” he said.

Until the current work is complete, a $2 movie pass will find viewers in the balcony.

This restoration work will be the second time the main theater seats have been replaced. Mr Mahoney said that the seats removed this month were set in place in 1960. He has his eye on restoring the original seating in the balcony for their historic content.

Work is being completed by Reliable Flooring Contractors from East Hartford, All Cinema of East Northport is responsible for the footlights, and seats come from Public Theater Seating of Brooklyn, N.Y.