If they built it, will we come?

Montrose pair promoting small performing arts center

Kati O’Hare

Daily Press Writer

MONTROSE — As you park downtown, enter the doors of 312 E. Main St. and buy a ticket, you can’t help but feel comfortable in the intimate setting. You see some friends at your regular table only a couple feet from the stage, but decide to grab a drink from the Alleycat Lounge before sitting down to enjoy some good entertainment.

Montrose residents Ed Thomas and Debby Bowers have a vision of what the Montrose Performing Arts Center could be: a small cabaret-style venue with an intimate atmosphere and many types of entertainment. They see small adult theatre productions, music, comedy and movies. Thomas even mentions the center as a place for non-profit events, workshops and poetry readings.

They have their vision and are ready, but is Montrose?

“If we build it, will they come?” Thomas said.

Thomas and Bowers have both been involved in performing arts for most of their lives. They’ve participated in Magic Circle Theatre productions which brought the two together in this new challenge. They hope to open a different kind of venue for Montrose, with the desire to fill a void in the already existing arts venues.

“We got started in conversation. We both discussed how much we would both like to do certain kinds of theatre that isn’t appropriate to the already existing venues in this town — a small, cabaret-style feel with the option of alcohol beverages, tables and something more intimate, more adult-orientated material and lots of types of entertainment that we believe we could bring to a space like this,” Bowers said.

The location they’ve chosen is on Main Street between Townsend and Cascade avenues. Owned by Cazwella’s owner Donn Wagner, it would be leased to both Thomas and Bowers.

They have been working with architect Tom Chamberlin and have come up with two building designs.

The center would accommodate 60 people with the cabaret style and 90 with just chairs. There would be a bar-lounge area, restrooms, stage and a ticket counter. The decision they would have to make is if there would be just one front entrance with the stage in the back, or two entrances, one being from the alley.

“If I understand correctly, it would enhance what is lacking. ... it would fill the void in the downtown, not a community theatre, but for-profit,” said Coffee Trader co-owner Phuong Nguyen, who also is the chairperson of Main in Motion. “I think anything that adds to the cultural sense of Montrose is a positive for the community.”

Montrose has other sources for arts such as the Magic Circle Theatre and the Montrose Pavilion.

“We’re talking about smaller shows that wouldn’t step on other things that are going on in town,” Thomas said. “We aren’t looking to go into competition.”

Thomas said they would like to work with the other places in town that have live music, movies and performances so they don’t overlap in scheduling.

Owner of Blue Sky Music and Books, Dave Bowman, has shown his support for the project but was not able to be reached for comment.

“Dave Bowman is doing shows at Canyon Creek Bed and Breakfast, La Cabana and the Pavilion and he doesn’t see that it would step on what he is doing,” Thomas said.

Montrose Pavilion director was also not available for comment.

Lisa Rediger, manager at the Magic Circle Theatre said that she can’t speak for the theatre because it is a non-profit with no spokesperson, but would say that she knows Thomas and Bowers and knows they have been extremely committed and supportive of Magic Circle in so many ways, giving both their time and efforts.

“Personally as a member of the community and as a friend and fellow actor I would (support the center) — absolutely,” Rediger said.

She said that it would benefit Montrose because it is supporting a different kind of art, with a smaller stage that a smaller group can enjoy.

“Their commitment to theatre is huge,” she said. “If there is an avenue that we are not filling, then they are very qualified.”

Kerwin Jensen, city of Montrose community development director, said he has been to several shows at Magic Circle and they are very well attended. He thinks a performing arts center would be one more thing that people would support “week-in and week-out.”

“The people I’ve spoken to, they want something like this in the community — more choice to go to for performing arts and more activities for the weekend.”

Thomas and Bowers also see the center as a positive addition to the downtown area.

“I think something like this in downtown would be welcome,” Jensen said. “These are things we need to be locating downtown.”

Nguyen said that the center ties into what Main in Motion does and would provide another outlet for the arts.

One concern that Historic Montrose Downtown Treasurer Priscilla Fry had was parking.

Bowers said there is no doubt that parking is an issue anytime downtown, but after talking to local merchants, the available parking lots should be enough. The issue was also the drive behind the two-entrance design, allowing people to park off Main Street.

But besides the parking issue, Fry said it is a good concept.

“As a member and promoter of HMD, if they can pull that off and bring people here and add to the ambiance of downtown, I say go for it,” she said.

Another issue of concern that both Fry and developer Matt Miles said was how the center would be ran — non-profit or for-profit.

“What is really undetermined is what structure this business is going to take,” Thomas said. “It can be a for-profit, break even type of operation, or it could be a non-profit foundation that other entities could use, or maybe it should be a civic facility like the pavilion.”

Miles said he would not agree to public dollars being used for this project and Fry said she would have to agree.

“If you are talking about private dollars, that’s great,” Miles said.

Thomas and Bowers are looking for private dollars to fund the project. They’ve worked with branch president Scott Streit from Community Banks of Colorado to develop a budget. The budget includes start-up expenses and first year fixed operating expenses.

The start-up expenses encompass most of the renovation to the building, including adding bathrooms, lighting, the stage, sound system and bar equipment. These costs, according to their budget, total $134,150.

Thomas said for this to work they would need to book the center about 150 days a year and it would be enough to pay for expenses.

“Right now we are trying to come up with the money to do the build-out and get the doors open,” Bowers said.

Thomas said they have five to 10 community leaders such as TEI Rock Drills and SheShe Boutique that would donate to assist in starting costs, but they still need more support.

“That is a big piece of this,” he said. “We have lined up a bank loan that we could finance the day-to-day operating costs once we open up.”

Bowers and Thomas said they could see the center as a place for Montrose residents to “play.”

“Now who wants to come play in our sandbox,” Thomas said. “But first we got to build the sandbox.”

More information can be obtained at the center’s Web site at www.montroseperformingartscenter.com.

Bowers and Thomas have created a survey to find out if this is something Montrose residents want. The survey is available on their Web site, but will also be included as an insert in the Montrose Daily Press’s Friday, April 13 issue and enclosed in the Montrose Chamber of Commerce newsletter.

Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com