Nous Theatre

Built in 1913 with 400 seats. The seating today is listed as 185. There is a website for the Nous Theater here:
http://www.noustheatre.com/

Howard Hain (BA, Philosophy SUNY Buffalo) and his wife, Laura, recently bought a theater in Blairstown, New Jersey, which they are in the process of renovating. Nous Theatre, formerly Roy's Hall, will be the home for a variety of programs, from dance to theater and will open this summer. The music styles will include baroque, Renaissance, medieval, and jazz, featuring local and international talent. Other plans include ballet and Greek plays that combine philosophy with dialogue. Original shows will also be performed at the theater. The opening show, held on June 4 and 18, will enlist the talents of 80 performers, including 55 chorus members and 22 orchestra members. Hain has written several plays that have been performed in San Francisco. 2005 online alumni newsletter

Great link from the local school kids of Blairstown.
Be sure to click on the three links at the bottom for history & photos:

http://www.northwarren.org/wctechproject/Roys_Hall/

Notice another name for the theater - Red Pony Movie Theater

Premiere of Blairstown's Nous Theatre a hit

Slugline NOUS0612 web
Publication
Date June 14, 2005
Section(s) Web - Local News
Page
Byline
Brief Premiere of Blairstown's Nous Theatre a hit
By JEANETTE CALO

Herald Staff Writer

BLAIRSTOWN -- Imagine enjoying an intimate performance of Mozart's most personal and impassioned work, featuring world renown performers -- just minutes away from your home.

By JEANETTE CALO

Herald Staff Writer

BLAIRSTOWN -- Imagine enjoying an intimate performance of Mozart's most personal and impassioned work, featuring world renown performers -- just minutes away from your home.

Patrons of Nous Theatre experienced just that at opening night of the theater on Main Street, recently revamped by Blairstown residents Howard and Laurie Hain.

During the sold-out premiere performance on June 4, guests were entertained by The Baroque Orchestra of North Jersey, the Masterwork Chorus and several featured soloists.

"We're so fortunate not to have to go to Philly or New York to get a performance of this caliber," said patron Cynthia Dalton, a 20-year resident of Blairstown.

The brightly painted blue building, which stands out on Blairstown's small Main Street, is considered a welcome addition by many residents.

"It really caught my eye the first time I saw it," said Kate Skeffington, a resident of Blairstown for 12 years who came to performances when it was a regional theater. "It's grown on me."

The Hains purchased the theater, formerly Roy's Hall, in January, and have since created a theater with a removable orchestra pit that can seat 185 people and features a gallery space to display the work of local artists.

"What (the Hains) have done is phenomenal," said Kira Schneider, a former Fredon resident who has lived in Blairstown for a year. "There's nothing dull about this."

The show began with a performance of Hebrides Overture by Felix Mendelssohn, performed by 27 members of the Baroque Symphony Orchestra of North Jersey, founded and directed by Conductor Robert Butts.

Tenor Gay Pate, a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City, sang a solo of Giacomo Puccini's Nessun Dorma, accompanied by the orchestra.

Pianist Sohyun Ahn, Korea's Best Performer of the Year in 2002, followed with Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, also accompanied by the orchestra.

Guest enjoyed wine during the intermission, complimented by free gourmet chocolates provided by Antionette Chocolatier, an Internet company based in Hope.

"I think having a theater in Blairstown is a great idea," said owner Antionette Little, who will make chocolates for the next two performances, "and nothing goes better with wine than chocolate."

Following the intermission, the back of the theater was opened to accommodate 119 members of The Masterwork Chorus, a volunteer chorus directed by Andrew Megill. Accompanied by the orchestra, the chorus sang Mozart's Requiem, the last work written by the composer. The performance featured four soloists: tenor Pate; soprano Olivia Lynch, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Moulton and bass Kevin Pruner.

"It was divine if I may say so myself," said Howard Hain, theater owner and director. "We were very pleased. There was a spiritual quality about the whole evening that we were very in touch with."

The Hains chose the name nous (pronounced "noose"), the Greek word for mind or reason, because it is their responsibility to bring truth and beauty to the community.

"Based on the response of the community tonight we see a tremendous responsibility," Howard Hain said of the premiere.

On the opening night, Hackettstown resident Ed Palmer recalled being in the building as a child when it was the Red Pony Movie Theater. The building, which was constructed in 1913, was reopened as a silent movie house in 1917 after a fire. It was later used as an auction house until Dirk Swaneveld, principal of Belvidere High School, renovated the building and used it as a playhouse.

His daughter Kim Swaneveld, was the stage manager for the opening-night performance.

The Hains dedicated the opening performances to Swaneveld, for bringing the building back from a shell and providing utilities.

"For his generosity and integrity we thank Dirk Swaneveld," the Hains' inscription read. "Without your vision and perseverance, we'd have no tonight."

With some minor technical adjustments, Howard Hain anticipates performances of equal strength for the next two shows, scheduled for Saturday and June 25. The third show was scheduled due to popular demand, as the second is already sold out.

"The only downside about pursuing perfection is once in a while you get close," Howard Hain said, "And now we have to top it."

What an intriguing name for a theater! Is it Greek νούσ ‘mind’ or French “nous” ‘we, us’ or an acronym for ? or just a whimsical invention that sounds good to the ear? The owner's philosophical background might suggest the Greek meaning?

Impressionist painting of Roy's theater:
http://www.thegalleryonlafayette.com/a_sozio.htm

Listed as a Brandt Theater in the 1961 FDY. Listed as Roys.

I read somewhere recently that this theater is for sale.

Yep, CT
http://cinematreasures.org/news/14893_0_1_0_C/

The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), July 7, 2005 p002
In Blairstown, a theater is born; Onetime silent movie house rings with Mozart in auspicious opening. (IN THE TOWNS)


Byline: REBECCA SCHMOYER

Howard Hain remembers the day last December when he came across the old movie house in Blairstown that he and his wife would spend seven months transforming into the Nous Theatre.

It was his wife Laurie's birthday. While waiting for his car to get an oil change, he decided to take a stroll down Main Street.

He saw an imposing, dingy, gray two-story theater, built in an odd, slightly Asian style. It had a for-sale sign in front.

"I looked at it and thought it was pretty obvious we could do something special here," said Hain, 33.

That evening, when he picked up his wife, she wanted to know why he was "all smiles," Hain remembered.

"I told her, 'I think I've found the next 10 years of our lives,'" he said.

Today, there's no passing Nous Theatre without doing a double-take. The playhouse looms above the shops on Blairstown's Main Street. It's painted an exuberant cobalt blue and surrounded by flowers.

"It's majestic," said Hain, as he and his wife stood on the theater's brand new front steps. "It feels good. It feels alive."

The theater opened for the first time on June 4 for a sold-out performance of Mozart's "Requiem" featuring tenor Gary Pate, of the Metropolitan Opera, Sohyun Ahn, an award-winning Korean pianist, and the Baroque Orchestra of North Jersey. Tickets almost immediately sold out for the same program on June 18, Hain said. The couple hurriedly set up a third performance a week later.

"It's one of the best stages I've ever played," said Robert Butts, conductor of the Baroque Orchestra. "There's a wonderful sense of artistry in every corner. The acoustics are marvelous. It's really great when you are playing music in a space where you feel like you are one with the audience and that the audience is one with you."

Back in December 2004, the building's exterior walls were covered in drab gray floor paint. The front steps were full of unwelcoming cracks, and inside was a dark, cavernous void.

But the building, then known as Roy's Hall, was structurally fine and the price was right. The couple decided it was the place to realize their dream of starting a theater for high-caliber music and drama, said Hain. So they bought it.

"It was like finding an old kingdom that just needed to be dusted off and polished up," said Hain.

Hain, who studied philosophy before becoming a playwright, named the venue Nous Theatre, after the ancient Greek word for "eternal mind."

An early photo depicting the building, which was built in 1913 and rebuilt in 1919, shows a silent movie theater with a poster outside advertising a Charlie Chaplin movie.

Nearly everyone now seems pleased with the results of the couple's hard work and vision, even the building's former owner - Dirk Swaneveld, principal of Belvidere High School.

Swaneveld bought the building about 11 years ago in a condition of total disrepair and overhauled its heating and plumbing. He wanted to sell it, but didn't want to see it become another real estate office.

"I can't be more pleased. My wife and I ran several summer productions with kids in there," said Swaneveld. "I have always felt it was designed and built as a theater and it needed to stay a theater."

The walls inside the entrance are now painted a deep yellow. A hallway with red floors and blue rails leads into the theater, which has 192 vintage seats reupholstered in bright red. A red velvet curtain falls in folds across the stage, which is empty except for a new Yamaha concert grand piano.

Laurie Hain, 32, currently teaches middle school science in Union City. She has plans to start a children's theater workshop at the playhouse.

"We're just putting the finishing touches on it," she said.

Howard Hain, who had two plays produced in San Francisco in 2000 and 2002, plans to stage his play "My Brother's Keeper" at the theater in October. He hopes to bring opera, jazz and drama to the theater and would like the space to be home to a chorus and instrumental ensemble.

"Our attitude is we'll treat each show as if it's the only show we'll ever do," he said.

Butts, who lives in Rockaway, already has future projects in the works for his orchestra at the venue.

"The singers and musicians are excited. And I'm perhaps the most excited of all," he added.

The Hains spent time living in New York, San Francisco and Rome before they bought a home in Great Meadows last summer. But they both are a little stunned by how quickly the theater has taken on a life of its own.

"Everything's been on warp speed. Our lives have changed so much," he said. "But we love it. I think we'll be around for a while."

For more information or to order tickets, call (908) 362-1399 or visit www.noustheatre.com

Hello All,

While in my search to find a theatre to purchase, I came across this post and did a little initial research on this theatre and the town. What I find amazing is that Mr. Hain has purchased this theatre, renovated it and started off strong with good programming. There are many articles floating around in regards to his achievements with the theatre. It appeared he was in for the long haul...however, just a year after his grand project, he is selling??? I find this a bit weird. Usually when someone as dedicated as Mr. Hain seems to be all of a sudden wants to pull out, it could mean only a few things, the top two being: 1) Health problems 2) He over estimated the theatre market around his town. Naturally I am just speculating here, but I am wondering if anyone could shed some light on this and perhaps would know the truth why this gentleman is suddenly pulling the plug on what seemed to be promising future for this theatre.

Thank You,
JG

In response to a question about the Nous Theatre and its recent inactivity, personal and professional business have called Howard Hain away from Blairstown, New Jersey, so at Howard's invitation, my wife and I have leased the theatre and will continue to operate it as the Blairstown Theater Festival at Roy's Hall. Our first concert is on December 16th. At 94, Roy's Hall is in terrific shape, with extraordinary acoustics, and we will be presenting most concerts, plays and recitals without any amplification. We will also be showing classic and independent films once we get our video projection system up and running. At least for the time being, the Nous Theater is on hold, and Roy's Hall is back in operation on Blairstown's Main Street. You can read more about us at www.blairstowntheaterfestival.com

Incidentally, this website is where I first learned about the Nous Theatre and how I contacted Howard. Terrific site.

Most recently, this theater (now known as the Blairstown Theater Festival at Roy's Hall) showed Friday the 13th for the first time at the same location where the film was shot. Nothing much has changed since where they shot, except the cars.

Was owned by Alvin Sloan from the 30s to the 70s. See my last post from the Washington Theatre. http://cinematreasures.org/theater/6644/

this theater will be for sale, according to the express times.

someone should update this theater to closed since it's for sale.

any pics of this theater????

To see photos of the theatre, go to:
http://blairstowntheaterfestival.com/royshall.html

My wife and I ran the theater for twelve months and presented a series of concerts, plays and classic films. There just wasn't sufficient audience interest to keep it going. It's a charming space, but the township and county have no interest in supporting it. Too bad.

Those crazy politicians. It's mostly a Republican run town with few Democrats and one of the workers for the township committee, Al Davis, might go to jail for what he did with papers and such.

What are the dimensions of the stage and down in the main room including ceiling height.How far away from new york city is it,and what is the price?

Here is a photo of the Nous Theater.

Nice photo.

richie valens will perform at this venue this year.

I thought he died in an airplane crash in 1959.

My mistake, it's richie havens.

I'm disappointed to hear that. I would have paid good money to see a guy that's been dead for 50 years perform again. LOL