Roy's Hall

teecee on September 9, 2005 at 2:52 am

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

teecee on August 25, 2005 at 9:52 am

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.”

teecee on June 7, 2005 at 12:33 pm

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