Collinsville Could Soon Be a Theater Destination

With the Board of Selectmen's approval in place, Collinsville could soon be a theater destination once again. 

Wednesday night the board authorized Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner to sign an agreement with the non-profit Farmington Valley Stage Company, which officials said formerly operated as the Park Road Playhouse.

“It’s a great add on to getting more people to Collinsville,” First Selectman Richard Barlow said. “I think it’s going to help the businesses down there.”

According to an "anticipated schedule" given to the town, the company is planning for five productions between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013, the term the initial agreement would cover.

While another theater company currently uses town hall, its productions have been limited. The Farmington Valley Stage Company plans on doing much more, as groups did many years ago, officials said. 

“As you will recognize, it is a much more intensive use of the auditorium that at any time in recent years,” Skinner wrote in a memo to selectmen.

In the memo, he also stated the company’s previous production had a charitable component, and would be interested in “similar events in Collinsville.”

The license agreement would also allow the company access to the auditorium for rehearsals, saving it the cost of paying for a town custodian for those times, which it would have to do for performances.

Under the agreement, the company would pay approximately $700 per month but the town retains the right to charge extra if it incurs more costs. The agreement also sets other parameters. 

Selectmen unanimously approved a motion allowing Skinner to enter into the agreement with the company. That document has to be signed before it becomes official.