Flying Monkey Changes Hands But Will Continue As A Performance Venue

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

PLYMOUTH, NH — Common Man founder Alex Ray, who took over the defunct Plymouth Theater and made it into the Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center, is donating it to the Pemi Valley Habitat for Humanity, after 17 years of ownership.

"I am happy the Flying Monkey is going to live on in all of its splendor and that Habitat will take it to the next level as a community event center," Ray said, Tuesday.

"I met Arlo Guthrie because of the Monkey, and many other great people and musicians. Those shows will still come to Plymouth and I'm happy about that," said Ray.

Ray once performed as a flying monkey in the Education Theater Collaborative production of the Wizard of Oz, and that was at least in part an impetus for the name.

He stressed the venue will remain an entertainment and community-focused location, while proceeds will help support affordable housing opportunities for low-and-middle income residents in the Pemi-Valley area.

Common Man CEO Sean Brown said the venue has become an entertainment, social, and economic hub for downtown Plymouth.

He said the donation will allow the historic theater to continue supporting downtown Plymouth while also helping create housing opportunities in the community.

Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors President Susan Mathison said the organization plans to continue the venue’s entertainment offerings while also adding new community-focused events.

Those could include dance classes, adult learning programs, and community gatherings. All Flying Monkey employees will remain with the venue. Current management under Gina Leary will also continue.

The Flying Monkey welcomes approximately 20,000 guests each year, with more than 80 percent coming from New Hampshire. The venue hosts more than 150 events annually, including concerts, comedians, movies, classic silent films, and local community theater performances.

Ray purchased the former 1920s vaudeville-era theater in November 2009. The building had been closed and in disrepair for years before undergoing renovations that preserved its history.

The theater reopened in July 2010 as The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center.

Planned improvements include a state-of-the-art digital video wall on the stage and upgraded lighting.
Ray has also committed to personally supporting the venue with an annual donation to the nonprofit for the next five years.

Although ownership of the property and building at 39 Main Street is converting to nonprofit status, Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity said it will make an annual payment in lieu of taxes to the town.

Pemi-Valley Habitat for Humanity builds and sells affordable homes in 27 towns in and around New Hampshire’s Pemi-Valley and Lakes Region.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.