Oh how far the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center has come in the two years she’s been in existence. Known as “The Kate” and located on Main Street in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, there have already been more than 400 shows at the venue under the leadership of its Executive Director, Chuck Still. As a founding board member I helped to oversee it’s renovations and construction. The Kate is in the town’s former Town Hall and the building dates back more than 100 years now, she’s a beauty. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Now a 250 seat non-profit performing arts center, it’s a sought after destination place on the shoreline of Connecticut. Not only is it a theater but it also houses a museum to the iconic four-time Academy Award winning Connecticut actress. There is also a very popular gift shop for all things “Kate.”
The Guild and volunteers number more than 200 which is unheard of, that’s how much folks like spending time here. There is music and dance and children’s programming and movies and plays, you name it. We’ve thrown all types of entertainment at the place to see what folks like. We have live simulcasts of the Metropolitan Opera and from the 92nd Street Y too. If you’d like an adult beverage while at one of the performances we have a full bar for you as well.
There are 40 to 50 shows listed at any one time on our website, and we invite you to bookmark it for constant updates. The Arts suffer in economic downtrends, and even though we opened it in the middle of one of the worst recessions in the country’s history, we’re here and we’re thriving.
The Kate is growing bigger and better every year, I invite you to come to a performance and see what you think. It’s “a gem of a place with a movie star name.” Lots of things happen right outside her doors too like the gathering of hundreds of vehicles, lining up to cross the nearby Baldwin Bridge from Old Saybrook to Old Lyme, Connecticut. One hundred years ago the span was built and the parade was to mark that occasion. The Kate was represented in that parade, a couple of ushers were selected to ride in a mighty fancy pumpkin-colored Packard.
****Post script in 2014 the theater is now five years old and operating with no debt, was this place mean to be or what?