‘Relight the Liberty’ close to deadline
BY DANA DUGAN
Locally owned businesses such as markets, restaurants, a bookstore, and a live theatre venue are what arguably make a town viable. A place you might want to live. And certainly a place worth visiting. The town of Hailey contains many historical gems, but one of its standouts has always been the Liberty Theatre. “Relight the Liberty” is a fundraising effort to save this unique Art Deco theatre. Built in 1938, it’s now in need of structural and industry standard upgrades, along with an operational endowment.
In a new video for “Relight the Liberty,” Kaz Thea, Hailey City Councilmember, said the theatre “provides the needed vitality that any community strives for.”
First some history: Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Liberty Theatre was home to the Company of Fools, an independent theatre company founded by actors Denise Simone and Rusty Wilson. Demi Moore and Bruce Willis, who owned the theatre itself, were its earliest patrons. Willis was known to appear on stage from time to time.
In 2013, Company of Fools became part of the Sun Valley Museum of Art (then Sun Valley Center for the Arts), and in 2016 Moore and Willis donated the Liberty Theatre to SVMoA. The theatre provided an essential venue for arts and theatrical programming for the Wood River Valley. In 2021, after seven years of joint programming, the organizations mutually agreed to become two independent 501(c)(3) arts organizations. Thus, The Liberty Theatre Company (TLTC) was born, made up of performers already associated with both organizations. However, the Liberty Theatre itself remains an asset of the SVMoA.
“The Liberty Theatre has been THE arts anchor on Main Street in Hailey for decades,” said Kristine Bretall, SVMoA public programs director. “It’s served as host to countless plays, concerts, authors, community events and productions featuring students from our local schools – events attended by tens of thousands of people. There truly isn’t another venue in the south Valley tat holds such deep memories and history. And today, the Liberty Theatre has tremendous potential to continue serving as a home for arts events in Hailey for decades to come.”
“It’s a tremendous gift,” said TLTC executive director JD McDonnell. “Unfortunately, the building needs structural work, seismic and gravity load upgrades, and new HVAC for Actors’ Equity standards post-COVID.”
The company must raise $1,700,000 by the end of 2022 — Saturday, Dec. 31. About $1,200,000 of these funds will be dedicated to necessary renovation costs and the remaining $500,000 will provide an endowment to ensure ongoing care and upkeep of the building.
McDonnell, who has both a financial industry and a theatrical background, moved to the Valley two years ago with his family. He said he wanted to get involved with the arts again. At the time, the Liberty was looking for someone with financial expertise, to help guide them through this process.
“It’s going well,” McDonnell said. “Since March [we’ve raised] over a million dollars. It’s mind blowing. My mission with this building is that it must get going. I hope we get a Christmas gift.”
Initially, SVMoA donated $200,000 to seed The Liberty Theatre Company.
“It was a great start, and very generous,” McDonnell said. “They want to gift the building. She’s an old gal. But there were all these circumstances to make it very difficult.”
Echoing the words and feelings of many in the community, Hailey resident Joan Davies said, “It would be such a void not to have it.”
McDonnell said the original date [for the fundraising deadline] was March of this year. “The Museum has been working with us,” he said. “But we still can’t use the building, due to structural needs, and equity rules. I hope we can come to some fruition here. The theatre provides an economic driver for the local businesses.”
TLTC is accepting donations at libertytheatrecompany.org, and will also accept pledges. “It’s process,” McDonnell said. “We can be flexible.”
A new fundraising video, shot by Wyatt Caldwell and Chase Cleveland of Stellar Media, can be viewed on TLTC’s Instagram and Facebook pages.