Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center Celebrated in October

On Sept. 6 some 1,500 visitors from all over the North East corridor experienced the opening of the new Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. The building, which dates to 1911, was once home to the Old Saybrook Musical and Dramatic Club.  In a $5.7 million dollar renovation, the building was restored and named in honor of the late Broadway and screen star Katharine Hepburn.  

Next Saturday on October 16, a documentary will be shown about the making of the theater entitled "The Kate: Old Saybrook's Crown Jewel." In celebration of the event, several restaurants will offer a "taste of Old Saybrook" benefitting the theater, serving their cuisine on the theater's green.  A '70s dance inside the theater will follow. The following day, on October 17, the theater will hold a gala featuring the dance troupe Momix.

"We've been working on this project for seven years," said Elaine Staplins in the New York Times, a trustee of the center, "and to see it become reality, it gives me goose pimples."

The theater will make a concerted effector to keep ticket prices accessible to all, ranging from $10 - $60 for events and performances.

To read the full report in the New York Times detailing the renovation project and upcoming events at the center, click here.

Says Edie Gengras who lead the fundraising efforts in the New York Times, "What's truly amazing is how generous people have been with their financial gifts, especially in this difficult economy... the I've never seen anything like it, this outpouring of support."

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is at 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook; (860) 510-0473. A calendar of events can be found at katharinehepburntheater.org. Tickets can be purchased online or at (877) 503-1286.

Katharine Hepburn appeared on Broadway in The West Side Waltz, A Matter of Gravity, Coco, The Millionairess, As You Like It, Without Love, The Philadelphia Story, The Lake, The Warrior's Husband, Art and Mrs. Bottle, These Days, and Night Hostess.