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Building a cultural legacy to last for generations:
A new performing arts space for the future of Saranac Lake
A new performing arts space for the future of Saranac Lake
We’re building a new theatre. More than a new theatre. We’re taking a leading role in revitalizing Saranac Lake, by expanding our already-extensive artistic programs and educational opportunities. Join us in this endeavor.
OUR Mission
Pendragon Theatre is an ensemble of artists dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the Adirondacks through performance, programming and educational opportunities.
OUR Vision for the new space
As our mission is to enhance the quality of life in the Adirondacks, a new performing arts space will:
-Provide a state-of-the-art venue for artists and companies;
-Boost the local economy, creating jobs and attracting tourists;
-Serve and bolster the Youth Education and Veterans Rehab Improv programming;
-Create an environmentally conscious new complex;
-Support Pendragon’s ensemble and network of artists, acting as a home for creative and innovative work
What this new space provides is a rare opportunity to not just “build back” post-pandemic. We now have the chance to build something permanent -- something that will contribute to a better culture, a better tomorrow, serving future generations long after we are gone.
The new theatre at 56 Woodruff will:
1) Operate as a state-of-the-art performance space for Pendragon's summer theatrical season and;
2) Operate as a center for performance, education and programming year-round by forming partnerships and meaningful collaborations with artists, businesses and colleagues in Saranac Lake and the Adirondack community.
-Provide a state-of-the-art venue for artists and companies;
-Boost the local economy, creating jobs and attracting tourists;
-Serve and bolster the Youth Education and Veterans Rehab Improv programming;
-Create an environmentally conscious new complex;
-Support Pendragon’s ensemble and network of artists, acting as a home for creative and innovative work
What this new space provides is a rare opportunity to not just “build back” post-pandemic. We now have the chance to build something permanent -- something that will contribute to a better culture, a better tomorrow, serving future generations long after we are gone.
The new theatre at 56 Woodruff will:
1) Operate as a state-of-the-art performance space for Pendragon's summer theatrical season and;
2) Operate as a center for performance, education and programming year-round by forming partnerships and meaningful collaborations with artists, businesses and colleagues in Saranac Lake and the Adirondack community.
Our VALUEs
We represent professionalism in management, stewardship and artistry.
We continue to support, grow and celebrate local and national talent.
We’ve expanded therapeutic programs that help heal, build and grow.
We provide space, financial and administrative support for collaborators and colleagues.
We are the focal point for the gathering of all artists, communities and businesses.
We feel a responsibility to connect artists with audiences. A new space compels us to double down on that responsibility.
We are not changing our expectations or demeanor. We are putting a new frame around the work we do: providing a unique experience for audiences and artists.
We continue to support, grow and celebrate local and national talent.
We’ve expanded therapeutic programs that help heal, build and grow.
We provide space, financial and administrative support for collaborators and colleagues.
We are the focal point for the gathering of all artists, communities and businesses.
We feel a responsibility to connect artists with audiences. A new space compels us to double down on that responsibility.
We are not changing our expectations or demeanor. We are putting a new frame around the work we do: providing a unique experience for audiences and artists.
Our History
For over 40 years, Pendragon Theatre has been the backbone of Saranac Lake’s theatre scene—the only year-round, professional theatre company in the Adirondacks.
When Manhattanites Susan Neal and Bob Pettee arrived here in 1980 with the goal of bringing world-class theatre to a village in the mountains, they had a plan to stage three performances of A Streetcar Named Desire, with a single actor lined up and a $500 budget.
From that bare-bones beginning in a second-floor space, a true community pillar has emerged. In the ensuing years, Pendragon has become a reliable source of captivating, envelope-pushing cultural experiences that enrich and engage our entire community. Five-time Tony Award-winning actress Julie Harris has graced our stage and a Pendragon production won top honors at the International Fringe Festival. Today, we stage five summer shows, a touring production and other performances around the year, attracting outstanding professional talent.
But we’re not just a theatre in the community; we’re a theatre for the community. Our innovative slate of educational programs includes the Arts in Education Tour, which exposes hundreds of North Country students to live theatre every year; our Young Playwrights Festival, which pairs Pendragon professionals with budding writers; and our Summer Theatre Camp, Camp Pendragon, which provides students in grades 7-12 an introduction to production and professional theatre.
For over forty years, we have served the community, and now it is time to grow into a new home.
When Manhattanites Susan Neal and Bob Pettee arrived here in 1980 with the goal of bringing world-class theatre to a village in the mountains, they had a plan to stage three performances of A Streetcar Named Desire, with a single actor lined up and a $500 budget.
From that bare-bones beginning in a second-floor space, a true community pillar has emerged. In the ensuing years, Pendragon has become a reliable source of captivating, envelope-pushing cultural experiences that enrich and engage our entire community. Five-time Tony Award-winning actress Julie Harris has graced our stage and a Pendragon production won top honors at the International Fringe Festival. Today, we stage five summer shows, a touring production and other performances around the year, attracting outstanding professional talent.
But we’re not just a theatre in the community; we’re a theatre for the community. Our innovative slate of educational programs includes the Arts in Education Tour, which exposes hundreds of North Country students to live theatre every year; our Young Playwrights Festival, which pairs Pendragon professionals with budding writers; and our Summer Theatre Camp, Camp Pendragon, which provides students in grades 7-12 an introduction to production and professional theatre.
For over forty years, we have served the community, and now it is time to grow into a new home.
WHY NOW
The pandemic took so many things away from us, but it also shed light on what we value:
A place where we can gather -- in one room, in person -- regardless of race, class, creed, religion, or politics.
A place where friends and strangers can sit shoulder to shoulder, laugh together, cry together, hold our breath together during a great moment of drama, and cheer together at the end of the show.
We need a place where people can be together. That place will be Pendragon’s new home.
A place where we can gather -- in one room, in person -- regardless of race, class, creed, religion, or politics.
A place where friends and strangers can sit shoulder to shoulder, laugh together, cry together, hold our breath together during a great moment of drama, and cheer together at the end of the show.
We need a place where people can be together. That place will be Pendragon’s new home.
How does a new performance space serve the Adirondacks?
Current:
Artistic programming includes 4-6 productions of brave, funny, thought-provoking plays, musicals and special events. Pendragon Theatre is a home for creativity, innovation, entertainment and social relevancy.
Artistic programming includes 4-6 productions of brave, funny, thought-provoking plays, musicals and special events. Pendragon Theatre is a home for creativity, innovation, entertainment and social relevancy.
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The current theatre, housed in a converted 1920s-era garage, is beloved for good reason: It’s charming, the acoustics are terrific, it’s steeped in history (Tony Award winners have graced our stage) and it's been our home for decades.
The Vision:
But the current Brandy Brook theatre is cramped. There’s only one dressing room. It lacks amenities, there’s no rehearsal space, it’s short on seats and insulation, and the roof leaks. The electrical wiring is dated and while there are bandaids that can get us through another summer, the costs of more permanent measures are prohibitive and leave us with many of the same limitations.
It's time to give our artists a new home.
We want our designers to utilize new equipment in a safe space. We want our actors to have a place for preparation and honing their craft.
And, we believe in artist pay! We want to offer better contracts and increased wages. Our artistic content -- our culture at large -- can only grow if we support the artists who create work.
The Vision:
But the current Brandy Brook theatre is cramped. There’s only one dressing room. It lacks amenities, there’s no rehearsal space, it’s short on seats and insulation, and the roof leaks. The electrical wiring is dated and while there are bandaids that can get us through another summer, the costs of more permanent measures are prohibitive and leave us with many of the same limitations.
It's time to give our artists a new home.
We want our designers to utilize new equipment in a safe space. We want our actors to have a place for preparation and honing their craft.
And, we believe in artist pay! We want to offer better contracts and increased wages. Our artistic content -- our culture at large -- can only grow if we support the artists who create work.
- New rehearsal space. There’s no rehearsal room in the current Pendragon; this new room could also be a classroom, meeting space or dance studio.
- Proper backstage amenities. Currently, men and women share the same dressing room, as well as a single bathroom. The office is actually one of the theatre wings, which means it’s off-limits most of the summer. A new space will allow for separate dressing rooms, as well as a dedicated office.
- Accessibility: our current home is not a fully ADA-accessible space. The new space will be ADA-compliant for everyone.
- More comfort. The theatre offers patrons just two bathrooms today—increasingly inadequate, considering our growing attendance. The new theatre will have plenty of bathrooms, and it will be made for all seasons -- not limited to weather or temperature changes.
- A new stage design: We’re designing a stage that can retain the intimacy of the current quarters while allowing for new technology, setup and programming
Current:
Pendragon Theatre supports a small full-time staff and robust team of seasonal artists, attracting thousands of audience members each year.
The Vision:
More jobs. More productions. More visitors. More impact.
Pendragon Theatre supports a small full-time staff and robust team of seasonal artists, attracting thousands of audience members each year.
The Vision:
More jobs. More productions. More visitors. More impact.
By supporting our expansion, you’re helping build a theatre that, internally, can increase the jobs both directly and indirectly.
-Internally, the number of actors, stagehands and other workers we hire will increase annually.
-As a downtown theatre on Church and Woodruff, people will dine in or go out pre and post show, increase foot traffic downtown and attract more people to local businesses. Over a dozen bars and restaurants are in walking distance -- under a quarter mile -- to the new theatre.
Research shows that performing arts organizations generate restaurant, hotel, and other local business revenue that equals 2.2 times the performance arts organization's revenue.
By 2025, with a $1M projected budget at Pendragon, the new theatre will generate $2.2M annually into Saranac Lake, and our specific goal is to increase our current customer base, that is approximately 50% non-local, to a projected increase to 80% with the new year-round facility.
A regional theatre diversifies our economy in two ways: Our project is distinctly different in comparison to an area predominantly known for sports and recreation. Secondly, our project grows private employment in a region with high levels of public employment.
Reversing the Population Shift: Like schools, culture, arts and entertainment make a community whole and are looked at by individuals when considering a move. The quality of life issue has always been an important factor and now even more in the age of coronavirus. Communities with this holistic approach are more likely to experience population growth over communities that lack these elements. Population growth supports a communities tax base and makes the community more affordable to live.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the arts and culture sector contributes $119.9 billion to New York’s economy, representing 7.5% of the state’s GDP—a larger share than some other industries in the state, including construction, at $48.8 billion. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2017.
When you support the new Pendragon, you’re not just lifting a theatre company. You’re lifting our entire community. Because art makes good communities great, and great communities even stronger. It’s no secret that people want to be in places with thriving cultural scenes that attract tourists and residents alike. By giving local kids the chance to explore the performing arts year-round, and through expanded partnerships with area colleges that will provide up-and-coming talent with hard-to-find experience, you’ll be helping to create a resource that will bear fruit for years to come.
-Internally, the number of actors, stagehands and other workers we hire will increase annually.
-As a downtown theatre on Church and Woodruff, people will dine in or go out pre and post show, increase foot traffic downtown and attract more people to local businesses. Over a dozen bars and restaurants are in walking distance -- under a quarter mile -- to the new theatre.
Research shows that performing arts organizations generate restaurant, hotel, and other local business revenue that equals 2.2 times the performance arts organization's revenue.
By 2025, with a $1M projected budget at Pendragon, the new theatre will generate $2.2M annually into Saranac Lake, and our specific goal is to increase our current customer base, that is approximately 50% non-local, to a projected increase to 80% with the new year-round facility.
A regional theatre diversifies our economy in two ways: Our project is distinctly different in comparison to an area predominantly known for sports and recreation. Secondly, our project grows private employment in a region with high levels of public employment.
Reversing the Population Shift: Like schools, culture, arts and entertainment make a community whole and are looked at by individuals when considering a move. The quality of life issue has always been an important factor and now even more in the age of coronavirus. Communities with this holistic approach are more likely to experience population growth over communities that lack these elements. Population growth supports a communities tax base and makes the community more affordable to live.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that the arts and culture sector contributes $119.9 billion to New York’s economy, representing 7.5% of the state’s GDP—a larger share than some other industries in the state, including construction, at $48.8 billion. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2017.
When you support the new Pendragon, you’re not just lifting a theatre company. You’re lifting our entire community. Because art makes good communities great, and great communities even stronger. It’s no secret that people want to be in places with thriving cultural scenes that attract tourists and residents alike. By giving local kids the chance to explore the performing arts year-round, and through expanded partnerships with area colleges that will provide up-and-coming talent with hard-to-find experience, you’ll be helping to create a resource that will bear fruit for years to come.
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Current:
Camp Pendragon, Young Playwright Festival, Pendragon Junior and School Touring -- prior to the pandemic -- served hundreds of students on an annual basis. Pendragon has a rich history of including and supporting youth and young adults through holiday productions and Camp Pendragon. The Camp brings youth from across the community and they focus on all aspects of getting a play to the stage. Not only do participants learn skills and gain confidence, but they form bonds and friendships. Research also shows theatre enhances "literary knowledge, tolerance, and empathy among students [...] and they were better able to recognize and appreciate what other people think and feel" (Science Daily & Education Next). The Vision: Hire a full-time Education Director and expand our educational programming, both in-person and virtually. Camp Pendragon has the capacity to grow and include participation from a greater geographical area. The current facility does not meet the standards for training theater students, a function for which there is both demand as well as a revenue stream for supporting teaching artists. Further, classroom discussion and participation can now occur in the virtual world, and we need office and rehearsal space for our teaching artists to work in the digital world, creating content, materials and presentations that engage students online, prepping for in-person visits. Camp Pendragon aims to be a regional marker for young adult theatre. Whereas the camp is currently available to students who travel back and forth on a daily basis, a future goal for Camp Pendragon aims to create housing, offering easier travel and broadening the reach of participating young adults. |
Finally, our school touring program has decreased over the last decade. With a full-time Education Director, we will increase our touring and presence in schools which will in turn increase our interest in our Young Playwrights Program. Many rural areas in the Adirondacks do not have access to professional theatre, and students' first experiences with dramas or musicals are because of Pendragon. A professional experience + full-time leadership will be invaluable in growing our education wing.
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Current:
Our current Brandy Brook theatre and home is a space where incredible theatre has and is happening. But the space -- a former garage -- has a costly heating and air conditioning system, patch-work electricity, antiquated roofing, and poor insulation.
The Vision:
Arts are one of the few investments that can be made in the park which can both encourage economic growth and be environmentally friendly at the same time.
Our growth will create jobs, attract creative employees, and enrich the lives of people who often come to participate in the beauty of the environment.
The new theatre will also have LEED Silver Certification
-Up-to-date and modern amenities that are environmentally friendly (lighting, bathrooms)
-A new roof and insulation for operating a more sustainable year-round theatre (regardless of weather and temperature)
Our current Brandy Brook theatre and home is a space where incredible theatre has and is happening. But the space -- a former garage -- has a costly heating and air conditioning system, patch-work electricity, antiquated roofing, and poor insulation.
The Vision:
Arts are one of the few investments that can be made in the park which can both encourage economic growth and be environmentally friendly at the same time.
Our growth will create jobs, attract creative employees, and enrich the lives of people who often come to participate in the beauty of the environment.
The new theatre will also have LEED Silver Certification
-Up-to-date and modern amenities that are environmentally friendly (lighting, bathrooms)
-A new roof and insulation for operating a more sustainable year-round theatre (regardless of weather and temperature)
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Pendragon Actors present AN ILIAD at St. Joe's (2021)
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Current:
St. Joe's Veteran Residential Treatment Program is an innovative setting for male Veterans from all branches of the services, who have not met with success in other, shorter, traditional program. In order to further explore treatment modalities that will enhance outcomes, St. Joe's added a Pilot Improvisation Theatre Program in the Spring of 2019. Led by two community leaders with experience in Trauma and Resilience, positive results were found in those who completed the program. |
In 2019, a total of 20 sessions were offered through the St. Joe's Veterans Improvisation Program.
Approximately 68% (17 Veterans) of the Veteran House tried out at least one group.
Of those who completed the program, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
The program facilitated new thinking, and a new way for Veterans to understand who they are, and what strengths they have developed as a result of their life challenges, their resilience.
Vision:
Our Improv program will be expanded, beyond St. Joseph's to other facilities as well as expanding to include at-risk youth. The new theatre will have not only a performance space but a private rehearsal space where people can work and gather.
Approximately 68% (17 Veterans) of the Veteran House tried out at least one group.
Of those who completed the program, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
The program facilitated new thinking, and a new way for Veterans to understand who they are, and what strengths they have developed as a result of their life challenges, their resilience.
Vision:
Our Improv program will be expanded, beyond St. Joseph's to other facilities as well as expanding to include at-risk youth. The new theatre will have not only a performance space but a private rehearsal space where people can work and gather.
