Fundraising underway!

Thanks to a $10,000 gift from Grain States Soya in West Point, our fund-raising efforts were jump-started last month at a West Point Chamber of Commerce Coffee. We've also received several other generous gifts to get things started. Our goal is to raise $150,000 to get the Movie Theatre equipment installed, build a concession stand, and do some renovation inside the building. We'll keep you posted!

We're in the Omaha World-Herald!

A wonderful story about the West Point Community Theatre appeared recently in both the Norfolk Daily News and the Omaha World-Herald. Read the full story here.

We're Moving...

... our theatre seats, that is! We'll be moving the 230 theatre seats from the basement of St. Paul's school (244 E Walnut St) over to the old Auditorium on Saturday, November 1 at 9:00 a.m. Come on down and lend a hand - the more people we have, the quicker this will go. We'll meet in the parking lot south of St. Paul's Lutheran Church.

City Council says "YES"!

Applause filled the city council chambers Tuesday night after a unanimous vote to allow the West Point Community Theatre to lease the old West Point City Auditorium to create a movie theatre/performing arts theatre there! A 3-year plan was presented, with the goal of installing the theatre seats before the fall production in November. More details to follow! Thanks to everyone for your ideas and support!

West Point Chamber supports theatre!

The West Point Chamber of Commerce has officially signed
on to support the West Point Theatre project!

RC&D adopts Theatre as project

The Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D (Resource Conservation & Development) Council voted last week to adopt the West Point Theatre as a project for the upcoming year. The group will assist the West Point Community Theatre in obtaining funding to give the West Point City Auditorium new life as a movie theatre/performing arts theatre.

In the West Point News!

Read all about it!
Here's a link to the front page news story in the West Point News!
West Point News

Thanks West Point News!

Letters of Support

Our committee is looking for letters of support from local organizations for the West Point Theatre project. If you'd like to send one stating your support for the idea of a Movie Theatre and Performing Arts Theatre in the old West Point City Auditorium, mail it to West Point Theatre, PO Box 33, West Point, NE 68788. Or email it to me at brian@bandbvideo.com.
Thanks!

Cuming County Fair THANKS!

Just a note to thank everyone who signed the notebook at the West Point Theatre fair booth at the Cuming County Fair last week! Thanks for your encouraging comments and great ideas about where we can get additional help in building the Theatre in West Point!

West Point Theatre on the radio!

West Point's 107.9 The Bull Morning Show will be hosting Jerry Hugo and Brian Kreikemeier on Friday, August 15 from 6:25 to 7:00 a.m. Discussion will center around the West Point Theatre project and frequently asked questions will be addressed.

Also, KTIC-AM should feature the West Point Theatre project in news stories throughout the day on Friday, August 15.

Tune in for some great discussion and information!

The Beginnings of the Auditorium

As we begin to lay the foundations for the West Point Theatre project, it's worth taking a few moments to recall the early history of the Auditorium and how it came to be. This will be the first in a series of entries featuring the history and architecture of the Auditorium building.

The idea for an Auditorium in West Point was first proposed by a group of men who formed the West Point Cadet Band. The Cadet Band had a reputation for playing classical music exceptionally well. As their popularity increased, the band held a public meeting in early 1911 to ask the businesspeople of the city for financial support in building an auditorium. The money would be paid back to the investors without interest. The fundraising efforts began in June of 1911 and collected a total of $12,000. By the time the cornerstones were laid September 23, 1911, $17,805 had been contributed.

Construction progressed remarkably fast, and the Cadet Band's first concert in the new building was held on New Year's Day 1912. From the time of its inception to the first public event, the planning and construction of the Auditorium took a little less than one year.

West Point Theatre

In case you missed it, we want to put a movie theatre and performing arts theatre inside the old West Point City Auditorium! Discussion at the City Council meeting last night centered around installing theatre seating upstairs (using the 230 seats that have already been donated to our cause by the Gateway Theatre in Albion). There would be movies every weekend, except for the weekends reserved for live performances by the West Point Community Theatre, who would manage and operate the theatre year-round. We have some ideas on how to do this, but we need your ideas too! Any thoughts or suggestions?