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Summer is when Friends of the Loew’s tries to catch up on important work around the Theatre -- and you can help!
The annual DUMPSTER DAY is set for Saturday, June 27 from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
This is a unique tradition for FOL: the day to clear out debris from our ongoing renovations and the other assorted “stuff” that’s built up at the Theatre over the past year. Ask any volunteer who has been a part of it, and they’ll tell you that there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of tossing junk into a big dumpster. We also usually take the opportunity on Dumpster Day to move equipment and supplies that need to be relocated within the Theatre.
But there’s also plenty more to do every Saturday all Summer long!
Balcony Seat Installation
Every Saturday (except holiday weekends) from 11:30 AM to 5PM during the Summer, FOL will be working to rehabilitate and re-install seating in the Theatre’s balcony.
The Loew’s balcony is almost as large as our orchestra floor, and has magnificent sightlines. While some patrons don’t even realize it’s there, others often ask when it will be open again. And the increase in overall seating capacity will allow us to book bigger acts. But before we can re-open the balcony to the public, we need to restore its seats. Some of our volunteers are disassembling, de-rusting, de-gumming and degreasing the mechanical parts of the balcony seats in a workshop area dedicated just to this project. Others are working in the balcony itself to clean the seat frames that remain bolted to the floor. Once all this prep work is done, we are going to paint all the parts and re-assemble them along with the newly reupholstered seat backs and cushions.
It’s a very BIG and very IMPORTANT job. And you can play an important part in it!
Anyone who's willing and able to work with their hands can help. Basic hand tool proficiency and painting experience is helpful.
Besides the Balcony work, there are other ways you can get involved . . .
On most every Saturday from 11:30AM to 5PM, you can help FOL with the fundamental maintenance and housekeeping that’s absolutely necessary for the Loew’s to stay open: everything from polishing brass, to sorting supplies, moving equipment, cleaning, even changing some of the HUNDREDS of light bulbs throughout the Theatre. Don’t be fooled – this may sound rather basic, but it’s all very important and FOL can use your help to get it done.
AND there’s a lot more we’d like to accomplish . . . BUT ONLY IF YOU CAN HELP
As restoration of the Loew’s progresses, more and more of the projects FOL needs to advance require the participation of some volunteers with a higher degree of specific skills.
These skills include:
general construction,
carpentry,
painting,
light mechanical,
furniture refinishing,
electrical, plumbing
-- even sewing!
And in addition to construction and restoration related work, the expanding operation of the Theatre also needs volunteers with office/clerical, graphic design and public relations experience.
If you have any of these skills – the Loew’s can use your help!
Call us at (201) 798-6055 to set a time when you can come to the Theatre and find out more about how you can make a real difference.
Here are just a few examples of what can be accomplished at the Loew’s if you have the time and the know-how to help:
Dressing Room Rehabilitation
Compared to our opulent Lobby or magnificently huge Auditorium, the back stage dressing rooms in the Loew’s might seem rather dull and unimportant. Not so! Adequate back stage facilities are absolutely vital to the ability of the Loew’s to operate as an arts center. Fortunately, the Loew’s has an extensive back stage area; unfortunately a combination of neglect, time, and the elements wreaked havoc on the walls and ceilings. Furthermore, modern acts expect amenities that were never installed in our circa-1929 dressing rooms. In order to host the wide variety of shows that we want, the Loew’s needs to have clean, modern dressing room facilities. Our volunteers have already done much work toward this goal - demolishing the crumbling plaster ceilings and walls and restoring five rooms to utility finish. But there’s still much more to do. Tasks include installing suspended ceilings; adding electrical circuits; building partition walls; and plumbing sinks, showers, toilets and washing machines.
Experience with general construction, drywall, painting, suspended ceilings, plumbing, and electrical work is valuable. Some work will require the supervision of a qualified and/or licensed professional.
Management Office Expansion
Not all of the work FOL does is visible to the public. We need to expand our management office so our growing organization has the space we need to do the behind-the-scenes work that keeps the theatre running. We have the available space to expand our office, but it must be completely renovated before we can use it. Because this space is currently used for storage, we will need to move everything out before we can begin construction. Next, we need to rip-up the existing floor and install new finished walls, floor and ceiling.
Anyone with basic tool experience can help, but experience with general construction, drywall, painting, suspended ceilings and electrical work is particularly valuable. Some work will require the supervision of a qualified and/or licensed professional.
Other Projects
Big projects make up only part of the work we need to do around the theatre.
We always have smaller projects around the building that one or two suitably qualified volunteers can work on.
Some examples include replacing wheels and casters on theatre equipment; lots of wall scraping, patching and painting in the various non-public areas of the building; furniture refinishing; light electrical work; and office/clerical work. |
