Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Theatre Guild is working to assess losses and rebuild and recover after thousands of dollars of costumes and sets were destroyed after a fire in Stowe on March 30. The community theater group has recently announced the donation matching grant from the Springer-Miller Family Foundation. The basement of the building at 638 South Main Street was the sole location for the theater group's sets, building materials and costumes. Although the fire itself did not burn in the area rented by Stowe Theatre Guild, there was extensive damage to the property stored there — due to water damage, fire-suppressant foam, smoke and debris. The building was declared a total loss.
A truck from Servpro on Thursday collects what Stowe Theatre Guild property may be salvaged. The set pieces, of flats and platforms, were a total loss. Some chairs and costumes may be salvaged once they have been professionally cleaned and fumigated. Other costumes, props, etc, were ruined. Photos courtesy of Stowe Theatre Guild
Stowe Theatre Guild first announced the news on Facebook on Sunday, where it has been shared and viewed hundreds of times, leading to a huge response, from offers of assistance to costume donations to financial support.
"We have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of support. Thank you to all who have reached out and offered items and monetary donations," said Glenn Brown, president of the Stowe Theatre Guild board of directors.
The Springer-Miller family of Stowe has long been a supporter of Stowe Theatre Guild. In the wake of the fire, the Springer-Miller Family Foundation has announced a grant to match donations to Stowe Theatre Guild in order to boost the group's recovery efforts.
"We are eternally grateful to the Springer-Miller Family Foundation's offer to match financial donations up to $10,000," Brown said. "This extremely generous donation brings a bright light in such a dark and frustrating time in our organization."
Donations will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, for contributions received between the date of the fire and the start of the Stowe Theatre Guild season on June 12.
The fire did not affect Stowe Theatre Guild's performance space in the Town Hall Theater at 67 Main St. in Stowe. All four shows of the 2019 season will go on as planned with no changes to the lineup or schedule.
Because of the permanent loss of the storage space, Stowe Theatre Guild currently cannot accept physical donations such as costumes or lumber. These offers will be gratefully accepted once the theater company is able to take advantage of them.
The immediate focus is on monetary donations to take advantage of the generous matching grant. And any amount, including small donations, can be a help.
"Please donate any amount, as it will essentially double your donation just by doing so," Brown says.
Anyone wishing to donate may go online to www.stowetheatre.com or send mail to: Stowe Theatre Guild, P.O. Box 1381, Stowe, VT 05672.
Stowe Theatre Guild is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and donations can be tax deductible.
A few months later, and some of those set pieces and costumes would have been on stage in one of Stowe Theatre Guild's four 2019 shows. Because this fire happened before the start of the season, everything was still in storage.
Stowe Theatre Guild is facing a complex, developing situation — assessing losses, figuring out what can be saved, talking with insurance, planning for ways people can help, finding a new place for storage, and coordinating with show teams to provide what they need for the season. Board members, show teams and volunteers are now pulling together to rise from the ashes — both literally and figuratively — with scant time before "Godspell" opens on June 12.
The opening of the season on June 12 will also feature the official announcement of the total of the funds raised and the matching grant amount from the Springer-Miller Family Foundation.
An interior shot of the Stowe Theatre Guild storage space shows a collapsed ceiling and debris, with set building materials in the background. The platforms and flats were unsalvageable after being saturated by several inches of water, debris and fire-suppressant foam.