About Us:
The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts opened in October 2002 for the purpose of bringing high quality professional entertainment to Smithtown and the surrounding community and providing educational opportunities to the children of Long Island. Throughout the first five and one half years over 1500 performances consisting of approximately 80 different presentations have graced the stage. Over 250,000 patrons have passed through our doors.
The journey began in 1999 with the circulation of a town-wide petition to “Save the Theatre”. Over 8,000 residents of Smithtown signed this petition. Inspired by this momentous desire of the community to rescue this historic 76 year old structure in Downtown Smithtown, my wife and I scraped together all our resources and energy and restored and renovated the movie house where so many memories were made. Our life long ambition of creating a first class performing arts facility was now a dream in reach. We are truly grateful to all our patrons for their support of us through the infancy of the second life we have afforded this glorious building.
As we examine the first five years and look forward we have realized that in order for this dream to be fully realized and for this building to live another 76 years we must look beyond our own personal capabilities.
On February 25, 2008 we executed the transfer of operations of Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts to Smithtown Performing Arts Council, Inc. a Not-For-Profit organization. This action, which began in 2006, has occurred with many goals in mind. The primary purpose of this action is to create a coalition in the community bound by the desire to see the performing arts always be available in Downtown Smithtown and to see this historic building always remain as a centerpiece to the landscape of the Smithtown Community and Long Island.
Smithtown Performing Arts Council, Inc. will continue to run the operations of Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts as you have come to expect. Laura and I will continue as Managers guiding and answering to the newly formed Board of Directors. This Board recognizes the multitude of roles Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts plays in our community. It is the hope that this move to Not-For-Profit will allow us to secure additional resources that will allow us to be more successful in realizing these responsibilities to the fullest extent. As we evolve we will be presenting to you specifics on these goals and how we feel we can best achieve them.
