A project is underway to boost the image of a live theatre in Belleville’s downtown.
The plan to make Pinnacle Playhouse more noticeable to the public involves installing a large marquee on the front of the building on Pinnacle Street.
The Belleville Theatre Guild presented the idea to the city and won its approval.
It also won the support of the Parrot Foundation and other donors to help meet the cost.
That cost is expected to be about $37,000.
Marvin Tucker of the Theatre Guild tells Quinte News the marquee is being positioned ten feet out from the front of the building and 25 feet across.
“So it’ll incorporate changeable letters, graphics down the side. This is the first phase of a project to address this issue. There will be special lighting as well.”
Tucker adds, “A digital display sign in full colour will be installed on the north facing wall of the building. But for now what we see up there is the steel structure which will support the signage. The installation is just finished on that and within two or three weeks we’ll probably be seeing the sign installed and we’ll have the changeable letters.”
Tucker explained that a few years ago “the Theatre Guild’s Board of Directors felt that our building was lacking something and we heard too many times people say, oh the theatre, the Pinnacle Playhouse. People just didn’t seem to recognize it and we thought it would be a good idea for us to raise our profile in the neighbourhood.”
He expects the installation will be completed in May with hopes of some theatre activity later this year.