'And that’s how we got the Barrow theatre'

​It was a double-duty birthday party Wednesday night at the Barrow-Civic Theatre.

The popular community theatre is marking three decades of shows on Liberty Street in Franklin with a series of special events throughout the year.

​But on Wednesday, they shared the spotlight with board member Mary Ann Richardson, who turned 90.

“Over the last 30 years, a lot of what we have here (is because of Richardson),” theatre executive director Zachary Covington said to the sizable crowd of local businesspeople gathered in the lobby for a celebration co-hosted by four area chambers.

“I love to tell my story,” Richardson said to the group before giving a summary of the history of the theatre and its owner – the Franklin Civic Operetta Association. Richardson traced it back to 1958 when five men and two women, whom she called the “Magnificent Seven”, started a Franklin-based performance group.

Their original production space was a cement slab along Route 8 behind the refinery. “That was our first stage,” she said before recalling how the mosquitoes off the Allegheny River chased them away after only a few shows. “I had the privilege of being in the first two shows,” she said.

The group then moved to a red barn on Route 322. They constructed a stage and borrowed 200 chairs from the local funeral homes. “We built a working theatre,” Richardson said of their effort in the early 1960s.

From there they did summer shows at Franklin High School, the Franklin Club, Rocky Grove High School, “just wherever we could find a stage to perform on,” she said. “Our goal as a board of directors was to have our own theatre.”

In the 1980s the group received the financial boost needed to make that dream a reality. Former Franklin resident Charles Barrow, after talking with Richardson and a few other folks from his hometown, donated $1,750,000 in stocks and bonds to the FCOA. Through that donation and the hard work of theatre volunteers, the building at 1223 Liberty Street was transformed from a space with a leaky roof and a lack of chairs to a full-scale, 497-seat theatre.  

“What you see is a beautiful, beautiful state-of-the-art theatre in beautiful downtown Franklin,” Richardson said of her surroundings.

“And that’s how we got the Barrow theatre,” she closed out her initial remarks.

Covington shared his Barrow story as well.

He first saw a show there in 1995, two years after its opening. In 1997, he auditioned to participate in his first production. “I’ve been involved here… ever since,” he said. “During all that time, I continued to perform here because I felt welcome… creative… safe and… important.” Covington estimates that over the years thousands of children, youth and adults have experienced the same, which is the secret to their success.

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Among them are general manager Kristy Moore’s daughters. They caught the theatre bug well before Moore accepted a job with the theatre about a year ago.

“We are very excited about everything we have planned,” Moore said of the 2023 season. “There is a bunch of things we have been working on since we reopened (after COVID).” Partnership is one of the biggest focuses. In 2022, they held business collaborations in connection with shows, partnered with the school district on a mural project, participated in community events, hosted a Remake Learning Day and took some of their performances to outside locations.

In 2023, they aim to “continue to work with the fantastic community we have,” Moore said.

They also hope to raise money for the reconstruction of their hardwood main stage. Done earlier this year, it was the first rebuild of the performance space since the theatre opened and it was a much-needed improvement,

​Covington said. Now they have to gather the funds to pay for it.

“We are beginning our ‘Replace the Stage’ campaign,” he said. The theatre is accepting donations directly to the stage fund or people can give toward the Mary Ann Richardson Endowment Fund.

The endowment was started in 2019 by Dr. Stephen Cenedella in honor of the FCOA’s longest-running board member, a member who plans to stay on for life.
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The FCOA board of directors recently voted Richardson a member emeritus. She has already served 63 years with the group.

​“So now I’m on the board until I die,” she said proudly before being gifted a large birthday cake and a hardy round of “Happy Birthday.” ​​​

Get your seats
The Barrow-Civic Theatre 2023 schedule includes three more main-stage performances and a mixture of other theatre options.

The FCOA schedule includes “Cinderella” from June 30 to July 9, “School of Rock” from September 29 to October 7, and Cabaret from November 2 to 5.
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An Off-Barrow production of “Harvey” will be done in the Little Theatre on August 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The 30th anniversary concert of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will be held August 11, 12, 19 and 20.

The Red Eye Theatre Project will be held Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
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There will also be concerts by the Venango Chamber Orchestra on May 21 and  October 22, and by the Franklin Silver Cornet on November 24.

There will be theatre-related classes, youth theatre opportunities, and other concerts.

​Find out more about all the events and how to purchase tickets at www.barrowtheatre.org.