BURRILLVILLE – The iconic waterfall known as Harrisville Mill Pond Dam is undergoing changes, as is its neighbor, another icon, the Assembly Theatre. The construction at the dam is partly due to threatening sinkholes, and the new stage project at the theater will perhaps also showcase plenty of drama.
“The board is excited about the project,” said Donald Fox, chairman of the Board of Administration, as well as of the Burrillville Town Council, about the theater’s new stage.
Fox noted that town benefactor himself Austin T. Levy once played his piano on the stage that greeted patrons until recently, built in the 1930s.
“The stage will be yet another in a line of upgrades to the building that will bring it in line with other area theaters that have more modern amenities,” said Fox.
The project inside 26 East Ave. started on Monday, Sept. 8 and was completed on September 22. It was funded through a $20,000 grant from the Levy Foundation, with the balance of $8,313 allocated from the town’s CIP funds.
“Our CIP funds are derived from the town each year, which come from the town’s tax agreement with the Ocean State Power,” explained Fox.
Ace Wood Flooring of Smithfield was the contractor.
“The building is phenomenal, very old,” said Bobby Pascale, facility manager of the theater. “Up in the attic rafters, the way it was made is really spectacular.”
“We’ve painted the outside and inside; we did the floor again, removed the old hardwood floor, put in the new oak floor, painted the stage black,” said Pascale, reflecting on the recent changes.
Constructed during the Art Deco style era nearly a hundred years ago, in 1934, the Assembly Theatre was built by philanthropist Levy. Mill owner Levy and wife June Rockwell Levy donated the theater to Burrillville for arts entertainment. Levy established a Board of Administration to manage the theater, along with several other buildings he donated to the town of Burrillville including the current Town Hall, the town Annex and the American Legion Hall.
The 354-seat venue has been used historically as a community space, a movie theater and of course, a space for live performances, and has seen something of a revitalization in recent years, with upgrades and a full schedule of ongoing performances.
Last week, Pascale took a moment from his early morning duties to show the new stage. He lauded “the foresight Mr Levy had to build this.”
Fortunately as construction continues at the adjacent waterfall, the new stage will likely have a long life, continuing a Burrillville tradition of the Levys, who first brought theater to the public.
