By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph | Apr 4, 2021

Renaissance-theater-mercer-street-princeton
The Renaissance Theater is seen here at its location on Mercer Street in Princeton.

PRINCETON — Renovations to the Princeton Renaissance Theater are set to begin again soon with a goal to open its doors to the public in 2021.

Carin Prescott, who was recently hired as the development director for Community Connections, Inc., is spearheading the project, according to Greg Puckett, Executive Director of Community Connections, Inc.

“We are ecstatic to welcome back Carin to her hometown,” Puckett said. “There was somewhat of a serendipitous moment when she said she was coming home, and it sparked a new movement to complete a project that has sat idle for some time. With the new team and an expanded vision of the original concept, I’m blessed beyond measure to watch this vision for so many become a reality!”

With 15 years of nonprofit experience and a background in fundraising, Prescott is excited to be leading the efforts to bring the theater to life and make it a space for the entire community to enjoy, Puckett stated.

“Princeton is my hometown, and I’m utilizing my knowledge of nonprofit fundraising to help build something really special here,” Prescott said. “It’s great to see the downtown area thriving, and this theater will continue to boost those efforts.”

The Renaissance Theater’s website www.prtheater.org launched April 3 and highlights the vision for the theater, the building’s history, and ways for the community to support the project, Puckett said. The theater’s mission statement appears on the homepage — “To enrich the community with unique and memorable experiences of film and performing arts by serving as a cultural and educational resource for all.”

An advisory board for the theater was formed in February and is comprised of community leaders dedicated to the theater’s success. Members are Vicki Bridges, Trevor Darago, Dreama Denver, Valerie Hendricks, Rita Montrosse, Adam Sarver, and Bob Spencer.

The Princeton Renaissance Theater was purchased by Community Connections, Inc. in 2013 as part of its mission to build strong communities. The renovation process moved forward for several years and included the removal of much of the dilapidated features and building all the framing for the new design. When complete, the theater’s main focus will be to show movies and host performance arts events and also include a black box theater for smaller shows, a museum dedicated to the late Bob Denver, and a satellite station for Little Buddy Radio.

Actor Bob Denver is well-known for playing the title role in the television show “Gilligan’s Island.”

“We are going to have a Bob Denver museum,” Dreama Denver said. “I’m coming up with as many pieces of memorabilia from the show as I can.”

She said that she was excited about the radio station coming to the theater.

“It’s going to be like a Little Buddy Radio inside the Bob Denver Museum, inside the theater,” she said. Plans for the satellite studio include live broadcasts.

‘We are so excited because it’s a great opportunity to add something that will bring more entertainment to downtown,” she said.

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— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com