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THE THEATRE THAT WAS MEANT TO BE
Iron Horse Theatre fulfills a dream for
Moon drama teacher London Cain .
BY PAMELA PALONGUE
Sometimes things just come together in such a magical way , it ’ s as if they were just meant to be . The story of the Iron Horse Theatre Company is a little like that .
Drama teacher London Cain is a great believer in community theater and its ability to bring people together in a meaningful way .
When he was living in California he participated in community theater in Sacramento , San Luis Obispo , and other areas . So when the Drama Club at the Moon Area Middle School ended , he just decided to start one off campus for students to continue participating . He understood how important performing can be for increasing kids ’ confidence .
Cain had purchased a building at 348 Maplewood Avenue in Ambridge that was a complete train wreck ! But he knew the building would be useful for storing costumes and props , and with some renovations , could be a great place for the kids to rehearse plays .
Around this same time , he happened upon a book in a store called “ Rust Belt Boy : Stories of an American Childhood ” by Paul Hertneky . The book details much of the unique history of Ambridge and was a heartfelt look at the author ’ s childhood , growing up at a time when the city was in its heyday and then its eventual decline as the steel mills were closed .
The book inspired Cain to think of his building in a new way , as he had never considered that it could be used as a theater . Now it seemed the only thing to do .
He set up a nonprofit , but no one really wanted to donate any money to something they couldn ’ t see . So without any carpentry experience , he began knocking out walls and clearing away debris . Unfortunately ,
Jeremy Ernstoff and Charles Timbers in “ The Whipping Man .”
Carpenter Doug May constructing the stage .
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