NEARLY A CENTURY OF AWARD-
WINNING ENTERTAINMENT
O
pened nearly 100 years ago in 1925
by founder L.L. Drake, the Ansonia
Theatre is now home to an award
winning and dedicated group of actors,
artisans, craftspeople, and musicians. This
all due to the efforts of the Anson County
Arts Council (ACAC).
The ACAC is a nonprofit organization
that partners that owns and operates both
the Ansonia Theatre as well as the Drake
Gallery, which is named after Ansonia
founder, L.L. Drake. They also work in
conjunction with Anson Co. Partnership for
Children and help with Week of the Young
Child.
Originally a vaudeville theatre, the Ansonia
would later show motion pictures. The
theatre would eventually fall into the hands
of the Poulnott family who would later
donate it to the ACAC on the condition they
pay off the existing mortgage.
Renovations to the theatre would stop and
start, mainly due to money. A major turning
point in the renovation process happened
when the ACAC applied for and received a
72 • PROGRESS 2020
grant from the Golden LEAF
Foundation and was awarded
$175,000.
The Ansonia sports original
seats and curtains which have
been refurbished by material
donated by Hornwood, Inc.
The flooring was donated
by CMH Flooring. “We can
say it’s truly a community
theatre because the majority
of the money came from either individuals,
businesses, or foundations local to Anson
County,” said Capell.
David Ariel, from Rockingham, would
direct the first play, A Christmas Carol,
at the newly renovated Ansonia. Union
County native Tommy Wooten would
come to see a show at the Ansonia in 2013.
He was impressed by the production and
informed the ACAC he would like to direct
a play for them. He's been directing plays at
the Ansonia Theatre ever since. “I just love
telling stories and taking people out of their
normal, everyday life and taking them to a
new place right here, in their own backyard,”
said Wooten.
The Ansonia has since won numerous
Metrolina Theatre Association awards
including Outstanding Lead Actor-Female,
Outstanding Production, Outstanding
Supporting Actor, Outstanding Director,
and Theatre Company of the Year.
“It’s amazing the amount of pride every
single person that’s involved, from
Roe Boothby, our Treasurer, to Chuck
Williamson and Marshall Ray, who works
on the sets, to Mike Phillips, who does all
the artwork – everybody is proud to be a
part of what we have going on,” said ACAC
Director Beth Davis Traywick.