Next Round Of Renovations Underway At Bucks County Playhouse
NEW HOPE, Pa. (CBS) -- Five years ago the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope was sitting empty, its future uncertain.
It was brought back to life, and today starts the next round of renovations on the theater that's played host to such names as Robert Redford and Grace Kelly.
Venture capitalist Kevin Daugherty bought the Bucks County Playhouse in auction after the bank holding the mortgage shut it down.
"I learned in 2011, that theaters lose money so you need to find ancillary sources of revenue to help support them."
This latest renovation adds a 3,000 square foot café and bar on the waterfront at the rear of the former mill building, while also expanding the lobby.
All helping, Daugherty says, to fulfill their vision of making the theater self-sufficient.
"With the addition of the deck back here, we're going to have much greater capacity for food and drink service and also an adjunct lobby."
Playhouse Producing director Alexander Fraser says, "It's going to allow us to do after-show cabaret and audience talk-backs, it's going to be a great expansion for us."