MARBLEHEAD — The Marblehead Little Theatre is hoping for a lift, with your help.
As part of long-term plans for its home, the converted School Street firehouse, the theater is in the midst of a fundraiser designed to put an elevator in the historic structure. The group hopes to raise between $150,000 and $170,000, said theater vice president Doug Hill.
The elevator will bring the building in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The personal generosity of the group's board might make this a lot easier.
"The board of trustees will match anything we raise," said Hill, "up to $100,000."
Additionally, the Little Theatre recently received a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for $60,000. Its fundraising, which began in June, has already collected about $15,000 from townspeople.
The amateur theater group has been in operation for more than half a century. It took over the School Street building in 1999 and has gotten maximum use from it. Small plays are produced there and the ground floor accommodates an audience of 100.
School groups use it, movies are shown on Fridays "and we get about 30 people," said Hill. Salem State College — its own theater currently under renovation — hopes to perform there in the coming months.
At the same time, the Little Theatre will continue to mount large musical productions at the middle school's spacious performing arts center.
Meanwhile, with the addition of the elevator, Little Theatre members hope to make use of the second floor for drama classes. Hill made a pitch for donations during a recent visit to the selectmen's meeting.
Selectman Judy Jacobi praised the professionalism of the performances. For more information, see the group's Web site, www.m-l-t.org.
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