Crandell Theater in Chatham to reopen in July

posted by CSWalczak on June 23, 2010 at 10:45 am

CHATHAM, NY — Closed since its owner, Anthony Quirino, died in January, the 1926 Crandell Theater will reopen and be operated by the Chatham Film Club, a not-for-profit group. The group was mentored by Mr. Quirino. Two local restauranteurs acquired the theater and then gave the the theater to the film club.

See, the Chatham Film Club was supposed to take over the Crandell. Quirino had planned for years to sell the theater to the group, which last year launched a fundraising campaign for the purchase and a subsequent renovation. Ready to retire, Quirino was even teaching the club’s members about the theater business — and about all those Crandell quirks and crannies.

“When he died suddenly, we were not yet at the point where we had negotiated a purchase agreement with him,” said Sandi Knakal, president of the club, which runs an annual film festival at the Crandell. “We were in limbo at that point.”

Say goodbye to the limbo: The film club is hoping to open the 530-seat theater on July 9.

Read the full story in the Times Union.

Theaters in this post

• Crandell Theatre