AUGUST 19, 2021
BY JOHN TOWNES
With a recent change of ownership, a long-stalled redevelopment project in downtown Adams is now making forward progress.
On May 12, the vacant Adams Theater at 27 Park St. in downtown Adams was purchased for $189,000 by Adams Theater LLC, a venture founded by Yina Moore, an architect who divides her time between the northern Berkshires and the New York City area.
Moore’s plan is to renovate and operate the theater as a performing arts center. While she emphasized that the exact timetable will depend on many factors, her goal is to open the theater by next summer.
Coincidentally, the sale of the theater closed on the same day that the town of Adams was notified it had received a $6.5 million grant for the development of the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center, an important step in the town’s overall plans for the 1,063-acre Greylock Glen property
...
< Please click title to read the full article. >
SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
BY TAMMY DANIELS
Business leaders at the three largest communities in North County had a similar message for state officials: There's lots of opportunities but the pandemic and other conditions are making it hard to find workers and raising costs for materials and supplies, and that infrastructure, including quality housing, is lacking.
...
In Adams, the roundtable was held in the empty Adams Theater that Yina Moore, an architect and designer, purchased with plans to rehabilitate.
"From an arts and cultural perspective, I think we see tremendous opportunities, and also the challenges that comes with it," she said. "The amount of creative professionals that are moving into this area of the country is mind boggling."
...
< Please click title to read the full article. >
OCTOBER 30, 2021
BY BRIAN RHODES
ADAMS, Mass. — The haunting of Adams Theater begins on Halloween night with "Bones of the Adams Theater" from 4 to 8 p.m.
The theater space will play host to Halloween-themed pieces created by a dozen artists. Adams Theater is also working with Lions Club's Halloween Parade to allow parade-goers to see the exhibit without leaving the parade route.
...
Wheaton said he is going to use archived footage of Adams throughout its history for his projection. He and Moore wanted to have something that connected closely with the town in the exhibit.
"The sense was that we could both illuminate the older people on some new technology and then remind some of the young folks about the history of the place because it has an incredible history," Wheaton said. "I think a lot of towns around get a certain amount of publicity, and Adams has a lot to say in its praise."
...
< Please click title to read the full article. >
OCTOBER 26, 2021
BY JEANNIE MASCHINO
The public is invited to a one-time-only opportunity to walk through the skeletons of the Adams Theater before it closes down for renovation in the winter.
Working with a group of artists led by Joe Wheaton, Adams Theater will unveil "Bones of the Adams Theater," its first immersive projection experience, from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31. The Halloween event is co-hosted by the Adams Lions Club.
From 4 to 4:30 p.m., local children will walk through the theater as a part of the Lions Club's Halloween Parade, and from 4:30 to 8 p.m., the theater will be open to the public with free popcorn and hot dogs.
< Please click title to read the full article. >
JUNE 15, 2021
BY MATT RISTAINO
ADAMS, Mass. - The old Adams Theater on Park Street has sat empty since the 1960s, but new owner Yina Moore has a vision to restore it to a performance venue highlighting the region’s creative talents.
“We can talk to the dancers about what their needs are,” said Moore. “What are the needs for theater professionals? What are the needs for musicians? Because they’re all different, and then how can we create a flexible space that takes these into consideration.”
Moore, who has a background in architecture, bought the theater earlier this year, and has been sharing renderings of the project on social media to get feedback from the public.
The first step will be to reopen the attached storefront, which, most recently, was a Subway sandwich shop. Later this month, they’ll be knocking down an interior wall to connect the two parts of the store, creating a spacious lobby for the theater.
...
< Please click title to read the full article. >
MAY18, 2021
BY LARRY PARNASS
ADAMS — For more than a decade, the two artists who saved an Adams theater from foreclosure invested money, won grants and tried to make the numbers work for their Topia Arts Center.
Today, the dream of shaping a vibrant downtown performing arts center goes by the name Adams Theater LLC, which bought the 27 Park St. property last week for $189,000, less than half its original asking price.
Yina Moore, its founder and executive director, plans to spend three to six months renovating, with bold streetfront changes meant to give the theater greater visibility and win back a public following. Moore links her vision with what Marianna Simopoulos and Caryn Heilman attempted to create with Topia.
“We have some very similar things that we wanted,” she said Tuesday. “They kind of passed the baton to me. I felt I might be able to push it forward.”
...
< Please click title to read the full article. >
