Group launches GoFundMe page to rebuild Shakespeare Theatre

Katie Rooney, of the Mighty Quinn Foundation, hopes to raise money to build a new theater.

News 12 Staff

Jan 15, 2019, 10:36 PM

Updated 2,156 days ago

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The future of the property where the Shakespeare Theatre once stood is unknown, but one group is hoping to revitalize the arts in Stratford.
Two days ago the Shakespeare Theatre burned to the ground. Stratford town officials are still waiting to learn what caused the fire.
The theater had not been in use since the early 1980s, but had remained a community landmark.
Katie Rooney, of the Mighty Quinn Foundation, lives next door to the theatre and was there when the fire happened.
"We actually watched it while it was happening," says Rooney. "We were just devastated."
Rooney has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the development of a new theater on the property. She hopes to revitalize the arts in Stratford.
Town officials declined to comment on the idea of a new theater being built. The state deeded the property to the town in 2005, so the future of the site must be decided by the town council.
The town's deed says the property can only be used for entertainment purposes.
The Shakespeare Academy, a program of the Mighty Quinn Foundation, says it plans to have outdoor performances on the property this summer.