‘Christmas Story’ program signed by ‘Ralphie’ being raffled off
Trending
BUCKHANNON -- A program for Buckhannon Community Theatre's presentation of the play "A Christmas Story" that has been autographed by the original 1983 movie's "Ralphie" is being raffled off as a fundraiser.
BCT's performances of "A Christmas Story" at the historic Colonial Arts Center were sold out, drawing more than 1,000 ticket buyers. The play's director, Dannie Stiles, attended the Steel City Con in Pittsburgh last weekend, and asked the "Christmas Story" cast members present to sign the program for charity.
The program was signed by not only Peter Billingsley, who played the beloved Ralphie Parker in the movie, but also by Ian Petrella, who played Ralphie's little brother Randy; Scott Schwartz, who played Flick; Zack Ward, who played Farkus; Yano Anaya, who played Grover; and R.D. Robb, who played Schwartz.
BCT is currently selling raffle tickets, and the winner will receive the signed program, along with a certificate of authenticity. The winner will be drawn on Dec. 23. Tickets can be purchased from any BCT board member.
"A Christmas Story" was one of several plays presented by BCT this year at the Colonial Arts Center, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024.
More than 1,400 people attended the BCT production of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Colonial Arts Center.
The BCT also presented "The Red Velvet Cake War" and its first dinner theater experience, "Death by Dessert."
The Colonial Art Center's art gallery opened in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic began, and by following guidelines and safety, it has continued to offer monthly exhibits, with a few breaks, officials said.
Currently, the Center is featuring a student exhibition during the holidays. The public is invited to come and see the work students have done in the classroom brought to life.
The Center's art gallery is always free and is always open on Fridays and Saturdays from 4-8 p.m.
The Colonial Arts Center is based in a theatre which had been vacant for many years, but has now been restored and will house two theaters, the Men in Black (MIB) art gallery as well as a creative space for students on the ground floor.
The building itself has been around since 1924. Garland West originally managed the building as the Colonial Theater, displaying films for all ages for over three decades (1930-1966). In the early 1970s, management transitioned to Gray Barker, a science fiction author who renamed the theatre Cinema V. Barker passed away in 1984, and the building was renovated into a bar shortly after.
The bar did not remain, and the building was closed. After nearly two decades, the City of Buckhannon realized the loss of this historic building would be the loss of a key element to Buckhannon's Downtown Historic District. In March of 2017, a town hall meeting was held to seek community input, and a decision was made for the building to be renovated into a space that would benefit the community.
A grant proposal was submitted to the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History in March 2017 for the first phase of renovations to begin. This grant cycle awarded the theatre project $102,000 for demolition and clean-up work, such as floor replacement, roof repair, and other necessary renovations. The project also received more than $5,500 from local art organizations.