clockwise from left: rania harris, of rania's catering on central Square, showed her support for the Denis theater project by catering the Denis theatre Foundation's fundraiser at the stunning Mt. Washington home of Steve herforth and peter Karlovich. volunteers have cleared much of the debris that filled the Denis lobby, but the remaining equipment will need to be replaced. Board member elaine Wertheim and volunteer Jennifer Smokelin greeted crowds at the last Saturday cinemas--free outdoor movies behind the theater on parse Way. George Mendel Gene Puskar "I Will the Balcony Reopen? later, the theater was in massive disrepair-- debris from the old marquee filled the lobby; a screening room had been vandalized; seats and screens were ripped, and there was water damage from a leaky roof. In addition, the HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as the projection equipment, were outdated or inoperable. For a nominal fee, Raja rented the building to The Denis Theatre Foundation, a grassroots organization with an ambitious $4.5 million plan to renovate and remodel the facility. Schematics initially included three theaters, a stage area for concerts and lectures, a café and meeting rooms that community groups could rent. Then the economy hit the skids. "We went back to the drawing board," say Kemerer, adding that Raja waived rent for seven months until the foundation could find its footing. The foundation hired A.L. Brourman Associates, a Pittsburgh fund-raising consulting firm, to study the feasibility of a capital campaign. The firm recommended that the foundation complete the project in two phases. Phase one: raise $2.5 million to purchase the building and renovate one of the theaters, the restrooms and concession area. Phase two: renovate the rest of the building. To raise the funds it needs for phase one, the foundation hosted six events last year in hopes of informing and inspiring potential f we don't save the Denis Theatre, there will never again be a movie theater in Mt. Lebanon's central business district," says Anne Kemerer. That may sound dramatic, but Kemerer should know--as executive director of the Denis Theatre Foundation she has spent the last two years reading about main street initiatives and talking to experts in commercial district management. Kemerer says that economic development studies show that three things--a theater, a book store and a grocery--are major contributors to the vitality of a main street. "A book store or grocery could move [onto Washington Road] with little work," Kemerer says, "but if [the Denis] is torn down, no one will ever build a new one." Enter the Denis Theatre Foundation, a nonprofit group whose mission is to purchase, renovate and reopen the Denis as an independent theater and community cultural center. Since 2008, the foundation has been hosting events and raising funds to bring back the once-grand theater. From cleaning the interior of debris to holding Last Saturday Cinema-- a summer movie series behind the theater on Parse Way--the foundation has been an active and visible presence in the community. The Denis Theatre was a Mt. Lebanon institution for 66 years, but in 2004 the theater closed. By the time Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Raja bought the property three years donors. Mt. Lebanon resident Carolyn Byham, a long-time supporter of the arts and the patron of downtown Pittsburgh's Byham Theater, hosted one at the Mt. Washington home of Peter Karlovich, a Mt. Lebanon native, and Steve Herforth. Byham and her husband, Bill, moved to Mt. Lebanon from New York City 40 years ago for the library, the sidewalks, the neighborhood and the schools, but she says the central business district quickly became another attraction for them. So when Kemerer approached her for help with the foundation, Byham immediately wrote a check and agreed to host a "cultivation party." She looks forward to a day when she can again see foreign films and movie classics just a short drive from home. "We go to the theater constantly, and I don't want to have to go to Squirrel Hill," she says. Byham adds that a theater would attract diners to the restaurants and draw young people to the community. "I think the Denis could be the real linchpin to [the business district]," she says. Uptown businesses owners obviously agree. Mt. Lebanon businesswoman Rania Harris catered and Il Pizzaiolo supplied the wine for the Mt. Washington event, and other businesses--from Bistro 19 to Molly Brannigans--have hosted foundation events. John Maggio, a Dormont councilman and the driving force behind the reopening of Hollywood Theatre on Potomac Avenue, says foot traffic has increased in the Dormont business district since the Hollywood reopened. "We had 217 people for the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday night, and many of them visited Tom's Diner afterwards." he said in November. "Dormont (bowling) Lanes has also seen an increase in business on the Saturday nights when we show The Big Lebowski. Small communities need to start looking at their business district as a mall--your theater can become your anchor." 20 mtl ·january/february 2010