CLIFTON FORGE - The lights are on, but no one's home.
At the Historic Masonic Theatre in Clifton Forge they're working hard to put hometown people in the empty seats.
It was once a stage for the likes of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and Tex Ritter and now it sits empty and cold in the off season.
John Hillert is helping lead the effort to breathe life back into this once iconic theatre.
“We're trying to make this much more than just a performing and a movie venue, it's also going to be a community venue where folks can come in from all over,” explained Hillert, President of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation.
Hillert shows us the preliminary sketches of the upcoming changes, and by upcoming he means very soon.
“We have a very aggressive time line. We have set 11-11-11 as our target date for completion of this whole project,” Hillert said.
To turn the place into the gem it once was, it's going to take a lot of money, maybe upwards of $5 million, but where that money comes from, they're really not sure yet.
“We're doing a ton of grant writing, we're going to do some local fundraising, obviously. I think we almost have to tap into every source that we can come up with,” he explained.
Hillert says recent studies show this make-over is a focal point for the area.
“I think part of it is if you look historically at other communities those that have redone their theatre, particularly smaller communities it's become a focal point and it's become a catalyst for other kinds of things happening.”
Once the theatre is remodeled they hope to tie some of the activities into the town's rich railroad history.
The theatre will celebrate its 105th birthday July 4th.
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