Catskill Mountain Foundation

H3 was engaged to reconfigure the Orpheum Theater in Tannersville, NY into a multipurpose performing arts center for the Catskill Mountain Foundation (CMF). CMF is committed to presenting a wide array of arts programming in the villages of Hunter and Tannersville and the town of Windham to benefit the communities of Greene County and the Northern Catskill Region. CMF presents quality entertainment year round, with performances of classical, folk and rock music, dance, poetry readings, story telling sessions, and film presentations.

The proposed renovation would create a 300 seat multipurpose hall with a stage and wingspace large enough for the presentation of drama in a proscenium format, dance and film. Wrapping the front and east facades is a full-height trellis composed of steel framing and sustainably managed ipe hardwood. Internal lighting and signage transforms the façade into a welcoming presence as visitors arrive to the theater along Route 23A. A phased addition to the west will provide additional front-of-house space, offices, restrooms, back-of-house space and service access. The new theater would have a steeper rake at the rear similar to stadium seating. This is desirable for theater intimacy and excellent sightlines, particularly for dance, where viewing foot patterns on the stage floor is critical to the experience.

In 2022, in support of a grant proposal to New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, H3 prepared an expansion scheme for a studio and rehearsal building opposite the theater. With additional funding from NYSERDA, the building is intended to be a demonstration project for energy efficiency, with insulated concrete form construction, high performance glazing and photo-voltaic solar panels. The building will provide a new home for CMF’s Orpheum Dance Program, which partners with dance residencies for the Joyce Theater Foundation, Works & Process at the Guggenheim, and the National Dance Institute. The studios will also provide rehearsal space for the Maude Adams Theater Hub, a community theater initiative aligning young talent with performance opportunities.