STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

The deco theater with its vertical sign opened on Aug. 15, 1938—not quite two years after Sun Valley Resort debuted as America’s first destination ski resort.

Its movies provided an escape for Wood River Valley residents during the Depression. Actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore were captivated by the homey small-town theatre enough to buy it in 1994. And, in 1996 it made the transition to a playhouse as Company of Fools brought to life such plays as “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Always, Patsy.”

Hailey’s Liberty Theatre has stood for 83 years as an icon in a valley that’s undergone tremendous change. And members of the new Liberty Theatre Company want to make sure it stands another 83 years as a community gathering place.

That’s why they’ve started a Relight the Liberty campaign to do the renovations necessary to allow to reopen the theatre so it can again take its place as a community hub.

The Liberty Theatre Company hopes to raise $1.7 million by March, 2022, in order to take possession of the theatre from the Sun Valley Museum of Art. About $1.2 million of those funds will go to put on a new roof, do some masonry work on the outer wall and address other structural problems caused by aging.

It would also be used to install an air filtration system to satisfy post-pandemic industry standards.

The other half-million dollars would provide an endowment to ensure ongoing upkeep of the building.

Additionally, the fledgling theater company hopes to raise $300,000 to cover the expenses of producing theater.

“All the artists have a passion for this building. We feel it’s home,” said Claudia McCain, who has starred in numerous plays in The Liberty, including “Steel Magnolias.” “If you go to a theater in New York, they all look like this—intimate space, comfortable seats, a warmth from their historic quality. This is an iconic building in Hailey—every picture you see of old Hailey features the Liberty Theatre in it.”

The original Liberty Theatre was built in the early 1900s across the street from the current theatre;  townspeople flocked there to see silent movies.

The current theater was built in 1938 on the site of an outdoor ice skating rink owned by architect Jack Rutter, who designed numerous buildings in town, including the Masonic Lodge.

The Liberty Theatre came a decade later than the 1920s, which were known as “the decade of the movie palace.” Because it was built during the Depression, it did not feel feature the elaborate look of the Egyptian Theatre in Boise, which boasted Egyptian motifs that came into fashion after the discovery of King Tut’s Tomb in 1922.

Instead, its plain style reflected a time when movies would have been an extravagance for many people and ostentatious decoration was minimized.

But, still, the 212-seat theatre boasts a certain elegance with a balcony and funky bathrooms that seem more like what you’d find in someone’s home. And what other theater can boast that Demi Moore selected its maroon colored curtains and acoustic panels?!

Actors Bruce Willis and Demi Moore bought the building in 1994 and Willis invited Denise Simone and Rusty Wilson to relocate their Company of Fools theatre troupe to the theatre in 1996. Willis even starred in Sam Shepard’s “True West” there in 2001

Over the years, The Liberty Theatre and Company of Fools brought a lot of people to the valley who ended up staying and making huge contributions to the fabric of the community. R. L. Rowsey, for instance, came with John Glenn, and has been the valley’s own Music Man, leading workshops for Sun Valley Music Festival, cheering on high school singing groups and directing Caritas Chorale and St. Thomas Playhouse musicals.

Joel Vilinsky came as a thespian and staked out a career as a teacher at the Sun Valley Community School. And librarian Aly Wepplo settled here after coming back again and again to star in plays, eventually marrying fellow actor David Janeski. 

“This has long been a source of entertainment and joy,” said McCain. “I remember seeing coming here to watch movies while I was in high school. I got a speeding ticket one day because I was in a hurry to make it to the movie in time.”

In 2016 Willis and Moore donated the theater to the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, which had merged with Company of Fools in 2013. The now-Sun Valley Museum of Arts unmerged with Company of Fools a couple years ago, deciding to concentrate on visual arts and education.

So far, The Liberty Theatre Company has garnered about 15 gifts, including a significant donation by the Sun Valley Museum of Arts. It hopes to have some fundraising dinners but those have been put on hold temporarily until the Omicron surge dies down.

Tess McKenna, a member of The Liberty Theatre Company, is adamant about the need to save the building. She sat in the balcony to watch “Peter and the Starcatcher” the first time she attended a play at The Liberty Theatre.

“I was blown away. I hadn’t laughter so hard, I hadn’t cried so hard. The building felt like home, and I hadn’t felt that before. My heart was broken when I had to leave to return home to Boise,” she said. “I love the intimacy of the building. When you’re on stage here, you have this wonderful connection with the audience.”

McCain concurred.

“I think back on all the people who have performed here—Kevin Wade was a little boy, and now he’s teaching theatre at Sun Valley Community School and acting with The Spot,” she said. “There are so many precious memories. We’ve got to continue this for future generations.”

WANT TO HELP?

Visit https://www.libertheatrecompany.org or call The Liberty Theatre Company’s Executive Director JD McDonnell at 208-582-8384.

The Liberty Theatre Company has partnered with the Spur Community Foundation to hold funds. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible.