If all goes well, construction on The Legacy Theatre in the Stony Creek section of Branford will start up within the next couple of months, says artistic director Keely Baisden Knudsen.

And, so far, she says, all is going well.

After a generous $1.2 million donation last year from Stephanie Stiefel Williams and her husband Luke Williams of Guilford, co-chairs of the capital campaign who serve on the Legacy’s board of directors, the theater has received other donations that put it at the $1,705,706 mark towards its $4.2 million campaign goal. In the meantime, Webster Bank has provided a $2 million bridge loan. As soon as final approval is received from the State Historic Preservation Office, which is expected soon, the theater will seek a building permit from the town.

“And that’s when the clock starts on the building,” Knudsen says. “Everybody is keyed up and ready to fast-track it.”

The goal is to finish construction within about 10 ½ months or less, she says. Designs have been prepared by Leonard Wyeth of Chester-based Wyeth Architects.

Past, Present, Future

In the meantime, Legacy is offering its productions and programs at the Stony Creek Museum, 84 Thimble Island Road, Branford and the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library, at 146 Thimble Island Road, both in the same neighborhood as the historic building being renovated into the theater’s home at 128 Thimble Island Road.

The building’s past—as a silent movie house, the home of a community theater group, an arts venue, and a puppet performance center—is playing a role in this season’s productions at the museum, which include The Wicked Stage on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 (based on events that took place in the theater); Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18 (which was produced at the theater in 1930); Merrily We Roll Along, Thursday through Saturday, June 6 through June 8 (based on a play performed there in 1936); Stars, Stripes and Quarries, Thursday through Saturday, July 11 through July 13 (celebrating the village of Stony Creek); and Past, Present, Future, Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 1 through Aug. 3 (which includes snippets from scenes of past plays and scenes and numbers from upcoming seasons). Following the final production, the plan is to offer tours of the Stony Creek Theatre as it’s being renovated.

Also this season, Theater Manager Jeremy Funke is offering a “Behind the Curtain” series of discussions at the library, which will conclude with a talk about Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett on Saturday, May 25. Also this summer, there will be an exhibit at the library with an opening on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. The exhibit is scheduled to run through Labor Day.

Memories, Stories, Suggestions Sought

Since the new theater, including the tech booth, will be entirely accessible, Legacy is reaching out to a theater company consisting of children and adults who use wheelchairs, along with their siblings and families.

“In our meditating on the ways we can best serve our community, we decided to look into that. We have the resources to do that as a theater, and so we are going to do that,” Knudsen says.

There also is a collaboration with Long Wharf in the works, and Legacy is planning a free production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as part of Branford’s 375th Anniversary Celebration Tuesday, July 2 through Saturday, July 6.

“We are so glad to be able to celebrate this in the hometown where we will be living,” she says.

And classes for children in 3rd through 5th grade will be starting up in April through May, with details to be posted soon to Legacy’s website.

The productions so far this year have been “awesome,” says Knudsen, and it’s been exciting picking out the seats, tiles, and theater curtain.

“The audiences are loving the productions and we are having the time of our lives,” she says. “This is a great time for Legacy. Everything is going so well.”

While all of this is going on, Knudsen says she wants to hear from people in the community about what they want, and about whether they have any memories or stories they would like to share about the theater.

“I want to hear from people. I do,” she says. “Thoughts. Or good memories. And I love to hear people’s suggestions.”

Knudsen can be reached at info@LegacyTheatreCT.org or by calling 203-208-5504. More information about the theater or how to donate to the campaign can be found at hwww.legacytheatrect.org.