The Maplewood Barn Theatre put on its first live show on Thursday evening in a newly rebuilt barn. Their previous barn was destroyed by fire in April 2010. The first show on their outdoor stage is “Fiddler on the roof,” the opening show of the group’s 2012 season. The president of the board of directors, Michael Scott, says performances continued for the past two years, even without the barn.
“I guess in 2010, it was described as the phoenix rising from the ashes. I never felt that makes sense to me. The barn came back, but the theatre never left. Maplewood Barn Theatre never stopped. During the change, we rebuilt the barn, and now we have our home back,” said Scott.
Scott says donations from individuals, local banks and the theater group itself helped fund reconstruction of the old barn. But Columbia taxpayers contributed to the biggest part of the funding: $200,000 through the park sales tax. The new barn preserves its historic look, and will host four shows in the 2012 summer season..