The Princess Reclaimed

By admin • October 2, 2008

The historic Princess Theater at 101 W. Monroe Street in Mt. Ayr, Iowa reopened on Aug. 21 after spending years as a bar and storage space for plumbing supplies. Opening night featured old time events and the live production of Farmer’s Song-The Musical, written by Angie Hynek and her son Joe Hyneck. Set during the farm crisis of the 1980s, the musical revolves around a farm family living in small town Ellston, Iowa who come up with a creative way to make a living off their land.

The theater is a historic landmark for the community and having it open again “preserves the whole town square atmosphere,” said Angie Hynek, community member and co-writer of the grand opening play that will be staged for the event.

Three years ago, the theatre underwent extensive renovation that touched just about everything from top to bottom. With help from the Dekko Foundation and community support, about $370,000 was raised for the project, which was headed by the Princess Theater Troupe.

“We got innovative and even added a movie viewing screen that can be moved out of the way for live productions,” said Pam Poore, Moonlighters Theatre Group president and board member for the Princess Theater Troupe. The theatre is now able to host both movies and plays.