As the future of the Westbury Theatre hangs in the balance, owner Corrine Straehle remains firm in her vision for the controversial, historic building.

In a recent interview with The Westbury Times, Straehle outlined her idea for converting the building into a performing arts theater featuring Broadway road shows, and the funding plan she has organized to make this a reality. Last month, the Village of Westbury shut down the twin movie theater operations at the site, and posted signs prohibiting the public to enter the building, citing safety code violations. Straehle, who in recent years had operated the movie house while trying to get support for her performing arts theater plan, has not been dissuaded by the village's move.

According to Straehle, the design of the Westbury Theatre, located at 250 Post Avenue and built in 1927, is authentically copied from a theater contained in a medieval castle in Penshurst, London. That theater, whose architect is unknown, was built in the 1300s, is still standing, and bears a remarkable resemblance to the Westbury Theatre, she noted. The architect of the Westbury Theatre, Douglas Pairman Hall, hails from Scotland, and studied at the London School of Architecture.

"There is not another Shakespeare-type theater anywhere in the country. And this is right here on Post Avenue," Straehle said. "This is important."

Straehle also said there is evidence that canvass paintings featured in the Westbury Theatre are the work of the famous Hungarian artist Willy Pogany, who did theater paintings in 1927 and who painted the Children's Hospital Murals in Glen Cove. "Is this major? Will this bring prosperity to this village? Yes," she commented.

Straehle believes that the theater could be turned into a major, national tourist attraction through a restoration project that would reveal its original medieval architectural features, which are still intact behind exterior siding, and interior movie screens. In fact, she said, the theater has a stage, dressing rooms and great acoustics. The performing arts theater would serve as a stop on the national road show circuit of Broadway musical reproductions. Straehle is currently seeking a major corporate sponsor to donate $200,000 in start-up funds to initiate the restoration project. "I've diligently attempted to get funding, and am very close to it," she commented.

That seed money would pay for architects, engineers and Broadway theater experts to come in and devise a plan for the entire restoration, which Straehle estimates could cost $30 million and take three months to complete. The $30 million would be raised under the auspices of the Long Island Performing Arts Theatre (LIPAT), a non-profit corporation created by Straehle to establish the theater. Her plan is to ask 300,000 influential people from across the metropolitan area to contribute $100, thus becoming a part of LIPAT's "C-Note Chorus" of recognized donors. "I really believe that the money has to come from people who are high-minded," she said, noting that the logo of LIPAT is "Prosperity through culture and history." So far, she said, more than 100 local community members have already expressed support for that large-scale fund-raising plan, by making individual $100 donations.

Straehle believes the live performing arts theater will be realized, and will be comparable to such other restored Broadway roadshow theaters as the Egyptian Theatre in DeKalb, Illinois, the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Texas, the Paramount in Anderson, Indiana, and the Palace Theatre in Canton, Ohio. According to Straehle, all of these theaters were restored by Conrad Schmitt Studios, Inc., a New Berlin, Wisconsin company which has expressed interest in restoring the Westbury Theatre. Like those theaters, Straehle said the Broadway roadshow theater in Westbury would be a destination point for tourists from throughout the country. Further, she said, it would not only help revitalize Post Avenue, but bring prosperity to all of Long Island. "It will bring economic prosperity, not only to Westbury," she said. Straehle noted that proposals from parties wishing to buy the building from her have ranged from a plan to convert it into a seven-plex movie theater, to a plan to demolish it and develop condominiums. However, she said, "It's obvious that we should save an historic building in the middle of the community."

For further information on LIPAT and Straehle's vision for the Westbury Theatre, one may call (516) 338-4300.