Management is now a family affair

By Leila Javitch

There is much activity on Route 44 in the heart of Norfolk these days, as the former Greenwoods Theater prepares for its new life as Infinity Hall and the Apple House Cafe.

New owner, Dan Hincks, purchased the theater last February, but couldn’t take physical ownership of the building until July due to a legal appeal made by former owner, Maura Cavanagh. When he finally accessed the building, he brought along his brother, Andrew Hincks, who immediately felt a strong inclination to get involved with the renovation.

Describing himself as a hands-on, mechanically-oriented guy, Andrew Hincks asked his brother if he would be interested in having him involved in the project. Dan Hincks enthusiastically agreed.

Andy Hincks, Infinity Hall’s Mr. Fixit.

As Facility Manager, Andrew Hincks is responsible for the building’s heating, cooling and lighting systems, upkeep of the exterior, overseeing the cleaning crew and maintaining the sound system. He has also been in charge of all exterior work completed on the building in the past couple of months: patching the roof, installing storm windows and repainting the building a similar, but quieter apple green.

Dan Hincks says he couldn’t have managed without his brother’s help. Although he’s not responsible for the interior renovation, it was Andrew Hincks who dealt with the extensive mold and sodden walls and furniture caused by the water pipes that froze and burst last March. Andrew Hincks also accomplished the Herculean task of sorting and organizing all the abandoned property left at the theater. His previous career as a tree man and current work as a volunteer firefighter in Riverton conditioned him well for these duties.

As opening night draws nearer, Dan Hincks is happy to report that the theater hall, which seats 280 people, has everything in place “to provide world class entertainment in an intimate environment.” The new additions are more comfortable seats and a digital audio-visual system to replace the old film projectors.

The main changes are to the first floor. The box office will be to the left of the entrance and a merchandise sales area is planned for the south side of the building. A bar and restaurant will be part of the second phase of renovations and won’t be constructed until the theater is up and running. A small stage is planned for that area, where additional live music may be performed. According to Hincks, performance goers will be “blown away by the entertainment, the food and the atmosphere.”

The Hincks family has a long tradition of local involvement and they hope to include the Norfolk community as much as possible in their new venture. While Infinity Hall will be geared to making a profit, the stage could possibly be used from time-to-time for such local performances as the renowned Lions Club Talent Show which took place there several years ago.

Photo by Adela Hubers.