Community has come together to purchase a piece of history

By Patricia Platt
Early in 1995, Richard Stanley bought a lumber yard in Great Barrington and built the Triplex Theater on its site. It quickly became a beloved community gathering place where, for 28 years, locals of all ages remember eating popcorn and watching Hollywood, independent and foreign films. One fan said, “We can’t imagine Great Barrington without the Triplex.” But in November 2022, Stanley said that he planned to “scale back,”because the Triplex “needs new and younger blood to bring it into the future.” He put the Triplex up for sale and announced that it would close on June 1, 2023.

Enter Luke Parker Bowles, the nephew of Queen Camilla. He and his partners at Cinema Lab, a
business that redevelops small-town theaters, made plans to renovate the Triplex. But as the
winter progressed, they had trouble raising the $1.5 to-1.7 million dollars they needed and,
after missing several deadlines, they began appealing to the larger Great Barrington community
for investors. That’s when the game changed.

Great Barrington resident Nicki Wilson invited all the film buffs she knew to her house at the
beginning of April on April first and second to discuss the Triplex situation, and over 50 people
showed up. The group asked, “Why should we raise local money to help an outside company
purchase the Triplex? Why don’t we follow the model of other communities and create our own
nonprofit?” They decided to act on the idea, and Wilson, Hannah Wilkins and a core group of
volunteers led the campaign. “Within a few days we worked out the nuts and bolts, and the
nonprofit organization Save The Triplex was created. A wonderful, intergenerational group of
volunteers – film lovers, film makers, fundraising specialists, and business experts came
together to make this happen and our group keeps expanding.” By May, the Parker Bowles’
group had backed out.

John Valente, the former general manager of the Triplex, joined as President of the advisory
board. He commented, “I have witnessed many changes during my tenure at theaters, and the
last few years have been the most radical. In a small market like the Great Barrington area, the
only way to ‘Save the Triplex,’ is to run it as a community-owned, member-driven nonprofit, like
many other theaters in our area. I will give every ounce of guidance I have to ensure its success,
and I’m not alone.”

Valente helped Save the Triplex study some of the other theaters that are now successfully
run as nonprofits, including Millerton, N.Y. NY and Williamstown, Mass. MA. Adam Birnbaum,
who buys films for more than 50 movie houses said, “As the longtime film buyer for the Triplex,
I was thrilled to learn that a local grassroots community organization has sprung into action in
an effort to save the theater. It is the only way to go. Your return on investment is only what it kicks back to the community by way of cultural offerings. It’s very cut and dried.” Wilson added,
“There is less pressure on our plan because we won’t have to make a profit. 40 percent of the
revenue of nonprofit theaters comes from membership, donors, fundraising , and grants.
Therefore, we can operate when for-profits can’t.”

The vision of Save the Triplex is to show films for all members of the community. They plan to
keep it running as is with the current staff, and to increase its offerings soon. The expanded
programming will include screenings by local filmmakers, foreign films, revivals, talks with
directors and actors, curriculum-based films for school groups, more matinees, seasonal
programming, and film groups.

After renovating the building and making cosmetic improvements, they plan to open a
restaurant section at the front of the building. One idea is to have local restaurants take turns
showcasing their food. Wilken explained, “It may sound impossible, but I promise you, it is
not. Our group not only has the guidance of experts that are working now on operations,
business and sustainable fundraising plans, but it has the community’s outpouring of support
and desire for a beautiful iteration of the cinema.”

At the end of May, the nonprofit began to negotiate with Richard Stanley, the longtime owner
of the Triplex. They expect to sign a purchase agreement by June 1, conduct the legal process,
and open the theater in early July. Fundraising will continue to be crucial during the early days
of renovation. One exciting fundraising event in June will be a one-week sale of a limited-
edition photograph by Gregory Crewdson, the the internationally acclaimed photographer and
director of graduate studies in Photography at Yale School of Art. Art, Gregory Crewdson.
Wilson said, “We continue to need to fundraise and continue to welcome donations and
volunteer efforts to, now, Help the Triplex.” You can learn more about the project and donate
at Savethetriplex.org