A new home for Imagine NEPA

DALTON — After two years of being located on South State Street in Clarks Summit, the children’s theater and event space called Imagine NEPA has found a new home in the historic church building, formerly called Dalton Baptist Church.

Katie Lane and Samantha Christ, owners of the theater, held a grand opening and open house of the new location on 113 Church St. during the weekend of Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8.

After a ribbon cutting on Saturday morning, children and parents stepped inside the building to see the hard work of the indoor renovations made in the building that is newly named Imagine NEPA Performing Arts Center and Children’s Theater.

A stage for the kids to perform has been built in the church’s old sanctuary. Chairs for the audience have been purchased by local businesses and the community from the Theater Seat Sponsorship. Each donor of $200 or more was acknowledged on a plaque that is affixed on a chair.

Imagine NEPA also has an event space with dining tables. This room formerly housed rooms for Sunday school classrooms and fellowship. There is also an outdoor space in the back of the building that is being used for summer camps.

Katie and Samantha hope that the space can also be used for music on the patio and maybe a “Bard-BBQ” event with outdoor performances of Shakespeare and food from Hatchet Jack’s BBQ. It was used for games and refreshments during the grand opening. Maria Bernard, who helps with the theater’s productions, gave away free books to kids. She has a nonprofit organization called Miss Maria’s Book Garden.

“I think there’s so much great potential,” she said about the theater’s new location.

Maria’s son Ben and daughter Madeline act in plays and attend classes. Together, they have been in Madagascar and Pirates The Musical. Katie’s three children — Penny, Lucy, and Jude — have been in nearly every show Imagine NEPA has offered.

“They absolutely love theater and music — just like our entire extended family — and Imagine is their second home,” said Katie.

Katie and Samantha have been looking for a large space for their theater for some time. They considered several other properties, but when they walked into the former Dalton Baptist Church, they felt it was the right fit. They loved the church’s historic element and envisioned how it can be reconfigured as a theater. They also loved the fact that the building is in Dalton.

“The families who come to us are pretty evenly split between Abington Heights School District and Lackawanna Trail School District and so we wanted to be somewhere in the middle,” said Katie.

Katie and Samantha were able to acquire the building thanks to an anonymous “angel lender.” With help from more than 50 volunteers and businesses, notably WYLO Painting, Gerrity Electric, Lee Electric, BCK Landscape Supply, and Jeffrey Christ Custom Cabinetry, renovations began in November 2022. Katie and Samantha planted a garden outside of the building’s front with native perennials given generously by Jenna Bernard and her family. BCK Landscape Supply donated the soil.

“We are hoping to create a huge pollinator-friendly garden and expanding it each year,” said Katie.

In August, Imagine NEPA will be wrapping up their first theater camp and presenting Once Upon a Mattress Junior. They will also be presenting “Songs for a New World” with a fabulous cast including Mandy Bruno who is a Broadway performer. She played Eponine in Les Miserables, as well as numerous national tours and television credits. They will also have their Kindness Camps, where kids will learn about ways to take care of and love themselves and those around them, including animals and the earth.

“We are excited to be collaborating with some other organizations for that, including the ladies who run the awesome Streamside Park nature programs and Countryside Conservancy,” said Katie. “In September, we will begin new theater workshops for all ages – announcements for that coming soon – and we are collaborating with artist Marylou Chibirka and Calveys Funeral home to offer the “Good Grief” painting class.”

The class, which is called Good Grief Class Art: Learn to Paint thru your Loss, will take place every Tuesday at Imagine NEPA from Sept. 5 to Oct. 24. Chibirka will guide individuals to paint a portrait in oils and share their memories on canvas. It is a free program.

Much of the church’s original structure, including the stained-glass windows and original tin ceilings, have been kept and the hardwood floors have been restored. The Dalton Baptist Church was founded as the Abington Valley Baptist Church in 1856. It was an operating church until 2000.

Katie and Samantha are thankful to everybody who helped with the renovations of the church so it can become a successful performing arts center and children’s theater.

“We are both overwhelmed with gratitude to all those who have helped us get to this point, and we genuinely cannot wait to build strong community here and bring the arts to as many families as possible,” said Katie. “We are definitely physically and emotionally exhausted, but it’s already been worth it, seeing the reaction to the space from our kids and their families.”