Outdoor Performance Venue in Barrington Gets Strong Backing

Several performing arts groups made another pitch for an outdoor performance space in Barrington to the parks and recreation commission on Thursday night, Nov. 21. It got strong support again.

The outdoor space would be modeled after the performance venue at Rose Larisa Park in Riverside -- although with a wooden deck, not a concrete slab. It was given an estimated price tag of $32,000 for materials. 

The groups suggested building the stage on vacant land surrounded by trees in Veterans Memorial Park behind the Bayside YMCA at the end of West Street. 

“It’s already like a natural amphitheater,” said Kim Fournier, representing the Bay Spring Community Center in West Barrington, of the space behind the YMCA. “And they are totally on board. They could use it for summer programs.”

“It would be used all the time,” said Larson Gunness, part of the Local Brew Coffeehouse group that has been producing shows for several years in Barrington. "We considered Haines Park as well, but that is state land. And the YMCA is in the central part of town."

Dena Davis, a co-founder of Arts Alive!, the nonprofit organization that produces student-cast shows in most of Barrington’s schools, also is on board. It runs summer programs in Barrington in addition to its school-year productions. 

The performing arts groups were urged to move ahead with the project, including fleshing out a formal proposal for the Barrington Town Council -- possibly by its next meeting on Dec. 2.

“We’ll be able to present a proposal by the Town Council’s next meeting,” said Gunness on Friday morning. The proposal is expected to include a conceptual drawing and an estimate of how often the performance venue would be used.

Gunness said he anticipates the venue could be built without a few months.

There is one possible glitch with the suggested location stage: the land has been eyed as a site for a potential community center built next to the YMCA.

Community center construction seems well down the road, however, said June Speakman, Town Council president, who serves on that task force and as a liaison to the recreation board.

A survey of potential donors for the community center, which has a price tag of around $5 million, found that a fundraising campaign would probably not be successful at this time, she said. But there is always the possibility of a bond.

“I would suggest that you get involved with the Community Center Task Force as well,” she said.

“We’d be happy to collaborate with that group and any other group,” said Gunness.