ST. JACOBS – Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment, has announced the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre will be renamed the Hildebrand Schoolhouse Theatre St. Jacobs in recognition of the sustained support of Henry and Grace Hildebrand.
The Hildebrand family has been attending productions at the Schoolhouse Theatre for more than two decades, and has donated $1 million to help with a planned renovation to the layout and functionality of the 1867 Schoolhouse Theatre, located at 11 Albert St. W. in the village of St. Jacobs.
“We salute the vision of Henry and Grace Hildebrand, and their incredible approach to philanthropy,” said Mustakas.
Theatre renovations are scheduled to commence in January, and will largely focus on accessibility improvements.
“The support of the Hildebrand family is significant because it has inspired us to reimagine how the Schoolhouse Theatre may serve the broader community in the future. In addition to our live theatre productions, these renovations will better position us to reach and engage young people in a range of performing and technical arts training programs,” said David Connolly, associate artistic director and director of education for the Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy.
In addition to Drayton Entertainment’s theatre productions and arts programs, the Schoolhouse Theatre will also serve the community as a venue equipped to host school assemblies, dance exhibitions, music recitals, concerts, film festivals and cultural exhibits, charitable fundraisers, corporate meetings, and weddings.
“We are so pleased to support Drayton Entertainment in their ongoing effort to produce top-notch entertainment for residents and visitors to this community, and expand the range of opportunities that will be available in the future,” said Henry Hildebrand.
