JAMESTOWN – Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is kicking off its new season Saturday, October 19 with a block party, tours of the newly renovated facilities and a performance by renowned stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone.
A block party is free and open to the public between 5 and 7:30 p.m. Beer, wine, soda, water and concessions will be on sale throughout the event. Siri Thai, 3C’s Catering and Southern Tier Brewing Company will be vending. Live music will be performed on an outdoor stage by members of Porcelain Bus Drivers. Free tours of the newly renovated facilities will be given at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m. Patrons are asked to meet under the Reg Lenna awning for tours. The block party will be held on 3rd Street between Pine and Spring Streets.
At 8 p.m., renowned stand-up comedian Paula Poundstone brings her humor and wit to the Reg Lenna Theater stage for a night of laughs.The frequent panelist of NPR’s Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me last performed at The Reg in 2012 as part of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and is a National Comedy Center Advisory Board Member. Tickets for the performance start at $25. An Evening with Paula Poundstone is sponsored by Comfort Inn of Jamestown.
The renovation of Reg Lenna Center for The Arts included complete overhauls of seven spaces including lobby-concessions-box office, 3rd on 3rd Gallery, Bill’s Place – home of the 1878 Buffalo Bill Billboard, WRFA offices and studios, administrative offices, a Pre-Function space and library and a Media Arts Studio.
$1.5 million in funds were secured through Governor Cuomo’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative for the project. Local support included $1.5 million from Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation, $900,000 from the Gebbie Foundation; and $850,000 from the Lenna Foundation. The final funding gap of $216,469 was awarded by Chautauqua Region Community Foundation last May in its largest single grant in its history.
Since the renovations have been completed, The Reg has seen an increase in rentals throughout the facility including private parties, meetings of non-profit organizations and business groups and more. All available spaces, including the Reg Lenna Theater were rented last May for Conduit Ministries’ (Re)Treat 2019: In This Together weekend of events.
Paula Poundstone
The Media Arts Studio is now the home of several live series of events which are free and open to the public. These include Bill Ward’s Back Room Radio Hour and WRFA’s Community Matters LIVE! (featuring a Jamestown Mayoral Candidate debate October 17 and a Meet The Candidates event with city council candidates on October 24) and Arts On Fire LIVE! (An Evening with Edgar Allen Poe featuring storyteller Paul Leone is scheduled for October 25.)
Additionally, several Downtown Revitalization Initiative funded events have been presented on The Reg Theater stage this year including The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performing the music of Queen, a concert from national touring band Guster and Emmanuel Baptist Church’s 100th Anniversary concert celebration featuring The Walls Group.
For information on rentals, reservations and ticketing for all events, please visit reglenna.com or call 716.484.7070. Reg Lenna Center for The Arts is located at 116 E. 3rd St. in Jamestown.
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