Flynn Honored as an Outstanding Historic Theatre

We're proud to announce that the Flynn was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Historic Theatre Award by the League of Historic American Theatres at its annual conference, held in Boston at the end of July.

League President Dulcie Gilmore presented the award to Andrea Rogers, the Flynn’s executive director and CEO, and praised the Flynn's adventurous programming, exemplary community outreach and engagement, and successfully phased renovation of Burlington’s 1930 long-neglected entertainment palace, adjoining bowling alleys, beauty salons, and bars into one of the finest performing arts centers in the country.

The independent jury that selected the Flynn Center for this award included Jean Brody, director of the Master of Arts in Arts Administration Program at Goucher College in Towson, MD; Melissa Cullen, AIA, GTM Architects in Bethesda, MD; Susie Farr, executive director of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD; John Leith-Tetrault, president of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, based in Washington, D.C.; and Mary Margaret Schoenfeld, community development manager for Americans for the Arts, based in Washington, D.C., and New York City.

"The Flynn, long-recognized nationally for its excellent presenting program, received an outstanding rating in all review criteria," said panelist Susie Farr. “A compelling example of contemporary programming excellence in a beautifully renovated space that thoughtfully engages its community, the Flynn is an inspiration to other small cities,” Farr elaborated, summarizing the jury’s assessment.

The Flynn's artistic director, Arnie Malina, was present at the ceremony, along with Flynn Board Member and former Board Chairwoman Brianne Chase. As part of the conference's final banquet, organizers screened a video about the Flynn on a large screen, which drew a standing ovation from colleagues in the arts and historic preservation fields.

Andrea Rogers praised Flynn staff members with the following note: "Let me send that applause along to all of you who have consistently striven for quality and excellence in all that we do and who have enabled the Flynn to distinguish itself in so many ways. I was proud of all of us."