- November 23, 2024
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Flagler Playhouse President Jerri Berry said the loss of its theater was truly devastating.
“I got here, probably close to 11 [p.m.] and just watched,” she said. “It was like a scene out of a movie, honestly,” she said.
A fire tore through the Flagler Playhouse the night of Oct. 29. and it took firefighters about six hours to put out the flames.
A passerby had reported the fire at about 10 p.m. after seeing smoke, and firefighters arrived to find black smoke billowing from the building’s eaves and flames in the rear, Flagler County Fire Rescue Chief Michael Tucker said.
"It took us about 10 minutes to realize that the fire had already gained control of the attic," Tucker said. "It was built in 1957, so there's been a lot of additions, of lot of changes, a lot of void spaces. So when the fire got into the attic, it really, really, took off on us."
Firefighters evacuated the interior of the building and used tower trucks and a ladder truck positioned around the building to pound it with water from the outside.
"Unfortunately, we did lose the actual theater itself, and on the west side of the building there's an addition that's a storage area, but we were able to pull a lot of the props out and get most of them out of the building," Tucker said.
Berry said she received a call from the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at around 10:20 p.m. and rushed down to the scene unfolding at the historic building at 301 E. Moody Boulevard in Bunnell.
The entire theater area is a loss, Berry said, and though the surrounding buildings weren’t damaged by the flames, there is extensive smoke and water damage.
No one was in the building during the fire, but community members are still reeling from the loss of the building, which was constructed in 1957 as the First Baptist Bunnell church.
The theater stores most of its props and equipment in a storage building on the property that was not damaged. But a set was destroyed, she said, and the upcoming play — ironically, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” meant to debut at Flagler Playhouse on Nov. 3 — can not go on without it.
“That show is really all about the set design and everything that goes wrong with the set and the props,” she said. “There's really no way we're going to be able to salvage this particular production."
The hours of constant water being hosed on the fire began to drain the city’s water supply, Bunnell Vice Mayor John Rogers said.
The city of Palm Coast distributed some of its own water to help contain the fire without emptying Bunnell’s tanks entirely, he said.
Bunnell’s water supply was low on Oct. 30, and the city warned locals that water pressure might be low and asked people to limit water use. But the water supply should be back to normal standards within the day because of Palm Coast’s help, he said.
Rogers said he wanted to thank Palm Coast, and especially all of the firefighters from each of the fire departments, for their help taming the flames.
“I want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the fire rescue personnel who work tirelessly throughout the night,” Rogers said. “Their dedication, and courage was instrumental in minimizing the damage.”
Before it was the Flagler Playhouse, the church building belonged to the First Baptist Church of Bunnell since the 1950s, Flagler Historical Society President Ed Siarkowicz said. Before that, from the 1920s, the plot of land on which it was eventually built housed a movie theater, Siarkowicz said.
Altogether, 301 E. Moody Boulevard has served as a community gathering place for around 100 years, he said.
“This church has been — the building has been, you know, a source of community interaction, worship and marriages … so it’s a pretty big loss,” he said.
The church building was built over the course of the 1950s, Siarkowicz said, and the sanctuary was completed and dedicated in 1959. The theater site was given to the First Baptist Church of Bunnell, he said. In 2005, the Flagler Playhouse purchased the property, according to the theater’s website.
The building’s steeple is still standing, likely because it has its own steel infrastructure support that goes into the ground, Siarkowicz said.
“The steeple is actually suspended in air right now on top of that structure,” he said.
John Sbordone, president of City Repertory Theater, said the Flagler Playhouse is the only theater in the county, outside of the schools, that can seat over 100 people.
"This is an extraordinarily devastating blow," he said. "There are no performance spaces in Flagler County."
This is an extraordinarily devastating blow. There are no performance spaces in Flagler County."
— John Sbordone, president of City Repertory Theater
Hundreds and hundreds of volunteer hours went into maintaining the theater each year, Sbordone said. And rebuilding will be a "major project."
"Is it worth doing? Of course it is," Sbordone said. "But can you find the funds to do it? That's another question."
Berry has been involved with the Flagler Playhouse since 2016, first as a patron, then an actress and, later, a member of its board. In 2020, during the pandemic, she took over as president.
“[It's] just as devastating as the pandemic," she said. "There's so much to do now. And one doesn't know where to start."
Throughout the day, Berry said, she's been receiving many calls of support, from Playhouse patrons to people who knew the building as First Baptist Church of Bunnell.
"So many people have a connection separate from the theater," she said, "because their families went to church here, got married here and got baptized here. It's just overwhelming."
It was a centerpiece, I would say, the center of our cultural arts district there."
— Alvin Jackson, Bunnell city manager
Bunnell City Manager Alvin Jackson said the fire was a devastating loss for Bunnell and the community.
“There were memorable moments there — weddings, baptisms, you know, from when it was a church,” Jackson said. “So, it was a centerpiece, I would say, the center of our cultural arts district there.”
Siarkowicz said the building is an iconic landmark, but the community will continue to persevere. He said if the building is determined to be salvageable, the Historical Society would “absolutely be behind” helping the Flagler Playhouse make that happen.
Berry said the outpouring of support from the local community has been overwhelming.
The theater has a full schedule lined up for its 2023-2024 season, including three plays other than “The Play that Goes Wrong.” Berry said she’s already had offers of help from local organizations, including City Repertory Theatre, the Athens Theater in DeLand and Matanzas High School, pending school approval.
“It's overwhelming in such a good way that people really do support the arts, and the arts community supports one another,” she said. “So I feel very, very blessed for that.”
A state fire marshal was still looking at the scene early Monday afternoon, Berry said, and no decisions can be made about the building until the inspection is finished.
She said she’s thankful for everyone who has reached out. Those who want to help can follow the theater’s Facebook page, she said. There will be updates, she said, but right now, it’s too soon to know what needs to be done.
It's overwhelming in such a good way that people really do support the arts, and the arts community supports one another.” — Jerri Berry, Flagler Playhouse president
“We want everybody's help and encouragement and love and support,” Berry said. “I know we'll get that. We just need a hot minute to process and come up with a game plan.”
Jackson said city engineers and planners were already out on site surveying the damage that morning. Jackson and Rogers said Bunnell is 100% behind rebuilding the Flagler Playhouse.
“We, the city of Bunnell, are committed to supporting the Flagler Playhouse in rebuilding,” Rogers said, “and our aim is for them to come back bigger and better than ever.”
Berry said that’s her wish, too. It is Flagler Playhouse’s home, after all, and she said she wants to see the theater rebuilt in the same spot, “with our big old steeple.”
“I truly believe that when something like this happens … it makes those dreams of being bigger, better, stronger — it makes it maybe a little bit easier to accomplish,” Berry said.
—Managing Editor Jonathan Simmons contributed to this story.
