BAR HARBOR — The announcements began quietly. The first came on April 1, April Fool’s Day, with presale tickets for Barrington Levy’s “Here I Come Tour.”
“Is this for real or is it an April 1st kind of joke?” one commenter asked.
It’s real.
All the papers hadn’t been signed yet, so it wasn’t quite official. But it’s official now: the Criterion Theatre is back, and it has new owners.
This past Sunday, the Criterion’s current board unanimously voted to transfer the theater’s assets to the Harper House Music Foundation, a nonprofit public charity focused on supporting music communities and arts education.
Longtime Bar Harbor summer residents Stephen and Allison Sullens started the foundation, which has pledged $1 million in operational, programming and preservation support.
“Attending Criterion shows and events has been one of our favorite things about our time on MDI over the years,” Stephen Sullens said. “The theater is a true gem, and we deeply appreciate its role as a cultural cornerstone for Down East communities. Allison and I are thrilled to contribute to the Criterion’s preservation and in leading it in this next chapter.”
According to a press release, “HHMF will partner with local stakeholders to steward the Criterion going forward as a vibrant, community-centered performing arts venue. In addition, HHMF is seeding the ‘HHMF Criterion Theatre Preservation Fund,’ a donor-advised fund established with the Maine Community Foundation to accept donations to support the Criterion and further their community and music initiatives.”
Local entrepreneur Michael Boland, who led the Criterion’s 2014 restoration and modernization, will serve as an interim director to help manage the ownership transition.
The goal is to program a full slate of events for the 2025 season, including returning shows with writer and humorist David Sedaris and comedian Bob Marley, as well as new acts, such as just announced indie pop band Lucius and reggae artist Barrington Levy.
“The board undertook a careful search for sustainable paths forward,” said President Stephen Leiser. “Harper House Music Foundation’s commitment and experience working with arts nonprofits was extremely compelling, and the Sullenses’ connection to MDI was really important as well.”
The theater shuttered earlier this winter, closing completely and letting go of its staff.
A Dec. 20 article by the Bangor Daily News reported that the theater would be closing for an indefinite period to fix the rear brick wall of the building. This was confirmed in a press release from the theater’s board in January.
“For the past decade, the all-volunteer board, led by Leiser and long-time board member Steven Parady, worked tirelessly to sustain the theater despite financial challenges, due to the rise of streaming and lingering COVID-19 impacts. The Criterion faced a $150,000 annual deficit, mirroring struggles of small theaters nationwide that contributed to the closure of over 3,000 independent theaters. Despite the board’s efforts, the Criterion shut down last year due to these financial and structural issues, including major repairs needed on the 93-year-old building,” the release reads.
At the time, the board said that it hoped to lease the building to another group or business. That business would have creative control of the building and the ability to create programming and hire staff. The nonprofit itself would remain but only to safeguard and fundraise to keep the historic building safe and preserved. That plan has changed with the arrival of Harper House Music Foundation.
“Serving on the Criterion’s Board has been an honor,” Parady said. “In the midst of these financial headwinds, we made critical improvements to the building as well as worked hard to uphold the artistic traditions of this incredible landmark.”
Leiser concurred: “We’re proud of the work we’ve done and confident that the new ownership will help ensure that the Criterion Theatre remains a vital community hub for future generations.”
In 2012, the theater began its latest incarnation when Boland created a nonprofit, the Bar Harbor Jazz Festival, and the structure was restored, and an anonymous donor gave $2 million in 2014 to help the theater survive and revive. The 13-member board was last led by Leiser, Nicholas Schoeder, Nicholas Walton and Susan Raab.
The Art Deco theater features floating balconies. It is one of only two Art Deco theaters in the state. It is the only one that has maintained its original auditorium.
The theater first opened at 7 p.m., Monday, June 6, 1932 with a lavish celebration that lasted until after midnight. Almost 2,000 gathered for two separate shows. There were speeches and vaudeville acts. A seven-piece orchestra played and the theater screened “Arsene Lupin,” which starred John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore and Karen Morley. Telegrams came from Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. They were read to the audience.
Harper House Music Foundation’s website states that it is “rooted in the belief that music is a vital and universal source of connection, joy, and meaning.”
That’s also what people have said the Criterion is about and what the Criterion has provided for decades.
Many hope that the change in ownership will help the theater to enter a new chapter for the community and its guests this summer, continuing to revive, revamp, restore and reinvent itself as a community gathering space, experience maker and piece of Mount Desert Island’s past and future.
More shows and events, as well as ticket information, will be released soon at www.criteriontheatre.org.
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here.
