Aug 22, 2017 2 min read

The Charleroi Area Historical Society will host John Cassandra, manager of the Lamp Theatre in Irwin, at its Sept. 18 meeting at Riverside Place in the SPHS Center, Chamber Plaza, Charleroi.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The meeting begins at 7 with light refreshments. Admission is free.

Cassandra will discuss the reopening of the Lamp Theatre and the success it has been experiencing the last two years.

The Lamp Theatre opened in downtown Irwin in 1937, and for nearly seven decades entertained residents of the borough. In 2004, it closed when it was unable to compete with corporate theater chains.

The Westmoreland Cultural Trust then took ownership of the theater, with plans to reopen the Lamp as a performing arts center and movie theater. Plans were drawn up for an expanded stage, and significant investments were made to the roof and the heating and air-conditioning system.

But on March 5, 2009, a grease fire broke out at the neighboring Irwin Hotel, and the Lamp sustained damage. The project to reopen the Lamp was placed on hold.

After exchanging hands and with the help of hundreds of volunteers, the Lamp reopened in August 2015 with comedians Ryan Ben and Adam Schreck performing a mix of sketches and improv. Volunteers continued to work diligently to finish the work left over from its major renovations, and on Aug. 27, 2016, it held its grand opening with the return of “A Hard Days Night,” a Beatles Tribute.

For more information, call the Charleroi Area Historical Society at 724-483-4961.