Revived Malverne Theatre Group Staging Kickoff Event

It's showtime!

It's been nearly two years since about Dave Coonan's plans to bring community theatre back to Malverne, but now the Lynbrook resident and Malverne native is ready to stage his revival.

Coonan, 30, a Malverne native who now lives in Lynbrook, told Patch in October 2010 that after more than a decade of toying with the notion of restarting the community's defunct performance group, he had decided to take action. The  graduate was inspired by his mentor, Sal Zaccaro, who along with a group of local thespians founded the Malverne Theatre Group, which produced shows in the village from 1966 to 1969, before taking their final bows. 

Now, 43 years later, Coonan intends to raise the curtain and resuscitate Malverne community theatre, a tradition that dates back to the early 1920s. Although a career change put his dream on hold for a while, he is now chasing after it at full-speed. 

He began by recruiting committee heads and members in late May and on Aug. 18, he'll be holding the first official fundraiser and kick-off event, called "Cocktails and Curtains." It will take place at (303 Hempstead Ave., Malverne) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission is $15 (cash only), and includes hors d'oeuvres, wine, beer, and soda, a 50/50 raffle, and a short improv comedy show. Tickets can be purchased at the door.

"This is a terrific opportunity to mingle with other lovers of the arts, meet the new company officers, and help provide the much needed financial support of this revived theater company," Coonan told Patch.

He added, "My goal is to have a show up by early December, so making that a reality is what we're working towards now."

For more information visit the Malverne Community Theatre's Web site and Facebook page.