Late last week, Dagny McKinley, executive director of Undiscovered Earth, said her group’s effort to purchase the Chief Theater — and put the future of the iconic downtown Steamboat Springs landmark in the hands of locals — is not over.

“We continue to receive emails wishing us luck in keeping the Chief Theater in the hands of the community to serve the community for the next 100 years,” said McKinley, who has spearheaded efforts to purchase the property at 813 Lincoln Ave. through the nonprofit Undiscovered Earth. “People are giving what they can, and we know we will get to our goal. Hopefully the owners can be patient just a little bit longer.”

She said the owners of the building have had multiple new inquiries, and have not agreed to extend the contract even though there is potential funding through a loan that would allow Undiscovered Earth to close by July 1. However, she added that the owners also haven’t ruled it out. Those interested in helping out can donate at UndiscoveredEarth.org.

---

---

McKinley is hoping to purchase the building, which opened as a movie theater in 1927. She wants to transform the space into a creative venue that would serve local, nonprofit performing arts groups such as Opera Steamboat, Steamboat Dance Theatre and the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra. The venue would also host larger events featuring big name performers, with the money brought in from those events helping to make the space more affordable for the nonprofits.

Jennifer Grathwohl, executive director of Steamboat Symphony Orchestra, said that past models to make the Chief Theater a self-sustaining performing arts center in the heart of downtown have fallen short. She believes that McKinley’s ideas and her passion to make those ideas a reality will work.

---

---

“It seems like the previous structures in which it has tried to be revived have not worked, so we definitely want to approach it in a way that makes sense for the community long term,” Grathwohl said. “I think that is really Dagny’s focus. How can we secure this for the next 100 years and is it best that the nonprofit takes ownership of it and really owns the project as a whole?”

For 13-year-old Kenna Thornhill, who is involved in figure skating, dancing, aerial silks and musical theatre, reopening the Chief means more opportunities.

“To me, the arts are a way to express myself and show my talents to other people,” Thornhill said. “The arts bring a sense of pride to my life, as I am one of the many kids who get to learn and perform new skills that I enjoy.”

But the young performer, as well as many other local groups, said that the opportunity to perform on stage in Steamboat continues to get more competitive as high school programs expand, and demand from outside performing arts groups grow within the community. The groups all seem to agree that re-opening the Chief Theater would help.

Lori Biagi, executive director of Steamboat Dance Theatre, has first-hand experience with the competition for stage space, and is excited about what the purchase of the Chief by a local organization will mean for the arts community.

“Steamboat Dance Theatre also has several partner studios and groups with whom we work, who are currently competing with the local music scene and are using small venues for performances with small stages, little or no backstage capacity, and flat floor seating versus theater-style seating as the Chief would have,” Biagi said. “Many venues may be unavailable or cost-prohibitive, therefore limiting the number of performances these groups can achieve.”

Biagi said Steamboat Dance Theatre is hoping to expand with a fall “Local Dance Collective” — which is a second performance in September — showcasing the local studios and semi-professional or professional groups who are leading the dance community, and would also like to enrich the community on a greater scale by bringing nationally acclaimed performances and workshops.