Robert Eckert Theater

For Immediate Release:

Endicott Performing Arts Center Honors Robert Eckert

The Endicott Performing Arts Center located at 102 Washington Ave. in Endicott, NY is pleased to announce that the name of the EPAC Theater has been changed to honor Robert Eckert, an Endicott native who has been active in professional and Community Theater for many years. The new name of the building that houses EPAC will be the “Robert Eckert Theatre”.

Mr. Eckert recently celebrated his 90th birthday and the event was celebrated at the Endicott Performing Arts Center on June 25 with an all star show and formal announcement of the naming of the theater. Retired after a long career as a newspaper publisher, Mr. Eckert was publisher of the Press & Sun Bulletin in the 1970’s, and newspapers in Elmira, Hartford and Paris, France among others. Since his retirement he has very active with professional and Community Theater, most recently attending the TONY’s as an investor in the TONY winning musical “Memphis”.

EPAC Executive Director Lou Ligouri says, “Bob Eckert has been a friend of EPAC for a number of years and was the producer in 2006 of the regional premier of the Broadway musical, “Summer of ‘42” at the EPAC Theater which helped raise money for the EPAC Capital Building Fund. He’s been a tireless advocate for community and professional theater both locally, on Broadway, and in Florida. Through his generosity, the building that houses the Endicott Performing Arts Center is now mortgage free and busier than ever. We felt it only fitting that Bob’s name and legacy should live on forever by naming this historic 94 year old theater ‘The Robert Eckert Theatre’. Bob’s generosity will help EPAC to continue to expand on its mission of providing high quality performing arts events and education to the community.”

The Robert Eckert Theatre was built in 1916 as a vaudeville theater by Benjamin Dittrich with support from George F. Johnson and was originally named “The Lyric Theater”. As movies took hold, the theater was converted to a movie theater and was purchased by the Carroll’s Corporation. It was renamed the Towne Theater and operated as such until 1993 when the movie theater closed. The building remained empty and fell into extreme disrepair until it was purchased in 1998 by an Endicott group and volunteers began renovations to transform the theater back to a performing arts theater and the Endicott Performing Arts Center was born.

Since then, the nonprofit arts center operates year around producing Broadway shows, plays, concerts, dance events, and educational workshops. EPAC’s Kids Theater Workshop was one of the first children’s theater workshops in the area and has been operating for over 10 years. Over 22,000 people each year attend performances, rehearsals, meetings, and classes at the theater.

For more information about the Endicott Performing Arts Center or to find out volunteer opportunities call the theater at 607-785-8903 or or click on the ‘Volunteer’ button at the right. If you’d like to contribute to EPAC’s Capital Building Fund, Devin Spears Scholarship Fund or Robert Eckert Scholarship Funds, contact Pat Foti or Lou Ligouri at the theater at 607-785-8903.