Community Donations Bring Professional Theater to Utah County

Novell and other local supporters celebrate tonight with Donny Osmond

Provo, Utah -- April 1996 -- Donny Osmond will welcome local theater lovers to a gala celebration tonight in honor of the grand opening of the Provo Theatre Company, Utah County's first resident professional theater. The event will be held at the Utah County Courthouse, and tours of the renovated theater will follow the evening's entertainment provided by award-winning musicians Sam Cardon and Kurt Bestor.

• A $25,000 donation by Novell, Inc., along with contributions by private donors and other corporations, has made it possible for Provo Theatre Company to complete its remarkable renovation of a 1926 Church of Christ, Scientist building into a permanent home for the theater company.
• "It is encouraging to see philanthropic and far
• sighted companies like Novell contribute locally to the advancement and improvement of quality of life in our community," said Lynn Frost, Provo Theatre Company's Artistic Director. "Novell's contribution, the largest given by any corporate sponsor, allowed us to get over some significant hurdles."
• Linda Linfield, Senior Manager of Novell Community Relations, said, "As the largest private employer in the state, we feel a keen responsibility to invest in the overall health of our Utah Valley community. We agreed to commit so much to this particular project because we see the Provo Theatre Company's long-term value in fostering local cultural development."
• In addition to the funds provided by generous donors, contractors from across the valley donated many hours of labor in the overhaul of the theater. This tremendous community involvement has made it possible for the theater to open as scheduled on Tuesday, April 2, with the inaugural performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Andrew Lloyd Webber's retelling of the biblical story of Joseph.
• In the new theater building, the PTC plans to produce a full season of quality theater from September to May. Beginning the summer of 1997, PTC is slated to hold a summer conservatory for young actors.
• The new facility has a seating capacity of 130. It has its own box office, concessions area and greenroom. The building is handicapped accessible.
• Novell is a trademark of Novell, Inc.

Press Contact:
Leslie Walker
Provo Theatre Company
(801) 489-3818

Linda Linfield
Novell, Inc.
(801) 228-5039