As the internet is fast becoming a place for news, the shoreline’s new OldSaybrookNow.com and Lymeline.com are falling right in line. They’re featuring a story today on the last day of 2008, on The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center entitled “Curtain Up at “The Kate” in 2009.”

That title alone gives me goosebumps! This theater, that so many have been working on for so long, is going to open with a bang! We hope you’ll all be tripping over yourselves to see what’s up at “The Kate” so you can get your tickets and plan your day and or evening. You’ll be able to get your tickets on line for movies, cabaret, comedy,

Linda Ahnert talks about the plans for the summer opening of the theater and interviews KHCAC board member, Bob Czepiel and his wife, Anne and their matching gift to the theater of $100,000.00.

We’re calling all Hepburn fans and lovers of the arts to jump on board and help us with the final touches to the theater that will make it “the little gem of a place with a movie star name.”

You can help us out by matching any amount of the Czepiel’s offer which lasts till Valentines Day, February 14th.

You can also become a “Founding Fan” by going to our website or to our new Facebook page. We want you all actually to go to the Facebook page to sign up so you too can help us spread the word. We want thousands to sign up there for “The Katharine Hepburn Cause.” it’s just $15.00 to become a Founding Fan. Once you do that, you’ll have your name added to the Founding Fan roster and have your name placed into a special place in the theater where you’ll see if every time you visit.

The momentum is growing for the opening of this wonderful venue in Connecticut’s quintessential new England town of Old Saybrook… if you haven’t been there, you’re going to love it.

Thank you Oldsaybrooknow.com and Lymeline.com for helping us tell everyone about “The Kate.”

See you at “The Kate!”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

In an article today written by Alaine Griffin, in the Hartford Courant, Bob and Anne Czepiel are profiled.

The photograph you see was taken by Cloe Poisson.

The Czepiel’s have given a loving gift of $100,000.00 to the soon to open Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Connecticut.

Bob is a member of the Board of Trustees for the non-profit theater, and has worked day and night on making this venue become a reality. He has taken many of the photos you seen on this website,  and is currently hard at work on a documentary of the early beginnings of the theater right up to its opening his summer.

In conjunction with the Czepiel’s gift, we want to remind you that we are inviting you to become a “Founding Fan” of this theater.

For $15.00 dollars you can be a member of the elite group that helps us “raise the curtain.” We will put your name on the “Founding Fan” roster on the website and your name will go in a special place in the theater. You can do this by signing up over at our Facebook Causes page.

When you sign up, make sure you give us a line or two about why you are a Hepburn fan. All of those thoughts will go into a book that will be available at the theater.

See you at “The Kate!”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC

This is the kind of news that is so endearing, a gift from a darling committed couple that will keep on giving for generations.

This tale begins with a decades old Connecticut love story…and now an incredibly generous gift challenge for the soon to open Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and Theater.

Bob Czepiel, a local documentarian and photographer who has taken so many wonderful photos of The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, came forward on December 13th, with his wife Anne and offered their tremendous gift challenge for the theater.

Bob and Anne met 50 years ago in old Saybrook, Connecticut fell in love,…just down from Hepburn’s place and got married.

The couple is so committed to “The Kate” that they announced they will match every single dollar up to 100-thousand dollars given to the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center by Valentine’s day. How fitting is Valentine’s Day to wrap up such a gift of love.

Bob is a member of the Board of Trustees for “The Kate” and feels like so many, that the theater will not only be an asset to the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut and to the legend of Hepburn, but to the state and beyond its borders.

The theater is set to open this summer and we are hoping we will be able to match that $100,000.00 with dollars here and dollars there. With the help of Hepburn fans and theater lovers every where we can do it.

On behalf of Katharine Hepburn fans around the world, we thank you Bob and Anne so much for your generosity. Here’s to the opening of the theater in July of 2009!

See you at “The Kate.”
Ann Nyberg, Trustee, KHCAC