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 Nearly 100 years ago, the Gem Theatre opened its doors in Spring City, bringing performers such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to the small town.
Come September, national acts will once again appear on the stage of the Main Street theater, as Lee Zagorski opens Chaplin’s, a music café.
According to Zagorski, the name is a tribute to Chaplin’s performance here “back in the early days.” The renovated theater will feature some seats from the original Gem Theatre, as well as a large picture of the Gem in its heyday on one wall.
The main performance area will offer café seating for about 65 people, or performance seating for 80. In addition, about 20 people can watch the shows from the balcony. The common area at the front of the building will provide local artists an opportunity to display their works and even present shows.
Besides the balcony seating, the second floor will include a café area offering specialty sandwiches. Zagorski said the “vegetarian friendly” café will have a limited menu with specialty breads and four or five different sandwiches, two or three salads, a couple of soups, and pastries, muffins and bagels. Cold drinks, lattes, espressos and coffees are also planned. Zagorski noted Chaplin’s will serve “a quality coffee with the flavors and everything.”
The front bow window area of the second floor will feature couches and a lounge area with wireless internet access.
“The whole idea of the place is a warm engaging place,” Zagorski said. “Even if you don’t want to do anything except kick back and relax, this will do it.”
Chaplin’s will be open Thursday through Sunday. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the café will be open from 4 to 11 p.m., with most entertainment running from 7 to 10 p.m. The Spring City theater is associated with WXPN radio, Zagorski noted, “so artists that perform at World Café Live in Philadelphia will perform here.” The opening performance on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 22 and 23 will be Lauren Hart.
Sunday afternoons will feature Kidz Tyme shows at 1:30 and 4 p.m. Programs will include musical entertainment, magic, story times and more, with audience interaction. The shows will run about an hour and will be followed by a pizza party. Kidz Tyme is geared for ages 2 to 7, and parents are welcome to relax upstairs on the balcony while the children enjoy the show. The first shows, on Sunday, Sept. 24, will feature an artist who combines drawing and music for the children.
Each weekend’s entertainment will wrap up with Open Mic Sundays. Zagorski is looking for singer/songwriters, poets, comics, magic acts and even theatre groups to perform 10-minute skits during the Open Mic nights.
Zagorski is working with the Café on Main and Spring City Hotel to arrange for dinner-and-a-show combos. The business community has been “very receptive,” Zagorski said. “I’ve been very taken back by their support.” When he appeared before the Spring City Zoning Hearing Board for a variance regarding the lack of off-street parking, he noted, many other downtown businesspeople showed up saying, “we want this to go through because it’s good for the revitalization.”
Zagorski stressed he wants to work with the community. For example, he said, he could “donate” use of the hall for library programs. He’s also working on making the theater available for a fundraiser for the Spring City Pool. Chaplin’s will be available for catering, birthday parties, fundraisers – such as dances – and more. He even noted someone has been in contact with him about using the hall for exercise classes.
He also would like to see something for young people, with perhaps churches hold youth programs at Chaplin’s. The café could “fill a void” in the area for children’s activities, he said.
A 1970 graduate of Spring-Ford High School, Zagorski has a background in marketing. He had operated a video store in Parktowne Plaza, Royersford, and later moved to Kansas “doing my regular job.”
“But my heart’s always been in music,” he noted, explaining that he spent much of his life performing in and traveling with bands.
He returned to the Spring-Ford area, he said, and the opportunity for Chaplin’s became available.
“I’m 54 years old,” Zagorski said. “I want to be able to do something that’s … part of me. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.” Opening Chaplin’s gives Zagorski the “opportunity to be a conduit for young artists,” who will have the chance to open for national acts.
“If you come in here, you’ll fall in love with the place first, and you’ll want to be there,” Zagorski said. “There’s all this character here that sets it apart from everything else.” He added that the theater’s small size sets it apart, allowing performers to get closer to the crowd and make eye contact with everyone in the audience.
Because of the small size, however, Zagorski stressed that people should make reservations for the show. Reservations can be made online at www.myspace.com/chaplins. For more information call 610-570-6141.
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