Cottrill’s Opera House, 264 East Avenue, Thomas, WV (2026)

It will also accelerate the arts-driven economic resurgence already well underway in the Potomac Highlands region. We saved the historic theater in Thomas, West Virginia. Now, we’re going to bring it back to life.

09/05/2026

Reviving the art of Vaudeville
Cottrill’s Opera House sponsored it’s first annual theater camp this summer to teach area students the fundamentals of performance theater. The camps' theme was "All Aboard the Vaudeville Train," a tribute to Cottrill's history as a vaudeville house.

The camp was directed by Diana Vera with help from theater artists Juli Kimbrell and Al Schneider. The th*****me performs in Thomas as Common Productions and have many years of professional experience in writing, directing, acting and teaching.

Cottrill’s Board President David Esch noted the project was supported with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. The matching grant helped to buy props, costumes and supplies and to pay for salaries. “It was a key to our success,” he said. “This donation, and the community support we have received for the camp, show we’re on the right track,” he said. The camp was originally slated to be held at the Davis Community Center, but plumbing issues required a last-minute switch to the Thomas Community Center. Despite the move the show went on as scheduled. “We are so grateful for the support we receive from both towns. These communities have been wonderful to work with.”

Follow this page to be notified when registration opens for next year.

09/04/2026

Reviving the art of Vaudeville
Cottrill’s Opera House sponsored its first annual theater camps this summer—with an amazing theme of “All Aboard the Vaudeville Train!” These camps revived the art of vaudeville, so integral to the Opera House’s history, while also sharing the fundamentals of theater performance with local students.

The camp was directed by longtime Thomas resident Diana Vera with help from two local theater artists, Juli Kimbrell and Al Schneider. The three teachers frequently perform together in Thomas as members of the Common Productions group. Each has many years of professional experience in writing, directing, acting and teaching.

Cottrill’s Board President David Esch noted the project was supported with financial assistance from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. The matching grant helped to buy props, costumes and supplies and to pay for salaries. “It was a key to our success,” he said. “This donation, and the community support we have received for the camp, show we’re on the right track,” he said. The camp was originally slated to be held at the Davis Community Center, but plumbing issues required a last-minute switch to the Thomas Community Center. Despite the move the show went on as scheduled. “We are so grateful for the support we receive from both towns. These communities have been wonderful to work with.”

Follow this page to be notified when registration opens for next year’s camps!

06/17/2026

In a recent outreach meeting in Parsons, WV, State Senator Randy Smith asked for suggestions: what would the Tucker County community like to see? In response, Alpine Heritage Preservation, Inc. (AHP), the owner of Cottrill’s Opera House, urges legislators at all levels to work on securing funding to renovate Cottrill’s Opera House.

There are many good reasons to renovate Cottrill’s; primary among them are the economic benefits the theater would bring to Tucker and surrounding counties:
- The renovation will require approximately $5.3 million in construction costs, generating $3.1 million in total construction-related economic activity in the local six-county region.
- Over its first five years of operations, Cottrill's is projected to generate $5 million in total economic activity, including revenues of nearly $2 million.
- Visitor spending tied to theater admissions is projected to generate an additional $6.1 million in economic impact from nearly 80 thousand attendees over those five years.
- Ticket sales over those five years will generate an estimated $137 thousand in state and local sales tax revenue..
- The Opera House will directly employ 3 full-time and 15 part-time staff, with an additional 25 jobs created regionally by the increased economic activity.
- Tucker County has seen 293 new businesses open between 2022 and 2024 — a 44% increase — a growing local economy that the theater will accelerate.
- Comparable theaters demonstrate proven impact: the Historic Masonic Theater in Clifton Forge, VA (a similar Appalachian setting) generated over $3 million in combined budgetary and visitor impact in its second year of operation alone. That theater doubled its attendance within five years.
- The theater is positioned to extend the tourist season into spring and fall shoulder periods, converting part-time, seasonal employment into year-round jobs.
- Evening entertainment at Cottrill's can also convert day visitors into overnight guests, significantly multiplying per-visitor spending. Data shows that overnight visitors spend an average of $204.40 per person, versus $29.77 for local attendees.

Data sources: AHP commissioned a study quantifying the economic benefits of renovating and reopening Cottrill’s Opera House. The study draws on U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis RIMS II multipliers, Americans for the Arts national data (AEP6, 2023), comparable theater case studies from Appalachia and the Southeast, and Tucker County and regional demographic profiles. The report analyzes economic impact across two phases: the renovation/construction period and five years of operations. It also projects tourism-driven spending separately.

04/17/2026

Announcing our first-ever theater day camp for Tucker County kids! Register TODAY for Aug 3–7 (3rd, 4th & 5th graders) or Aug 10–14 (6th, 7th, & 8th graders). Registration link at cottrillsoperahouse.org/camp!

Campers will learn the dynamics of stage presence and movement, acting techniques, character design, scene development and comic timing. They will design their makeup and costume, invent a character, learn to handle props, create sets, and practice choreography and song. We’ll also learn about the history of vaudeville and its importance to the historic mining and logging communities that surround us. Register now!

Address

264 East Avenue
Thomas, WV
26292

Website

http://www.cottrillsoperahouse.org/

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