New head of Piper's Opera House to focus on restoration, 'living theater'

After last month's resignations of the full-time executive director, the chairman of the board of directors and treasurer, the board of Piper's Opera House board has turned to a thespian to get them back on track.

Perry Arnn, a frequent performer and writer of the Gold Hill Theater Troupe in Gold Hill, has been named office administrator for Piper's. He said he hopes to increase the number and quality of performances.

"We want to get it going as a living theater again," he said. "This is a grand old theater. People need to experience Piper's."

Arnn, who recently moved to Virginia City from Dayton, has extensive theatrical experience in Nevada. Since 1984 he has worked as an actor, producer, writer and director for the Gold Hill Hotel and, before that, at the Brewery Arts Center.

He led a karaoke of sorts on Monday nights at the Gold Hill Hotel called Perry-oake and hosted the Gold Hill Follies, a series of musical, comedy and dramatic performances. He said he has also designed and built sets, and "done everything there is to do in theater."

Arnn has performed in selected plays at Piper's, but has not been involved in the controversy surrounding the previous resignations. He declined to comment on past issues with Piper's, but said he had the full support of the board.

Disagreements among members of the board and bookkeeping irregularities from previous administrations led to the resignations of the chairman, treasurer and the historic hall's executive director last month. The board's previous 11-member team has been reduced to six.

Arnn described his new job as office administrator, saying he's responsible for keeping the doors open and keeping things running; a temporary, part-time position he hopes will turn into more.

"I am going to try it for a month and then assess things, though I anticipate I'm going to be here a long time," he said. "It's a wonderful place."

Admitting he was not a restoration specialist, Arnn said, the board would still seek grant money to complete the restoration of the opera house.

"You need to restore it," he said. "They've been working hard on this. People have no idea how hard it is."

The opera house, built in 1880, has been undergoing restoration since the late 1960s. It is owned by Piper's Opera House Programs Inc., a nonprofit corporation.

Arnn said the front lobby should be completed in a few months and that he hoped eventually to have dressing rooms for performers.

But he also said it was just as important to do theater as well as restoration.

"The board wants to make this a viable working theater," he said. "They don't want to just make it a museum and have tours."

Arnn said he would like to see a resident theater group doing major productions.

"We need to have something to make this a community theater," he said.

Arnn graduated from Indiana University at Gary with a bachelor's degree in sociology. From there, he headed into the insurance industry.

He worked as a vocational counselor, claims manager and hearing advocate in the workers' compensation field of the industry.

Arnn said, "One job I have is to recruit new volunteers and to encourage volunteers who were here before to return," adding that tours could be restricted to certain hours or for groups. But the theater will come first.

"If they can (restore theaters) elsewhere, they can do it here," he said. "We have the talent."

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 351.