(CHESTER, Mass.) – After 22 years of renting various spaces for its administrative offices, Chester Theatre Company (CTC) has finally taken possession of a property to call its own. With the gift of its current headquarters at 4 Main Street by owners J. Andrew Myers and Martin Wohl, the theater company is no longer homeless, and its financial future is much more secure.

The distinctive, cream-colored Victorian with red trim that sits at the head of Main Street in Chester has been the site of CTC’s administrative programs since 2000. Not only are there offices on the ground floor, but upstairs there are bedrooms that house actors, designers, stage managers and technicians during the company’s annual summer season. Until the recent donation of CTC’s costume collection to the Theatre Department at Westfield State University, 4 Main Street also housed that collection.

According to CTC Artistic Director Byam Stevens, “For the past 22 years, we’ve rented space in Chester. Now, we’re owners. It’’s a very different kind of stake in the community. We also have the freedom to adapt the building to more closely meet our needs. It’s a very exciting time of growth for the whole organization.”

“This gift has a profound effect on our balance sheet,” says CTC board chair Cipora Brown “and the asset is a key element in our plan to stabilize the financial life of the company so it supports its award-winning artistic life.”

“Donating property is a great way to support the arts,” says Andy Myers. “The Theatre has been a terrific asset to the town of Chester for 22 years, and we wish it continued success for many years to come.”

Chester Theatre Company, a professional theater company located in the foothills of the Berkshires, produces 4-5 plays each summer and fall, performed by actors, directors and designers from across the country. Under the leadership of artistic director Byam Stevens, CTC has earned a reputation for producing terrific contemporary theater. Seventeen CTC productions have gone on to Off Broadway engagements and regional, national, and international tours in the last 15 years.