Fire Damages Theater Company’s Office

WEST CAPE MAY – Fire heavily damaged a theater company’s office April 4. 
West Cape May and Cape May Point volunteer fire companies were dispatched at 4:33 p.m. to a structure fire at East Lynne Theater Company’s (ELTC) West Cape May office, located at 121 Fourth Avenue.
According to scanner reports, a witness saw smoke and pulled out an air conditioner of the house to see if it was occupied. There was no one in the office at the time of the fire.
Fire companies from Cape May, Erma, and Town Bank also responded, along with Coast Guard Fire Company and Cape May County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Board of Trustees of ELTC published an “urgent call for help” on its Facebook page April 5:
“As many of you already know, the West Cape May office of East Lynne Theater Company, was destroyed in a fire early last evening. The house was also the summer home of our artistic director and her husband and served as an overflow for accommodating actors. No-one was injured.
“We thank you for the many calls and texts we have been receiving. Each person wants to know what they can do to help. With our season scheduled to begin in a matter of weeks, the help needed is as follows:
“1. East Lynne needs office space immediately. A shared space in someone’s existing business or office, a spare room in someone’s home. You get the idea.
“2. East Lynne needs accommodations for actors this season. We do have a cast house which accommodates about four actors but we no longer have the overflow space that the West Cape May house provided. A spare bedroom in the area that someone would like to offer or rent in hosting an actor during the run of a show would be perfect.
“3. Seasonal accommodations for our artistic director and her husband, who is our stage manager. Anyone have an efficiency, apartment, small cottage to rent? Perhaps a Realtor can assist us in a search?
“Please message us via Facebook private message [facebook.com/Eastlynnetheater] or contact us via our President’s personal email star19records@aol.com if you can help.
“Please limit post comments and messages to that which is a direct solution to our current needs. Expressions of support are appreciated and needed but we can only field messages that pertain to a direct solution. If anyone wants to help, it’s action that is needed.
“Our season and company’s future depends on finding these solutions in the next few days.”