200-year-old church to become theatre school

A deal is in place for a new performing arts school to open in Saint John.

Its staff hope it will be the first Maritime performing arts school that offers high school credits.

Like many places of worship in the Maritimes, the 200-year-old Germain Street United Baptist Church in Saint John had a shrinking congregation and rising costs, so it was put up for sale.

The Interaction Children's Theatre bought the church as its new performance space.

Century 21 real estate listed the price of the church's address — 228 Germain Street — at $675,000.

The deal closes in August and has been approved by the congregation. The deal is conditional on the theatre group's ability to raise a certain amount of money by the end of July.

"The plan is to eventually offer accredited high school programs," said Kate Wilcott, the executive and artistic director for the theatre.

"They do their academics at a regular high school, and then they would come to the performing arts school for their theory and their history and their performing arts classes."

Wayne Dryer, the minister at the former church, said he's glad the school bought the space.

"It's really the best case scenario for us," said Dryer. "The congregation has always been supportive of the performing arts and to know that building can be used for similar purposes without any significant changes to the structure."

Theatre staff hope to start offering accredited programs in September 2012.