Lenore Mallett builds community at the Colonial

On any given day in Salisbury or Lakeville, you might spot Lenore Mallett picking up dinner at LaBonne’s supermarket or chatting with neighbors. What many may not realize is that this same neighbor helping people find plumbers, foster dogs — even future spouses — is also helping revive the historic Colonial Theatre in North Canaan and quietly shaping community life across the Litchfield Hills.

Mallett is one of the driving forces behind the restoration and reopening of the more than 100-year-old Colonial Theatre, which she and members of the Fiorillo family purchased, renovated and reopened in 2023 as a community cultural hub serving North Canaan and the surrounding region.

That Mallett is a creative, entrepreneurial, energetic and successful professional is indisputable. Today she holds two almost full-time jobs. The first is as a top-rated sales executive at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, where she connects clients to the “homes of their dreams.” The second is managing the Colonial Theatre.

“We took on the acquisition and renovation of what was once the town’s popular movie hub decades ago and reconfigured it for the benefit of the town and its surrounding communities,” Mallett said. “It was our intention to remake it into a cultural hub, one that could house a wide diversity of events with broad public appeal.”

“We figured a good way to start was to rent out small spaces within the building,” she added. “We loved helping young entrepreneurs, acting as a launching pad for their small businesses, and we kept the rent affordable. Initially we had a housewares store, a hair salon, a baker in the basement and a photographer on the second floor. They all flourished, outgrew their spaces and successfully moved on. For us, it was like baby birds leaving the nest.”

Today the Colonial Theatre continues to support community programs, including its largest tenant, Canaan Kids Art Space. The organization hosts an after-school club for children ages 6 to 10 and a summer program with four one-week sessions, providing families with a safe and creative environment where children can learn about many forms of art and create their own work. Organizers also maintain a policy that no child is turned away for lack of funds, working with families to ensure participation.

The Malletts and the Fiorillos outside of The Colonial Theatre. Sonja Zinke

The Colonial’s space — encompassing a second-floor ballroom, a 120-seat theater and several smaller rooms — is highly versatile and can be reconfigured to accommodate a wide variety of events and audiences. The venue has hosted movie screenings and festivals, graduation and awards ceremonies, large family reunions, birthday parties, cultural festivals, arts and crafts fairs, educational workshops and literary events including book readings and author talks.

“The space is open for the community to use as they see fit,” Mallett said.

Mallett’s generosity of spirit is also reflected in her volunteer activities. When her children were younger, she became a reading tutor at their elementary school, helping more challenged readers catch up with the rest of the class. She was also the co-founder of ReGroup, a Stamford-based nonprofit that helped women successfully return to the workplace after taking “gap years” to raise families.

More recently, Mallett and her husband became partners in Robbie’s Community Market in Great Barrington, the eatery founded by Sheffield native Robbie Robles that opened last summer.

Most recently, the Colonial hosted the Falls Village and North Canaan historical societies’ George Washington Ball celebrating the 250th anniversary of George Washington’s birth.

Coming up is a movie series featuring notable films from the 1980s and 1990s, to be shown once or twice a month. Planned titles include “Back to the Future,” “Top Gun,” “Jurassic Park,” “The Princess Bride” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” More events are in development, Mallett said. Community members can follow announcements on the Colonial Theatre’s website, canaancolonial.com, or watch the theater’s marquee for upcoming programs.