The Rural We: Yina Moore

Last September, we wrote about the revitalization going on in the Berkshires town of Adams, and a big part of that is the renovation of its former movie house, thanks to othe Adams Theater’s owner, founder and executive director Yina Moore. With a background in both finance and architecture, Moore is turning the long-dormant Adams Theater into a space for artists to rehearse, practice, teach and perform, while giving audience members access to affordable cultural events.

I worked for 12 years in finance in New York, but when I was in my 30s, went back to my original passion and got a masters degree in architecture at Harvard. A professor told me about the Berkshires and Thomas Krens, one of the original developers of MASS MoCA, who was working on his Extreme Model Railroad and Contemporary Architecture Museum in North Adams. I began working for him, putting together plans on how to create this museum and showroom. During the pandemic my family rented a house in North Adams and we fell in love with this place, and I began to understand the northern Berkshires a little better.

At the end of 2020, the Mohawk Theater in North Adams was for sale, and Tom encouraged me to put together an RFP. My proposal was rejected, but after doing so much design research, I got hooked on the concept of developing a performing arts space. The Topia Arts Center was for sale. The building is so amazing, with 8,000 square feet. it had been in private hands for over 17 years, so a lot of remediation and environmental issues had been taken care of. I completed the purchase in May of 2021.

Accessibility on many levels became my main concern. Many of the existing facilities in the area are seaonal; there aren’t that many year-round facilities for residents and local artists. Some of the summer festivals are out of reach for local families. How can I make the Adams Theater accessible so everybody can afford to see a show? I want the content accessible: eclectic, but with a spectrum of affordable offerings, especially in the winter and early spring. In the summer/fall it would be an incubator for artists. It should be a neighborhood theater that can be reimagined by everyone; I don’t want audience members to be afraid of going in.

In November we had a fundraiser and benefit concert that brought in 275 people. It made me realize that even though we’re still in the renovation stage, it would be possible to have a popup season. We’ve already programmed [but not yet announced] events from May 26 to September 2. I had so many artists reach out to me to as well as artistic advisers connecting me to their friends who are doing amazing work. We hope to have a grand opening in 2024.

I have a group of 12 artistic advisers, people in dance, music, theater, and film, plus the prior owners, who are helping me think more critically about the vision. I hadn’t planned on stepping into the role of artistic director this season, but I’m having fun with it!

My husband and two children are back in New York, so I go back and forth. I spend a lot of time in the Berksshires, but being in the city on weekends allows me to get familiar with emerging artists in New York and find collaborative opportunities down the road.