A flash of lightning Friday night in Damariscotta sent theatergoers packing 10 minutes early at Lincoln Theater, as a surge of power from the strike knocked out Internet service to the building, shutting down the movie “To Rome with Love.” The movie was supposed to have run through Wed., Aug. 22, but has been canceled, as technicians scramble to make repairs.
The lightning damage comes just two weeks after a malfunctioning sprinkler system damaged the newly restored theater.
There was a “lightning strike somewhere outside the building,” said Lincoln Theater Executive Director Andrew Fenniman. “We could see it through the windows. It actually hit the cable and phone system, knocking out the internet to the whole building. It burned out some electrical equipment (and) sent the elevator down to the basement on emergency mode.
“It looks like our insurance is going to cover all the damage,” Fenniman said. “We really didn’t suffer a lot of damage, but they are covering everything with the lightning strike and the flood. I think what’s interesting is this was the first week we were actually trying to show a major film on Internet-based equipment, and it went down 10 minutes before the end of the movie.”
Those attending the movie were given passes to come back another time.
“It was unbelievable. We could have scrambled around and tried to find a 35 mm print but they are so scarce now; and we thought the easiest thing to do was to talk to all the [repair] people and get everything done this week,” Fenniman said. “That’s why we closed down the theater, we are trying to get it done in four days. We are trying to get new equipment,” Fenniman commented.
The Maine Coast Book Shop, located in the same building as the Lincoln Theater, was without Internet service Saturday and part of Sunday. There was no other damage to the building.
