The closing of Surflight Theatre and its accompanying Show Place Ice Cream Parlour in Beach Haven comes as a shock to many local residents and visitors who have fond memories of the venues. But for Allentown, Pa., resident Robert Woroniak, 80, and his family, who have been making trips to the area since the 1970s, “Broadway at the Beach” will continue as they make their sixth excursion to The Cast House in April.
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| Photo via Karen Goldner Robert Woroniak builds a replica of The Cast House, a hotel in Beach Haven formerly owned and utilized by Surflight for its summer actors. |
A 4,200-square-foot building that includes 10 Broadway-themed bedrooms and bathrooms, The Cast House, also located in Beach Haven, was formerly owned and utilized by Surflight for its summer actors.
Dave Martin, a former Surflight volunteer who said it is a shame to see “a great, long-standing theater go because the Island needs Surflight,” purchased The Cast House the same year Surflight added a newly constructed cast house adjacent to the theater. The Cast House was completely rebuilt, including new foundation and rewiring, and made available to renters. It sleeps 25 people.
About 65 percent of the in-season rentals are repeat people who rent every year “because they like it so much,” Martin said. Yearly inside changes keep the motif new and exciting, he added.
“It’s phenomenal what they put in there," said Karen Goldner, Woroniak’s oldest of four children. “They really went all out with props in there. Every year we all jockey for who’s going to get what room.”
Although the guest house itself is captivating, it also holds special meaning for the Woroniak family, who began celebrating special events there.
"We usually find some reason to celebrate something, either my parents’ anniversary or a major birthday, to make it a special occasion. Someone’s always turning 50,” Goldner said.
“My dad has always made sure we go for a week for vacation to Long Beach Island every year since we were little, and I’m 55. We would go to the Surflight Theatre, and I made sure my kids went there, so I’m very sad to hear that (it’s been closed),” she added.
Despite having a stroke six months ago, Woroniak took his love of his vacation accommodations one step farther. A retired electrician who enjoys constructing model railroads, he recently built a miniature replica of The Cast House out of plywood. He said he spent an entire day taking measurements of the windows and doors and even used Google Earth to get the detailing of the roof. The project took him about two months to complete.
“That’s how I do it. I measure everything and take a lot of pictures, and then I scale it down (to 3/16 of an inch on the foot), and I actually make blueprints and work off of that,” Woroniak recounted. “When you’re in the trades, you learn how to do everything and you find out how everything works. Once you know how everything works, it’s pretty easy to do it,” he added.
Though Martin has not seen the actual rendering, he said he has viewed pictures and it looks “just unbelievable.”
The replica is currently part of Woroniak’s train display at home, though he said he would consider donating it to the Long Beach Island Museum in Beach Haven when he passes.
A member of the Long Beach Island Fishing Club, Woroniak said he is also working on building a replica of the old Coast Guard station in Harvey Cedars, where the members meet. He plans to donate the model when it is completed.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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