By Jackie Seabolt
Enterprise Record

Gene Johnson has a mission – to provide affordable, quality theater and other arts and entertainment opportunities to the people of Davie and surrounding areas.
The Farmington native plans to open a summer theater group, Broadway’s Best Theatre Company of NC, that will specialize in something for everyone.
Johnson, along with two others, Stan Bernstein and Steve Bradford, have begun plans to renovate the former Ace Hardware building at Farmington Road and I-40 into a 250 seat theater.
Johnson says the idea is one he’s wanted to accomplish for several years. The North Carolina School of the Arts graduate says he knows a lot of theatre performers in North Carolina, but they have no where to work. “We want to give them some experience before they hit the major markets.”
Johnson says that he searched other areas in Forsyth County for a theatre location, but as he drove by the Ace Hardware a while back he realized it would be the perfect spot. “I love the deck, I love the trees … it’s the perfect location. It’s easily accessible and only 20 minutes from downtown Winston-Salem.”
Bernstein scans the property and adds, “In the back of our minds this is what we thought a summer theatre should look like.”
Inside the 6000 sq. ft. building Bernstein lays out the plans to transform the open space …