Steve Dignazio – Star of Bethlehem

Photo courtesy of the Colonial Theatre

Geographically (distant north) and size-wise (a little more than 2,000 souls) you’d think Bethlehem, N.H., was the sticks incarnate. Well, not exactly. This tiny community has a culture as solid as rock and as cool as a mountain breeze. Its reputation is guarded by locals who are passionate about their little North Country enclave. Steven Dignazio, who has lived there since the 1970s, was a driving force behind the purchase and restoration of the Colonial Theatre, and he was appointed executive director in 2003. Since then, the theater has become a genuine cultural center and economic engine for the region. Looking for a first-rate foreign film? Why drive to Boston? The Colonial recently screened the Argentine film “Live-in Maid” when there were only four prints — the others in N.Y., Chicago and L.A.