It has been 44 years since the Old Curmudgeon stood in front of his gallery in Mantorville with a few friends that included a drama teacher from Byron and a pianist whose career included Atlantic Ocean crossings and appearances at Carnegie Hall. The Dodge County Attorney was also in the mix. There had been an earlier attempt to get summer theater rejuvenated but the handful of characters still had faith in themselves to bring about a revival. The 1914 Opera House was only being used for City Council meetings anyway.