EDWARDSBURG — When the Barn Swallow Theatre’s building in Cassopolis burned down in 2004, the community theater group, which had been using the barn as a venue for more than 20 years, suddenly found itself without a home.

Since then, the group has been bouncing around for its performances.

Southwestern Michigan College, Edwardsburg and Cassopolis school buildings and the Cass County Council on Aging have all served as venues for plays.

And while it has been good for the group to make appearances around the county, Barn Swallow President Brendon McCullin says it’s time for the group to have a permanent place to call home.

“For the past few years we’ve been an organization with a spirit and mind but not a body,” he said. “It’s important to have an identity and know where we are.”

The search for a new theater has been on since 2004, and it looks like the group may have finally found the perfect place.

Hope United Methodist Church has offered to sell its old building near Edwardsburg to the group for $50,000. The church issued a deadline of the end of the month since there is another offer on the table.

So the Barn Swallow Theatre finds itself in a situation in which it needs to come up with thousands of dollars in a matter of weeks. McCullin says the group has about $20,000 in the bank for the project and is approaching community residents and businesses to make donations to make up the difference.

McCullin said the group has considered other locations, but the old church building is ideal.

“Everything is already in place to have an audience in it. Instead of trying to start from scratch, it’s ready to go,” he said. “We could have it up and running within a month.”

The 3-acre property, located on U.S. Highway 12 near Adamsville Road, also has proper zoning is a sufficient amount of land for Barn Swallow’s needs.

The group was donated a barn but it would cost $150,000 to bring it up to code.

McCullin says the residents of Edwardsburg have been encouraging Barn Swallow to come to their village for a while.

“Edwardsburg has been very accommodating and made it very much known they would like to have us there,” he said.

Barn Swallow draws participants from all over Michiana, including people from as far as St. Joseph, Elkhart, Granger, Marcellus and Three Rivers. The group puts together an adult play, a children’s show and a musical each year and has produced more than 65 shows over the years.

“It’s become a touchstone where people can have a shared experience,” said McCullin. “It’s a very powerful bond by the time you are done (putting together a play).”

If Barn Swallow purchases the building, it would also make the venue available to be used by community groups and organizations.

McCullin says the group is “cautiously optimistic” it will be able to get the funding to purchase the building.

Donations can be made at www.barnswallowtheatre.com or by mailing a check to: Barn Swallow Theatre Building Fund, P.O. Box 296 Cassopolis, MI 49031.