GREENFIELD — Whenever twinkling bulbs light up the marquee at the historic H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts in downtown Greenfield, there’s likely some type of performance taking place on stage inside.
If the Friends of the Theater get its way, those golden lights may soon twinkle on a nightly basis.
The local nonprofit, a group of performing arts supporters who banded together to support the aging theater, recently reached its goal of raising $35,000 to restore the marquee back to its original glory.
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“We’re giving the old girl a face lift,” said Noelle Russell, Friends of the Theater’s vice president and a frequent performer on the Ricks stage.
The first work date should be scheduled soon, she said, and the project will be completed this spring.
Since the marquee’s new LED lights will be so much less expensive to operate than before, the Friends group hopes to see the marquee lit up regularly to illuminate the downtown and draw attention to the art-deco style theater, whether a performance is taking place or not.
“One workman said you could run these new lights 24 hours a day and not pay what you’re paying now to run them,” said board treasurer Debbie Wilkerson. “The cost savings is unbelievable.”
Having such a beautiful, historic venue in town is not to be taken for granted, said Wilkerson, and neither is the impact the marquee’s twinkling lights make when they light up Main Street.
“When it’s on, it makes all of downtown look vibrant,” she said.
Friends of the Theater started planning the marquee restoration project when the group first formed two years ago. It started fundraising a little over a year ago.
They first brought out a sign company to determine if the original marquee on the 73-year-old theater was structurally sound, which it was.
“If you get into replacing a marquee, it’s a six-figure project, so we’re very lucky we didn’t have to take on anything like that,” Russell said.
The first estimate to restore the marquee was under $15,000, but the Friends group set its sights on additional renovations, including a new set of letters and upgraded interior lighting, which brought the overall project to just under $35,000.
“We really wanted the entire package — a bright, shiny marquee with beautiful letters that all match, so it makes a great impression,” Russell said. “We know it is a rare treat to have a theater like the Ricks in a town the size of Greenfield, and it’s really something to see for folks driving into town, especially from the west side. That marquee is one of the first things they see, so we want to make sure it makes a wonderful impression.”
The group raised funds from a number of sources, including NineStar Connect, the Hancock County Community Foundation and the city of Greenfield.
They won the Greenfield Rotary’s Steak ‘N Bake ‘N Raffle event last year, garnering $6,000; and received a $3,000 matching grant from Greenfield Main Street to purchase new marquee letters.
Spreading the word resulted in more and more theater supporters coming forward to contribute.
“I think a lot of people feel like our board feels — we love the theater and don’t want to lose it and don’t want to see it close its doors or fall apart,” said Wilkerson. “It was just a matter of getting the word out that it needed help.”
This first renovation project is only the beginning for the Friends of the Theater, who hope to keep enhancing and maintaining the theater for years to come.
The group has sought quotes for enhanced overhead lighting in the auditorium and new curtains for the stage. Improving the patron experience is a top priority for the board, and visitors to the Ricks have often remarked about the need for brighter lighting in the house, said Amy Studabaker, board president.
“We want to preserve the art-deco style of the theater, so we’re making sure any update we make is discreet but effective,” she said.
The theater is owned and operated by the Hancock County Visitors Bureau. The Friends of the Theater formed as a upporting body, raising awareness of improvement projects not necessarily in the theater’s annual budget, said Studabaker, a performing arts lover and frequent performer on the Ricks stage.
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To donate to the mission of the Friends of the Theater group, visit donorbox.org/theaterfriends.
To learn more about Friends of the Theater and the Ricks Centre for the Arts, visit www.hctheaterfriends.org and www.rickscentre.com
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