ASHLAND — Every Ashland resident has a memory related to the old movie theater downtown, and the good news is, more will be made soon.
‘The Ashland,” as it was named when the 1,500-capacity theater began on March 27, 1942, opened its renovation doors for the Shop Hop and Hidden Spaces Tour Friday and Saturday.
Believe it or not, there used to be four theaters (most likely spelled “theatres”) in Ashland in the 1930s. Motion pictures were exploding, but you could also watch cartoons and newsreels from World War II updates in Europe.
J. Myer Schine, who made his fortune controlling the distribution rights of films, saw an opportunity to meet that demand while creating a metropolitan theater in a small town. Hence, Schine’s Theatre was born.
Schine’s sons took over and eventually sold the building to the Nusbaum family in 1966. A decade later, two more screens were added and the capacity dropped to 600.
“2010 was the last time they showed a movie here,” said Bill Sample, the president of Ashland Schine’s Theatre Organization. “I’m the president, but that position is open to anybody that wants it (he joked).”
Over the years, the building had been slowly deteriorating, especially the roof, walls and electric. So, for economic reasons, the theater closed.
“We purchased it so nobody could tear it down,” Sample said.
What’s the fate of the building now? A complete renovation that should return The Ashland to its original brilliance. Sample is the lead renovator at the historic Mansfield Reformatory, aka the Shawshank prison, and based on the progress there, we’re in good hands.
For starters, there’s going to be a digital marque (just like you see in the movies).
“I’m not hanging letters,” Sample said.
On the first floor, the two movie screens will remain, with new seats, paint, HVAC, electric and a new roof overhead. But the traditional seating area will be cut in half, as the back end will be encased in glass.
Dinner theater will now be an option, as you can pull up a chair at a table, eat a good meal, sip on some Pinot Noir and watch “Avengers 24.”
The original concession stand, pulled from a house across the street, will be part of the new look. The team also hopes to be able to restore some of the original artwork on the walls that were painted over. If you look up in main lobby, you can see a rose patchwork pattern trying to poke through the black paint.
“It’s really a great opportunity to show off what we’ve got downtown,” Ashland Main Street executive director Sandra Tunnell said. “You can take these buildings and really make them into spectacular things.”
If you ever saw a motion picture on the first floor, then you walked over a tunnel, as the building was constructed with “swamp” air conditioning. Modern AC will take its place.
In terms of the ambiance, all the guts of the structure will be new, but the look and feel will be classical.
“It will look like 1942 in here,” Sample said.
Did you know there’s more seating and a stage behind the two screens on the first floor?
Are you ready for bands, the symphony and live performances downtown in an updated venue?
For perspective, Ashland’s theater has more square footage than the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield.
According to Sample, it is believed that Bob Hope performed on that very stage in the back. Considering Hope is from Cleveland, it’s not a stretch.
Hope always signed the wall of the dressing room, and even though the panels have been painted, Sample is going to use new technology that can uncover the possible autograph.
The small storefront connected to the theater is now a museum of sorts, where you can buy original movie posters and other nostalgia. Previous owner Jeff Nusbaum has been described as a bit of a pack rat, and over 2,000 original movie posters were found in great shape, and they are all for sale. The shop started as a laundromat, so you could throw a load in and then go catch a flick.
Since the organization has the original blueprints, all asbestos concerns have been addressed and they are removing all the lead paint they can find, according to Sample. But at the end of the day, there’s only so much that can be done concerning any aspect of the renovation as money and workers are always an issue. Donations and labor volunteers are always welcome.
While the group has received grants from the State of Ohio, and have another one coming soon, it still doesn’t cover all that needs to be done. As a result, we may have to wait 2 to 5 years before it actually opens.
But when it does, all good things…
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