MOUNT VERNON — The MTVarts summer production of “The Little Mermaid” is postponed to 2024 due to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) renovations at the Knox Memorial Theater this May through July.
“We were disappointed, but our volunteers are all about making theater, so we will adapt,” MTVarts Treasurer Janis Stone said. “Our business plan is fluid, and we are exploring options.”
The MTVarts planning process for shows start at least a year in advance, Stone said, thus the postponement of “The Little Mermaid” to 2024.
MTVarts will still produce a summer show at the Woodward Opera House, presenting “Sister Act” from July 8-16, Stone said.
“In order to provide uninterrupted time and trying to anticipate with the supply chain when the actual units are going to be in and when it’s going to be able to be done, the decision was made that we just had to go ahead and put a pause on events, which nobody likes to do,” Knox County Commissioner Teresa Bemiller said.
“But once the project’s completed, it will be an extremely good project for the Memorial Building with the air conditioning and the demolition. We feel like it’s a worthwhile project.”
The roughly $1.5 million project is scheduled to be finished by July 24, County Administrator Jason Booth said. The HVAC renovations are being paid for via COVID-19 era American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The theater’s current AC system was “pretty much hanging on for dear life,” Booth said, adding he was not sure if it would last another year.
New ventilation ducts are being added to the theater as well as a new electrical system due to the increase of power needed to run the HVAC system.
“This will really modernize the building,” Booth said.
Along with the HVAC units, Knox Memorial will have a full-building generator, allowing events to continue even amid a power outage. The generator will cost roughly $200,000, Booth said.
“The whole goal was to try to get it done before we hit warmer weather,” Bemiller said. “It’s not something we ever want to do. It’s just that big projects like that take time. And I don’t know if it’s ever a really great time to do it, but you try to work around and make it the best that you can.
Once contractors come in for the project, they have to erect scaffolding in the theater, Bemiller said, but the rest of the building will be open for events.
The Memorial Building board has worked on finding venues for the groups who had planned on using the theater’s space during the summer, Bemiller said.
Another partner affected by the closure is The Spotlight dance studio. The studio has been around for more than 15 years, Spotlight co-owner Stephanie Stute said.
Stute said she plans the summer rehearsal nearly a year in advance, reserving dates in July. The contract to use the theater for Memorial Day weekend was signed in December 2022.
“We have nine graduating seniors this year that I think it was very disappointing to have to tell them that they weren’t going to get to perform on the stage that they’ve grown up on,” Stute said. “I think that was the biggest, the hardest part for us.”
Due to the renovations, The Spotlight is moving to the Woodward Opera House for its recital.
The change of scenery includes a stage alteration, as the Opera House venue is slightly narrower and deeper which will alter the studio’s choreography.
“We’re lucky (that) we have another venue in town and lucky that they are willing to work with us and accommodate the same dates,” Stute said. “It’s just unfortunate that there wasn’t more communication to the people that have signed contracts.
“It doesn’t seem like everyone was on the same page.”
