The text below was from an interview with Elaine Hottenroth in the spring of 2003. The included pictures show the work-in-progress in the fall of 2003.

Galion theatre getting new, but familiar, look

By PAMELA HENNEY
Inquirer Editor

When Galion Community Theatre's spring production "It's a Grand Night for Singing," a Rogers and Hammerstein musical review, opens June 20th, visitors to the theatre will be in for a surprise. Over the next 30 to 45 working days, the theatre will be undergoing some major renovations.

Art deco lobby - 11-20-03 Part of an overall effort to restore the 54-year-old theatre, this new first phase of renovations will be most visible to the community, according to Director Elaine Hottenroth.

Stepping inside the lobby, theatre goers may think they've stepped back in time. Hottenroth said the lobby has been opened up and restored to as close to the original art deco style as possible.

Volunteers have ripped out the storage room once taking up most of the original lobby and unearthed the original Terrazo flooring. Bits of the original ceiling molding still hanging near the ceiling will be copied and the new molding rehung. The one set of original interior doors will be copied as well for use in the two other doorways original to the lobby. A period chandelier is also on the list to be installed in the lobby.

"We're going to get it as close to the original as we can," Hottenroth explained, noting such details as the molding will look the same but will not be plaster.

Once inside the theatre, visitors will also see a new upper level featuring the same art deco styling, but boasting walls built specifically as a gallery display space. The temporary light and sound control booth will be removed opening up floor space for a reception center. Light and sound controls will be relocated to the old projection booth, which will also undergo renovation in this first construction phase.

Upper Level with walls for a gallery display space.- 11-20-03
Other renovations in this first phase include new dressing rooms and a new costume wardrobe space - both fully enclosed. The only areas not being addressed in this phase, which preliminary estimates put at about $100,000, are the restrooms and the audience seating.

Up until now, most of the restoration work has been behind-the-scenes, according to Hottenroth and her sister, Nancy Herman.

"People don't see all the work that's been done," Herman explained. "Now they'll be able to see some of the progress."

Over the past 10 years, Galion Community Theatre has spent nearly $500,000 in donations and grant funding for upgrades and hidden renovations, including the recent installation of a fire protection sprinkler system. Hottenroth said when that total is added to the estimated amount of labor that has been donated by volunteers, the grand total spent on the theatre restoration tops $700,000.

"We're hoping more people will see what we're doing here and will be willing to help out with donations," Herman said. "It's going to be a great transformation."

Text from the Monday, April 7. 2003 Galion Inquirer article.

Beginning the new Theater Seating Phase Spring, 2004

A view from the top row of the soon to be new seating accomodations. The ramp on the west side will be unchanged.

Steve Karl, Carpenter with Galion's Weithman Bros., is laying out the actual elevation points on the east wall of the new platforms. An idea of the new seating can be gotten from the construction drawings. Aisles with handrails will be at either end of each row of seats.

The platforms will rise up from the floor in front of the stage to the present elevated floor up at the entry level.

A few days later...


Finishing up the drywall portion of this project.		The plastic sheeting is attempting to control the dust from sanding the drywall joints.


Bill Burkhart was on his way down from the high ceiling where he was touching up with a little paint.		Here is the view of the new seating area from the back of the stage. The drywalling is finished and painted. Now it is ready to have the carpet installed.


		Prints and Paints, also from Galion, has come back to finish up the new carpet. They had earlier installed the carpet on the upper level. The seating platforms, the area in front of the stage and the ramp to the lower level is now a luxurious light brown. At the left the crew members are installing the base coving up the ramp. The next two show the pounding, stapling and rolling to get the adhesive to properly hold the carpet to the platforms. Below the adhesive is being applied to the flooring panel.


The chairs are ready. A little work on the Stage lights and the theatre will soon be ready in time for the last presentation of the season.		The house lights are up and a full house is waiting for tonight's musical to begin. ClICK HERE or on the picture to get an idea of what it is like to see a show here at the Galion Community Theatre.