Hottenroth said when the theatre group purchased the building in 1993 it was in "quite a state of disrepair." The task was quite an undertaking and the group took "a leap of faith" in using their limited funds to purchase it on land contract.

After 11 seasons and four to five productions per year, $590,223 has been put into restoring the theatre between June 1993 and to date. Hottenroth was quick to note that amount does not include "the thousands of dollars of donated materials or the thousands of hours of volunteer labor ... that's labor you can't pay for -the labor of love."

Several months prior to the current Phase 1 of the $150,000 renovation to the interior, a group of volunteers called the "demolition and clean up crew" spent countless hours doing the prep work for the contractors thus saving the group a sizable amount of money.

"The community has always pulled together to help us," Hottenroth said noting that the 1994-1995 season was the "deepest, darkest year for us." During her first production in the Galion Community Theatre, in a scene of "Our Town" requiring the actors to use umbrellas, "there was actually rain falling on their umbrellas" through the roof, she said.

The following spring Hottenroth said the theatre's "first angel" stepped forward with a $5,000 check which the group used to install new spouting to correct the dripping problem. From there, interest started pouring in and people were wanting to help in the effort.

During the group's first season, it struggled with finances. She said money was spread "very thin"and the group had to decide whether to "pay the electric bill or gas bill this month." Hottenroth said the city was very helpful during the trying time.

"They've always gotten behind us and supported us to save the building and make it a first-rate facility," she said.

As a short history lesson, Hottenroth said the theatre was built in 1949 and seated 1100 people. The "state of the art movie theatre" was popular in Galion until the television took over the viewing audience.

She said the theatre was Galion's second building to have air conditioning. The first was the hotel, just up the street. Hottenroth said an advertisement from July of the opening season that offered a pre-theatre dinner at the hotel, complete with roses for the ladies for $1.50.

"So people could go from one air-conditioned building to the other."

After teaching at Thomas Worthington High School for many years Hottenroth had a performing arts complex there named after her. It is a testament to a life-long career that Hottenroth said she happy to have pursued.

"You can't always hit a baseball or hit a hoop," Hottenroth explained, "but with art at any age there is always something to participate in."

Article by The Galion Inquirer, published Thursday, October 30, 2003