The Rees Theater in Downtown Plymouth may become a multi-use event space in the coming years. Randy Danielson and a growing committee of volunteers have been working with the Wythougan Valley Preservation Council on a renovation plan. Community members filled Wild Rose Moon Thursday to hear an update on the project and offer input.
Danielson said the nonprofit preservation group officially took ownership of the theater last week, and the committee has turned in an application for grant funding from the Marshall County Community Foundation. Plans are still being put together, but Danielson said several residents have voiced their support for the multi-use concept.
Under the plan, Danielson said the stage would likely be enlarged to host various types of live events. The sloped floor would also be changed to a tiered floor, to accommodate table seating, as well as more traditional theater seating.
That means the theater will still be able to show movies, although Danielson said first-run movies will likely be out of the question. “First-run movies are going to be contracted first to, I’m sure, Showland, and that’s something that we probably will not be able to compete for,” he explained. “But there’s a lot of second-run movies that have already been through the first-run that kids would love and I would love and many of us seated here. With the digital equipment that you will need today, which is another big expense, it can still function with being a theater.”
He said the project committee has been researching similar renovation projects, and they’re drawing inspiration specifically from two theaters in Tennessee. “Now they have weddings all the time,” he said. “The wedding takes place on the stage. They are set up for the reception. So it’s kind of a total event center, where everything takes place right there. During the reception, on the big screen is the video that’s running that, many times, couples have, which is very impressive as well.”
George Schricker with Wild Rose Moon felt the Rees Theater could follow a similar model as his facility but in a larger space. Specifically, he hopes it will be able to host various live events that could be recorded and shared online. “For Wild Rose Moon, we believe that Downtown Plymouth can be reinvigorated as an entertainment mecca, if you will,” he said, “a kind of place where shows are not only performed, but created.”
However, one resident spoke in support of reopening the facility specifically as a movie theater, as a more affordable entertainment option for Plymouth families.
For now, Danielson says the next step is to make some exterior improvements. “We have worked to get bids and we have received and accomplished that for the first phase of the restoration, and that would include the masonry facade – cleaning, repairing, tuck-pointing,” he said. “Also cleaning and repairs – there’s just a little neon that’s broken – on the sign. And that sign was really completely replaced in the late ’90s, I think ’97.”
He says the marquee should be fully functional by this summer. After that, the next step will be to address some structural engineering concerns and replace the roof, followed by the creation of a sustainable business plan. No timeline has been finalized, but Danielson expects the process will take at least three to four years to complete.
He adds the project will require financial support from the public. Although the formal fundraising campaign hasn’t begun yet, Danielson says one major contributor is already on board. He says project organizers will also look at potential grants from the state.
For more information, visit the Rees Theater Facebook page.
