ASHLAND – Ashland Schine’s Theatre Organization invites the community to celebrate Mardi Gras and support their efforts to restore the theater with a fundraiser Thursday.
The fundraiser is located at the Schine’s store next to the theater at 212 Center Street in Ashland. Doors open at 5 p.m. Feb. 15 and guests will enjoy Mardi Gras-themed food and beverages, a selfie station, a trivia contest, raffle baskets, auction items, door prizes and prizes for the best mask or costume.
Among the items up for auction are a “Wine and Ale Trail” basket that includes a limo ride for eight people and a Rocky II press book signed by Sylvester Stallone.
At the end of the evening, guests can take a tour of the theater.
Ashland Schine’s board president Bill Sample said Thursday’s event is the third such fundraiser the organization has held to raise money to bring the theater back to its original condition. The theater opened in 1942 as a live stage and movie venue and was later converted into a three-screen movie theater. It closed in 2011.
The organization envisions using state-of-the art technology alongside original decor that can be salvaged and exact replicas of things that cannot be preserved. The plans will return the theater to one large theater with a single stage for live productions and a screen for movies, two bars and a dinner theater area.
Ashland Schine’s secured a $300,000 grant from the state that will be used to replace the theater’s roof in the spring and then to redo the electrical system and update the HVAC system. After that, Sample, said the restoration work can begin.
Though people are eager to see the theater reopen, Sample admits the pace of the project is slow.
He estimates the project would take at least two more years even without a cash flow shortage. But with limited funds, he said, it likely will take longer.
Sample expects the entire project will cost around $3.6 million. The organization intends to apply for more grants but will also need significant private donations to complete the project, Sample said.
“You want to try to keep the community involved in the process because this is a long-term commitment to restoration,” Sample said. “We don’t need just one donation from you. We need several over time. It doesn’t have to be big donations, but it’s going to take a lot of time.”
Money from Thursday’s fundraiser, Sample said, will go toward the next phase of the project — the creation of a new digital replica of the original marquee.
In addition to the fundraiser, another way to support the theater restoration is to make a purchase from the Schine’s store. The theater organization has about 2,000 movie posters available for sale, as well as Schines merchandise like hats and t-shirts.
The store is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
