Hi.

I'm Jeff Rea, your host for Economic Outlook.

Welcome to our show.

Back in the studio today after a break.

Last week, a big thanks to my co-host George Lepeniotis for filling in so abmirably.

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After five years, four phases, numerous fundraisers and a supporting cast of, well, hundreds, the REES Theatre has reopened in downtown Plymouth to rave reviews.

We'll tell you how this community got to this important day and why it's such a critical project for the area.

And we'll give you an inside look at the renovated space.

Coming up on Economic Outlook We're back in the studio for a new season here at Economic Outlook.

And today, we believe we have a great show for you.

Since 1940, the REES Theatre in Plymouth, Indiana, has provided family entertainment that has provided generations with storied memories.

Sadly, in 2009, the theater closed, leaving a big void in the heart of the community.

But earlier this month, the theater celebrated the completion of renovations and its grand reopening.

Joining me today to talk more about what's happening at the theater are Randy Danielson, the co-chair of the REES Revitalization Project Committee, and Brent Martin, the project architect.

Welcome, guys.

Thanks for being here today.

Thank you, guys.

Thanks.

So we've highlighted REES a couple of years ago when we were down that way just to sort of talk a little about the activities.

But we've had an important celebration from then.

So we're excited to show our viewers today a look inside.

But we wanted to spend some time here in the studio talking about it.

Randy, maybe as we start, though, come your way.

Talk a little bit about your involvement, how you got involved, how long you've been involved in the REES effort there?

Well, actually, the initiative began in 2015 when the other Performing Arts Center at Plymouth, which is the Wild Rose Moon, they hosted a humanities class with eighth grade students.

And one of the projects was for them to identify what would keep them in Plymouth or make them want to come back to Plymouth and reside.

And so there were six groups that presented, and three of the groups came up with the idea that the theater needed to come back to life.

My wife and I were at that particular event, and that kind of instilled in us, you know, that there was a need.

And then later that next year, the owner of the Wild Rose Moon, which is George Schricker, he came to me at the funeral home.

I spent a career at the funeral home, and he indicated that as well, the theater needed to come back to life.

And so my wife and I were positioning ourselves for retirement.

Didn't know that that retirement first five years would be restoring a theater.

But actually, after the gift, gift was made to purchase the theater and move it into a 501C3 situation, we went with Brent and my wife and I, we went to the Embassy Theater and it was in Fort Wayne because we enrolled the REES Theatre in what is called the League of Historic American Theaters.

And they did tell us at that point in time that if you're just starting this process, you've embarked on a 5 to 10 year process.

And my wife looked at me with a little bit of concern because we just we weren't totally prepared for that kind of a timeframe, but we did it in six years.

The community did it in six years.

And, you know, as I say, that takes a village.

It took a village and more.

So great.

Brent let's come your way a little bit.

Sure.

So talk about.

So you're an architect with SRKM architecture.

Yeah in Warsaw, Indiana.

So talk a little bit about how you get involved in a project like this.

I like to tell people that my love affair with the REES Theatre started in the mid 1990s because we did some restoration work on the exterior facade when it was still in operation.

John and Gwen Hosell were the owners at that point in time, although like a lot of historic single screen theaters, he was getting just very difficult for them to maintain operations.

Subsequent to that, the theater, of course, did close, and Randy and Eleanor and I talked a lot about what our vision might be for getting it reopened.

We decided very early on that the two things it needed to be very, very multipurpose.

We couldn't make it sustainable just showing movies.

It was not going to work.

So it's set up so that you can have banquets or business meetings or theatrical performance music and movies.

And the other thing is that it was it was very important that we create a space that was in the spirit of the REES Theatre as a late art deco piece of architecture.

And, you know, I think we kind of accomplished that.

It's got a nice feel when you when you come inside.

I think the finished product is getting some rave reviews, and I think hopefully several people watching today will want to come down and experience what's happening.

Oh, please do.

Please do.

Randy want to come back your way?

So give us some.

Can you give us some historical context, just sort of REES' the REES Theatre's prominence in the community, your importance in the community, how long it's been around, kind of what happened there through the years?

Well, I think the important thing is the structure itself was built in 1865 during the Civil War, and it was a three story brick edifice.

It was the largest building in Plymouth.

And so in 1925, the family came from Pulaski County to Plymouth, and they were in the theater business and they bought an aging theater.

It was called The Gem, and so they renovated it and restored it.

But at that time, there was a lot of competition between theaters.

I mean, that's where people wanted to go.

That's where air conditioning was and comfort.

And so there was another theater in Plymouth called the Rialto, and they wanted to be the best.

So they did a renovation and Stuart Nople Rees, they thought, well, we're going to make the best theater we can possibly make.

And so they started traveling the United States and getting best practices.

And one of the things they came back with was their theater was going to have a cry room.

And they found that in New Jersey.

And so they decided to buy that corner and transform that aging building into a theater.

And so in 1939, Alvis O'Keefe, he was the architect at the time.

And what was really nice was we have the drawings from Alvis O'Keefe.

So recreating all those art deco details was something that was and I won't say was easy, but we had a footprint.

It was feasible because we had some of that original material that long gone as far as being in the theater, but yet, hey, there's the drawings and we had photographs from opening night in 1940.

And so we use those as inspiration for what we created.

What happened?

What happened on opening night, 1940?

Any idea what they showed or anything?

Remember the night?

Okay.

That's the film, remember?

Correct.

The Christmas film that it opened in February 1st of 1940.

And the Rees family.

So they were prominent Plymouth business people at the time.

They're theater fans.

A little bit of both.

What was it that inspired them to sort of make this investment in Plymouth?

Well, they wanted to take the lead again on that competition, so to speak.

But they wanted to host the A-list movies.

Okay.

So they they made their theater as nice and as really as modern as it could be for 1940.

You know, when it opened, all newspaper accounts that I have read that are in the Historical Museum is that it was the most advanced technical, technologically and sound of any theater rural theater in all of Indiana and possibly the Midwest.

So they brought all of those aspects together.

And, you know, air conditioning was a big deal at the time.

So they they had it all.

They had hand dryers, the automatic hand dryers that, you know, you would see modern day that we don't use as much now because of COVID.

But those were installed even in 1939, so it was pretty classic.

So fast forward a little bit, let's go in the mid to late 2009 I think is the day that I remember it closed.

So.

So it closes and it sits largely unoccupied for the next several years.

Yeah.

Fortunately, about three years after it closed two local business owners.

Also, downtown business owners purchased the REES really to protect it.

They were afraid it's going to get so bad somebody is just going to knock it down.

It's going to become a parking lot or whatever, and they just didn't want to have that to happen.

So they sort of held it in escrow, if you will, until something could come along and make make it happen.

Right.

And that took a few years, but they did.

Yeah.

So.

So Brent you then have this responsibility.

You you get to be the the person that helps put these pieces of this back together as the as the project architect.

So.

So talk a little bit about just sort of this reimagining piece, this this respecting the historical piece.

But you're thinking.

Well.

A new theater.

Yeah, there is just a tremendous amount of technology in the research.

And we wanted it to be on the cut, on the cutting edge of technology.

That's why it's got a giant LED screen that moves and all the audio visual accouterments that you would expect, you know, in a first rate movie house and Performing Arts Center.

So I think of our our role is kind of that the hub because, you know, we've got an interior design consultant and a theater consultant and a structural engineer, electrical, you know, all these people that are consulting.

And then we're the spot where that all comes together.

And, and sometimes we argue about things.

I remember several, but that's okay.

That's part of that process.

One of the big things that we did do with the, you know, the level tiers that are connected with ramps that reduces our seating capacity.

So our seating capacity is 236.

Now the reason it's that much is that we had enough ceiling height to put a balcony in the back.

The REES in 1940 did not have a balcony and sat 600, if you can believe it, just packed in like this.

But 236 very intimate setting and you know, from the front of the stage to the back wall is only about 75, 76 feet.

Really, really feels like you're right in the performance, which is nice.

Great.

All right, guys, we're gonna take a quick break here.

We're going out into the field.

George Lepeniotis.

We sent him down to Plymouth for an inside look at the theater.

George, let me toss it to you.

Thanks, Jeff.

I'm in downtown Plymouth at the but also old REES Theatre.

And I'm joined today by Don Wendel.

Don, thanks for being with us.

Thank you.

Don.

tell me a little bit about your history and how it came to be that you're involved here at the REES Theatre.

I retired from my regular job and 2018 Plymouth had a historic 100 year flood in 2018.

So for 2018, I was part of a group that rebuilt homes for low income people.

So I coordinated construction there.

I ran into Randy Danielson on one night eating dinner, and he wrote me into what's now four years down the road.

I think his promise was a year stint.

So roping you into it is great.

But I have a sense, as we've been here today and I met Randy the last time I was here, the REES for our viewers who are familiar with the project, the REES one of the oldest structures in Plymouth, I believe.

We've said before we went on air that the piece was built the same year Lincoln was assassinated.

I But if you walk around here today and as our viewers are going to see and the images that we're showing them now, you couldn't tell that it's not a brand new facility.

Yes.

So you've spent four years as a labor of love, along with many people, hundreds of people that came together from Plymouth and beyond to support the reconstruct of the REES.

Let's start with that.

Taking a building that was built in 1865, and I know you have a pretty long history in construction that was your profession by trade.

That's a hard challenge.

It was an especially here it was we had some structural issues.

So to start with, this building was stripped down to the bones.

And I mean, four walls and a roof and everything else was exposed, had some structural issues.

So those had to be solved early on, and that was all solved before we started putting anything back.

But your viewers will see only a few things that we were actually able to save that anyone that came here before will recognize.

We're standing in front of one of this circle window, what was always here.

And everyone remembers that walking in the door.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And and largely the theme is somewhat similar.

I think you tried to have historically accurate.

You had some blueprints.

Correct.

And when we say the REES, the REES was a historic part of this community was built in or converted.

This building was built long before it was the REES Theatre But the REES was 1940.

It was turned into a theater.

And that stayed open and operational as a as a prime movie theater in town until 2008?

2009.

Yes.

So for a long time, this was REES Theatre.

It was.

Yes.

And now, as you've re-imagined it and I think we talked about a great story where the idea, the spark, the seed, if you will, came from a group of Plymouth Junior High School students.

Correct.

There was a competition, I believe there was five groups involved.

And the majority of them said for me to come back after I get out of college, it would be nice if the REES was revitalized.

Yeah.

You know, we think about Main Street, U.S.A. and a movie theater is always part of that, that image that we have.

So as we walked around here today, I was wowed.

Viewers are going to be wowed.

You guys have remained historically true.

And I know this was a labor of love, a lot of volunteer.

It's a non for profit organization that owns the facility.

You raised almost $4 million.

You've put every penny back into this building and it shows.

But the goal moving forward is to make sure that it's sustainable on its own.

Is that correct?

Correct.

How do you plan on doing that?

How do you plan on revenue?

Revenue in a facility like this?

We we figured out very early on we couldn't make it just as a movie theater.

You just could not make enough money to sustain what we wanted to do.

So it is multi-use from wedding receptions to educational programs to movies, of course, live bands.

We have an orchestra, orchestra pit.

If we want to have an orchestra and our seating is able to be structured for any of those.

And so if you go out or anyone driving by on the south side of the facility, there are banners up on the side and every one of them represents what we want to do.

Okay.

All right.

So let's talk a little bit about that.

There's the giant screen which I think our viewers can see behind us, but they will also see some overlay videos that will take of that thing.

It's amazing.

It's a I couldn't figure out when I first walked in what it was and how it projection was so clean.

It's not a projector.

No, it's an LED screen.

So there's no projector anywhere in the facility.

All right.

And you can see the screen.

The screen actually moves back and forth so you can gain stage.

And the stage is almost like a transformer.

It can create you can create an opera pit.

You can do all sorts of things with it.

And that really is what it feels like to me.

It feels like a movie theater at heart that has sprouted new wings and could do new things.

Yes.

As our viewers want more information, where can they go to find out more about that week's activities and the rest of your future plans?

REESTheatre.com REESTheatre.com here in Plymouth.

Well, thank you very much, Don.

Appreciate it.

Great job.

Thank you.

I know now that the theater's done, now we're going have to find something else exciting for you to do.

Okay.

Thanks, Jeff.

Back to you in the studio.

As I've told you before in our opening shows and when we get together, this has been one of my favorite stories during my time here at WNIT.

This is such a creative and passionate project that combines the passion of a community with smart business sense and takes a a landmark in small towns across the country and shows what can be done.

George, thanks for the inside look.

Appreciate it, guys.

Thanks for hosting us down there.

A great chance to see the theater and all the great work that's happened there, Randy.

You know, as we finish kind of our discussion about that, obviously the renovations important.

It's a it's an important fixture.

But looking forward, I think, is one of the things we want to focus on.

As you're thinking about programing and operation and and how you get people down there, talk a little bit about what's next down at the REES Well, we really feel like we have built the region's newest performing arts center.

It has like six pillars of operation where we can do music, dance, private events, theater, all those come together at one place.

And so we're rolling out nine different performances that are already in progress and under contract.

We'll have those out under our website, which is REESTheatre.com and we hope that it is a catalyst for not only Plymouth, but all of Marshall County to build momentum in arts and culture and creating somewhat of a little bit of a campus in downtown Plymouth for people to come.

We have new restaurants that are on the horizon and I think they're going to see a transition in Plymouth over the next few years and we're really pleased to be a part of it.

Yeah, it's very nice downtown to get that sort of critical mass.

You know, you have the REES Performing Arts Center, you've got Wild Rose Moon, Performing Arts Center, Heartland Artists is downtown, the Marshall County Museum Award winning Marshall County Museum.

You know, just a nice base there to build from and Randy's right to talking with some restaurants and all of a sudden it's an arts and culture district and that's great.

Just great.

So quality of place is the big buzzword we talked so much and places like theaters form such an anchor for that.

So we're thrilled to hear a little bit of that that talk briefly for just about the effort to get here.

Obviously, these things aren't cheap.

Somebody's got to own operate this.

You've got to raise the money to do this to the staff.

Please speak to just a little bit a few of those key partners maybe that help get you to where you are.

Well, we were very fortunate to be a part of regional cities, a grant from them, of course, when Marshall County won the stellar award, Crossroads made it their Hallmark project.

So, you know, we have stellar funds that came into play, but to kick it all off was the city of Plymouth and redevelopment and an entire community.

I mean, we raised over $1,000,000 of private funds to complete this.

In addition to that, we have nearly $600,000 of gifted materials and services from area vendors, you know, that have been such a support or we wouldn't be here today in announcing that, you know, we're open and ready for business.

So and so the theater today is owned by owned and operated, but.

It's a 501C3 The REES Theatre Incorporated.

Yeah.

So, you know, you, you own as much of it as anyone, you know, we all do.

And I think for sustainability, all the things that we mentioned have to be in play.

One of the things I'd like to mention, though, a gift that came it was a proposal.

I got a phone call just two weeks before the theater opened and she expressed to me that she had a bequeathed that a gentleman who was an orphan to the age of 12, he was adopted by a Lakeville family.

His name is Tom Greiss.

He left, didn't get to see the the result, but he was so excited to hear that his beloved theater was going to reopen when he was an orphan himself.

That's the greatest joy he got.

So he left bequeath all that no child, 12 or under, will ever pay for a movie.

Wonderful.

At the theater.

That's great, Brant, as we're heading into our last few minutes.

So so so plymouth's not the only town that's had to deal with the projects like this.

Many old towns have that old theater there.

It seems like we can learn a lot of lessons from Plymouth in terms of how it how they attack this and so so share some maybe best practice or lessons that we might share.

I would say the big thing is, is to make that core group of people who are going to be involved in the project from day one to completion and beyond, as broad based as you could possibly make it.

That's really, really essential Was going to movies at the REES.

because it is a community project.

And whether it's the REES Theatre or a theater in Culver or Rochester or Logansport or any of that northern and central Indiana communities, that is what it takes.

It can never be Brent's theater, right?

You know, it has to be that community based thing.

So I would encourage any folks be prepared for 5 to 10 years, and that's that's important and be as broad as you can be and as interactive as you can be with the community.

That's the key to success.

Great and Randy Come back your way because you and your wife played such a critical role.

But but but in other communities, other people are sitting on the fence thinking about that same thing.

Any advice to other business or community leaders about getting involved in a project like this?

Well, I think reinvesting in your community, if you have a passion for your community reinvestment is what it takes to move it forward.

And so I think we took that approach when we were positioned for retirement, not to just walk away, but become more of a part of it.

And I think Brent is exactly right.

We we surrounded ourselves with the talent that was necessary, you know, with the committee that we put together.

And we didn't lose any of those members.

So that so in our last couple of minutes, because we want to make sure people come experience it.

So so again, touch a little bit on the some of the things on the horizon for through the rest of the year that that maybe people should have on their radar radar in terms of of what or why, why and when they should come down there, maybe.

Go ahead.

Well, I, I only have a general knowledge.

Yes.

Because I'm not in the booking department.

But I do know that we've got nine events coming up.

And as Randy had mentioned, definitely go to the REES Theatre website, which is just entered on Google.

It's going to pop right up and you can start to see all those events, summer, summer movies still working a lot on booking entertainment and and quite frankly, it is available for private parties as well.

And we've got some of that booked.

So that's the key to making it sustainable, is to have all those different fingers in the pot so that you're not dependent on just one aspect.

I was very excited to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is the first movie that happened to be our Benefactors favorite movie.

Exactly.

So it was just was perfect.

And we even had Willy Wonka in costume out there on the sidewalk.

So, you know, it's got to be fun.

It's got to be fun.

You know, the stage itself was named after a music teacher 38 years in Plymouth Marshall County, which was Bob Pickel.

And so two of his students are the first to play on that stage was Denver Bierman in the Mile High Orchestra, and our next performance will be Brett Wiscons.

He's in Indianapolis, another great performer so.

REESTheatre.com Right so yes good guys thank you so much for your being here today.

A Great thank you.

Congratulations on your good work.

Appreciate you sharing your story.

Thank you.

I appreciate.

That.

That's it for our show today.

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