WOOSTER, Ohio — The movies are returning to downtown Wooster.
Renovations are underway at the old Lyric Theater site. The theater was once the go-to place for a night at the movies. Those Tinseltown memories are why locals Chris Buchanan and Cameron Maneese wanted to see the theater open again.
"Some of this is because it is so much of a memory place for so many people," Maneese said. "I've seen so many movies in this building back in the 80s. To know it was empty. It felt like it was a black hole."
The two found that others felt the same. In a matter of five years, they helped create a not-for-profit and raised almost $3.2 million to re-open the theatre.
"It's a shared experience," Maneese said. "People really crave those now."
The new Lyric Theater will include two large theaters that can seat 100 people each. An additional screening room will seat 23.
Traditional concessions will be sold, and guests can pour their own beer and seltzers at a self-serve kiosk. Hollywood blockbusters, independent, foreign, and local films will be on the screen.
The theater's board of directors envisions the theater being more than just a spot for movies.
"It's about more than just bringing back the movies," Greg Shaya, president of the board of trustees, said. "It's about taking an old theater and turning it into a public utility for the arts."
The hope is to make the theater the center of a new arts district downtown. Eventually, the theater would open up to dance classes, concerts and a local film festival. All of it makes Wooster a go-to spot for the arts.
"It's not only local," Sandra Hull, co-chair of fundraising for the theater, said. "It will reach out for downtown to attract people from not only Wayne County and Wooster, but the region."
That's all in the future. Right now, the board is focused on getting the theater opened. An opening is planned for late January.
The theater just received a $200,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor, meaning only $200,000 is needed from the public to complete funding.
Given the numerous stories of first dates, family outings, and enthusiastic reactions from the public, gathering those final dollars shouldn't be a problem.
'It wasn't just us and a random idea," Suzy Huse, a board member, said. "It really seems like it is going to work."
To donate or learn more about the Lyric Theater renovation project, click here.
