Rees Theatre Inc

THE REES THEATRE INC.'S MISSION IS TO RESTORE MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THE HISTORIC REES THEATRE AS AN ARTS CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR THE USE AND BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION IS RENOVATING AND RESTORING THE THEATRE BUILDING IN SEVERAL PHASES WHILE CONDUCTING EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES OFFSITE OR WHEN THE BUILDING IS NOT IMPACTED BY CONSTRUCTION.

RESTORATION RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC REES THEATRE. FOR ALMOST SEVENTY YEARS THE REES THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN PLYMOUTH INDIANA SERVED AS THE AREA'S CENTER FOR FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT. SADLY IN 2009 THE 1940 ART DECO THEATRE CLOSED AND FELL INTO DISREPAIR. RECOGNIZING THE VALUE OF THE BUILDING AS AN IMPORTANT CULTURAL AND HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR THE PEOPLE OF PLYMOUTH AND MARSHALL COUNTY A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS BEGAN MEETING IN 2016 AND 2017 TO EXPLORE HOW TO BRING THE REES THEATRE BACK TO LIFE. FROM THIS INITIATIVE THE ALL-VOLUNTEER NON-PROFIT CORPORATION THE REES THEATRE INC. WAS FORMED WITH THE MISSION TO RESTORE RENOVATE AND MAINTAIN THE THEATRE AS A COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS CULTURE AND EDUCATION. IN 2018 THE REES THEATRE INC. COMMENCED ITS MULTI-PHASED RESTORATION RENOVATION AND REPURPOSING PROGRAM. MASONRY WORK WAS COMPLETED TO RESTORE THE THEATRE'S WEST-FACING FACADE AND THE ORGANIZATION MADE ADDITIONAL REPAIRS TO THE LIGHTED MARQUEE SIGNAGE. ALSO ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS AND AUDIO-VISUAL PROFESSIONALS PROVIDED STUDIES AND PRELIMINARY DESIGNS TO CREATE A VISION OF THE THEATRE'S FUTURE. 2019 SAW FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO THE THEATRE'S EXTERIOR ENVELOPE. MASONS CONTINUED TO RESTORE THE THEATRE'S SOUTH AND EAST-FACING WALLS AND A NEW ROOF INSTALLATION NEARED COMPLETION. IN 2020 EFFORTS TURNED TO THE BUILDING'S INTERIOR WITH DEMOLITION STABILIZATION AND FRAMING TAKING PLACE. CONCRETE TIERS FOR THE INTERIOR AUDITORIUM FLOORS FEATURING RADIANT HEAT WERE POURED AS WERE NEW BASEMENT TUNNELS AND AN ADA-COMPLIANT RAMP. WORKERS INSTALLED NEW WATER GAS AND SEWER LINES AND UPDATED ALL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF THE ROOF TECHNICIANS INSTALLED 76 SOLAR PANELS FOR THE REES WHICH WILL PROVIDE UP TO 80-90% OF ITS FULLY-OPERATIONAL ENERGY NEEDS. NET-METERING ALLOWS THE REES TO RECEIVE CREDITS FOR THIS SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION DRAMATICALLY REDUCING ITS MONTHLY ENERGY BILL. IN 2020 NEW ROOFTOP HVAC UNITS WERE INSTALLED AS WELL AS THE NECESSARY DUCTWORK AND PIPING. MASONRY WORK CONTINUED. EXTENSIVE WORK ON THE THEATRE'S INTERIOR BEGAN IN EARNEST IN 2021. IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH SLA DESIGN INC. CREATED AN INTERIOR DESIGN PLAN FOR THE THEATRE TO REFLECT ITS ART DECO ROOTS WHILE ENSURING ITS FUNCTIONALITY AS A MODERN MULTI-PURPOSE FACILITY. ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE WORK ALSO CONTINUED IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION. IN AUGUST OF 2021 THROUGH A PUBLIC BIDDING PROCESS BROWN & BROWN CONSTRUCTION WAS AWARDED THE CONTRACT FOR THE FINAL INTERIOR CONSTRUCTION WORK ON THE REES. THIS CONSTRUCTION WORK BEGAN IN OCTOBER AND WOULD CONTINUE THROUGH 2022. THE IMPORTANT AUDIO-VISUAL COMPONENTS FOR THE REES WERE DESIGNED AND PURCHASED DURING THE LATTER MONTHS OF 2021 AS WELL. THE ANTICIPATED TOTAL REMAINING COST TO REVITALIZE THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING FOR MODERN USE IS APPROXIMATELY $1,380,000: CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND AUDIO-VISUAL COSTS - $1,320,000 AND FURNISHINGS EQUIPMENT - $60,000. IN 2021 APPROXIMATELY FIFTY REES VOLUNTEERS SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PROVIDING MANUAL LABOR TOWARDS THE THEATRE'S RENOVATION AND MANY MORE HOURS RAISING FUNDS APPLYING FOR GRANTS AND STRENGTHENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER AREA CIVIC ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. ALL FRIENDS OF THE REES LOOK FORWARD TO ITS ANTICIPATED GRAND RE-OPENING IN THE FALL OF 2022.

COMMUNITY CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THROUGHOUT 2021 THE REES THEATRE BUILDING WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND AT TIMES UNSAFE FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ENTER. WHEN DEEMED SECURE TOURS OF THE THEATRE WERE CONDUCTED BY INVITATION OR APPOINTMENT. IN ADDITION A SPECIAL BEAM-SIGNING EVENT TOOK PLACE IN NOVEMBER 2021 TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE WORK OF SO MANY WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE REES' RESTORATION. EVEN WHILE CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES THE REES THEATRE IS A CENTER FOR COMMUNITY CONNECTION. WITH THE HELP OF A GENEROUS GIFT FROM MEMBERS OF THE MARSHALL COUNTY COMMUNITY MARSHALL COUNTY TOURISM AND A COVID-19 RELIEF GRANT THE REES DEDICATED ITS NEWLY DIGITALIZED MARQUEE IN MARCH 2021. THE BEAUTIFUL DIGITAL MESSAGE BOARDS ALLOW FOR MORE VERSATILE MESSAGING SAFER POSTING AND SERVE AS AN OFFICIAL MARSHALL COUNTY EMERGENCY MESSAGING BOARD. THE RESTORED LIGHTED MARQUEE CONTINUES TO ENHANCE THE DOWNTOWN'S EVENING STREETSCAPE ANNOUNCING COMMUNITY EVENTS MESSAGES OF SUPPORT AND CELEBRATION AND MESSAGES OF PUBLIC IMPORTANCE. INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS MAY SPONSOR THEIR OWN MARQUEE POSTS TO PUBLICIZE NON-PROFIT EVENTS PROCLAIM HAPPY OCCASIONS OR COMMEMORATE MILESTONES. SUCH SPONSORSHIPS OFFSET THE OPERATING COSTS FOR THE BRILLIANT SIGNAGE. OTHER CULTURAL EVENTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE REES IN 2021 INCLUDED ITS PRESENTATION OF A SUMMER SERIES OF OFFSITE CONCERTS AND PERFORMANCES TO SHOWCASE THE TYPES OF ARTS CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT THE REES UPON ITS RE-OPENING.