Photo providedThe Peoples Bank Theater, located at 222 Putnam St., will have a new digital marquee installed soon that will help theatergoers keep track of upcoming events and dates, and will allow out-of-town visitors to more easily locate the historic downtown theater
Looking ahead to warmer weather, Peoples Bank Theater, located at 222 Putnam St., plans to host their popular outdoor concert series again during the First Friday events in downtown Marietta.
“We’re working on nailing down the lineup each month for the First Friday events and securing sponsors for those shows, as well,” Marketing Director Kaitlin Streator said. “We have full intentions of having that event again this summer.”
The monthly event, hosted by Marietta Main Street, runs from 5-9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month and highlights the locally owned business and shops. Streator said she knows Front Street is the star of the event.
“But we hope that by having these outdoor concerts and shows it encourages people to, you know, just turn the corner and come down Putnam,” Streator said. “So yeah, we’re excited for that.”
She said a new digital marquee is also in the works to better promote upcoming shows and help people find the historic theater.
“Especially for the people who are from out of town. It’s really easy for them to pass us up sometimes and not know exactly where the theater is or where to park,” Streator said. “I think it’ll really change the look of downtown and it really changed the look of Putnam Street. Not quite sure when exactly that will happen, but we are hoping for this summer sometime.”
The theater is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, led by the Hippodrome/Colony Historical Theatre Association, and Streator said they are always looking for volunteers and new sponsors. She said the theater depends heavily on volunteers, and they are crucial to the small but mighty staff at the nonprofit theater.
“We depend on our volunteers so, so much,” Streator said. “If it weren’t for our volunteers, we wouldn’t be here.”
She said the theater aims to acquire new sponsors for shows to help keep ticket prices low compared to other venues. She said sponsorship benefits for businesses include free tickets, VIP access, and possible promotions at events.
“I really have tried to dedicate some time to acquiring sponsors for shows,” Streator said. “Which comes with a lot of great benefits. You get free tickets to the show, you can have possible VIP meet and greet access, we wine and dine you during the event.”
She said the theater will also be a stop for Marietta Main Street’s Wine and Chocolate Walk in May.
“We’re going to be a stop and people can come in and get some chocolates and wine, and we’ll be open that Saturday,’ Streator said.
More events coming this summer and fall to the theater include:
≤Oak Ridge Boys farewell tour performance on May 17
≤Trace Adkins concert on June 27
≤Comedian Kathleen Madigan in August
*Tribute band Hairball in September
≤Rodney Carrington comedy performance on Nov. 1
Streator said there will also be a Broadway production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in June featuring local children.
“We’re just so excited for this show, because it’s gonna have a lot of local kids in it,” Streator said. “We’re gonna have 20 to 30 local kids in this production along with professional actors, both from the area and from across the country, coming here, to put on these shows. So, it’ll be really cool. I’m personally just very excited for it.”
Streator said the theater strives to be fully accessible for all patrons and has designated wheelchair seating areas with transferable armrests that can pop up or swing open, making it easier for those using mobility devices or who have difficulty getting in and out of seats.The bathrooms are handicap accessible and there are curb cutouts for wheelchair access to get onto the sidewalk.
She said the theater can also provide sign language interpretation for shows upon request. Recently, the theater partnered with The Amputee Center in Parkersburg to create a video highlighting their accessibility features, which is available on the theater’s YouTube channel.
To keep up with all of the upcoming acts and shows, to volunteer or become a sponsor, or sign up for the newsletter to have information sent directly to you, visit peoplesbanktheatre.com.
Douglass Huxley can be reached at dhuxley@newsandsentinel.com
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