聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Arcola Optimists have been hard at work updating and preparing for the first movie weekend of the season at the MacMurray Theatre.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The theatre saw a makeover this year and the Optimists are excited for people to stop by and see their new look.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e started out with a restoration of the front, we wanted to save the awning, which meant our ceiling inside had to come out and rehabilitation work done,鈥� Glen Lawson explained. 鈥淲e did quite a bit more work on the inside than planned, but it all came out really nice. We鈥檙e really happy with the look of it. We were able to save the art deco look and save the awning, it鈥檚 of course covered in stucco now which gives it a different look, but it looks good and we were able to keep the same profile as the original.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The main contractor of the new look was Roger Meyers, while Chapman鈥檚 Electric did all of the wiring and Rod Lees helped finish the inside.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey did a nice job, the colours work well together,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淲e looked at salvaging the doors, but they were shot, so we got new ones and new windows as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t took a lot of the summer, there were construction delays and projects that would come up as we started working on it,鈥� Lawson stated. 鈥淔ortunately we have enough done, it looks completed there鈥檚 just a little more to finish on the roof, to open for the weekend.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he end result was well worth it. We鈥檝e had some storms and haven鈥檛 had any water seeping inside, so we had been dealing with water damage, but I think that鈥檚 been fixed now.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Movies will be shown on the Friday/Saturday from now until May, with the first movie held last weekend to an eager crowd.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檝e had lots of people calling to inquire when it would open and we have two birthday parties coming,鈥� Lawson said of the opening weekend.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e will take Christmas and New Years off, but we鈥檙e sending out ad mats in the mail again and we also have a website and Facebook page which will have the movies up.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Inside the lobby, which is now more open and brighter, a new cooler and candy display have been added to spruce up the area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he new cooler and display were purchased because we would run out halfway through, mostly during kids movies, so we鈥檒l be able to keep up better with that now and we also have more staff in here as well.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This includes community volunteers and the students of the SRC at Arcola School, which make up a total of seven work crews.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ur plans now are to have everyone enter through the one door, to line up and get through quicker,鈥� Lawson said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Plans for the future of the MacMurray Theatre include looking into siding and the cost of a large sign to be hung in the empty area near the top of the building.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hese plans will kind of just depend on the quotes we receive back and what we think we can afford this year,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also almost done the Legion Hall and we鈥檝e begun planning for our snowmobile rally.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The restoration and reinvigoration towards the theatre developed a few years ago.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e were faced with closing or doing it [all the updates], so when we got the digital projector we had to keep going and improve the building as well,鈥� Lawson explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The project is one that is appreciated in the community as the nearest movie theatres are approximately an hour away for many, which makes this a close-by destination for enjoying entertainment.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting movies quickly and getting crowds,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淲e have terrific support from the area and have been getting people from all over.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In addition to movies, the MacMurray Theatre will be hosting Lisa Brokop, a Canadian country singer, the first weekend of December. The Optimists also plan on holding another concert in the spring as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Optimists are also working towards two projects in 2016 which includes replacing the swings at the play park with more modern and safer ones. They are also planning on working with the Fire Department and seeing what kind of equipment and other needs they currently have.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information find them online at or on Facebook: MacMurray Theatre.
