Tinnin Center theater to get a facelift

While the Patrons of the Arts likely won’t have a season of shows this year, officials with it, Three Rivers College and the Tinnin Fine Arts Center are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Here, it means putting the funds normally spent on shows toward giving the Tinnin Center theater a facelift.

Tinnin Director Robert Abney said this includes painting, installing new carpets, adding new trim and panels to the walls, and hanging two chandeliers.

Mary Libla, chair of the Patrons of the Arts Society, and Dr. Wesley Payne, Three Rivers College president, thank the sponsors of the 2019-20 Patrons of the Arts season.DAR/Michael Shine

Dr. Wesley Payne, TRC President, made the announcement during a banquet Thursday night to recognize last year’s Patrons of the Arts sponsors.

Normally during the banquet, Payne and Abney announce the upcoming season of shows. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they could not book acts to perform. They had acts booked, Payne said, but the shows canceled.

“The Nutcracker (an act from Moscow) is not touring this year because they could not get entry visas,” he continued. “The Irish dancers have canceled their entire tour. There is not a single major performing act that is still touring this year. They are so doubtful that you couldn’t book them for the spring part of the season.”

Mock up of the work planned for the Tinnin Center theater.

Payne said as a result, they decided to take on the renovation project, which had been discussed before. During the season, the theatre sees too much action to get done what’s on the agenda.

“I’m a big believer that when life gives you lemons, you make a tasty and refreshing beverage,” he continued.

Payne credited Abney with the design and goals for the work to be done.

Mock up of the work planned for the Tinnin Center theater.

Abney said it is all cosmetic work since they’re regularly working on technical pieces of the theatre and don’t clue people in that it was done.

He worked in Photoshop, which Abney said he is not very skilled at, to come up with a rough idea of what he wants to theatre to look like.

The walls will be painted a warm color, in his mock up it’s a light yellow, to “give it a nice warm glow,” he said.

Mock up of the work planned for the Tinnin Center theater.

They’ll also put in new carpet, trim and red panels on the walls of the theatre.

“And, of course, we want to accentuate the lighting with a chandelier,” Abney said. “I’ve always wanted a chandelier.”

Abney said the one he has his eyes on comes with a matching smaller one they plan to install in the theatre lobby. That’s both the entrance for attendees and the area where Center Stage cast come out to meet people after shows.

“It’ll kind of lead you into the theatre that way,” Abney said. “Right now, especially when the doors are closed, you can’t hardly tell there’s a theatre in there. We really wanted to accentuate that wall and pull you in a little bit.”

He took inspiration from older theatres, such as The Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, that are traditionally more “grand.”

“When we’re done with this, it will bring our theatre and the theatre experience for our patrons to the next level,” Payne said.