Three Rivers College worked to find a silver lining after the coronavirus put the Patrons of the Arts season on hold.
That turned into an opportunity to renovate the Tinnin Center theater into a more sophisticated stage.
Tinnin Director Robert Abney had considered renovating the theater for some time, but the funds and time weren’t there.
Without a Patrons of the Arts season in 2020, donations went to the theater and there weren’t shows to schedule work around.
“ I think it would have taken us two or three years to do this if we were doing it while we had shows going on,” Abney said. “It would have been a much more stepped process. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise that we got to shut down for a year, really get in and do it.”
The project cost around $100,000 and is nearly complete, he said.
“I think we’ve got our money’s worth,” he said.
The theater received new carpeting, paint, trim, sound panels and seats.
Heading into Thursday’s celebration for a new Patrons of the Arts season, the only thing missing is the twin chandeliers. One will hang in the theater while the other will be in the atrium.
Due to COVID-19 triggered supply shortages, the chandelier isn’t in yet.
“That’s one of the reasons I haven’t switched to a different chandelier,” Abney said. “That was the only one I found that had a matching smaller chandelier.”
Abney’s goal with the renovation was to make the Tinnin Center theater match the style of Gilded Age theaters like The Fabulous Fox in St. Louis or the Orpheum in Memphis.
“I feel like it’s really warm and inviting,” he said. “It’s cozy, but at the same time majestic. It’s all the things we were striving for. I’m very happy.”
Abney said this was a different project than he’s used to taking on. When it comes to building sets for shows, he’s able to do it by himself and get it done.
“But it’s very temporary,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about the quality and stuff like that. So, in a renovation like this, you want to take your time and get it right. So, that’s been difficult for me, but I’m learning to be patient.”
The renovation focused on cosmetic work rather than technical pieces of the theater, which has been kept up with over the years.
The renovation will be unveiled to Patrons on Thursday and the public will be able to see it at the first show in the Patrons of the Arts lineup.