Celebrating our spirit: entertainment abounds in the area

LIMA – Visiting local venues is a great way to explore neighborhoods and discover new experiences. Whether looking for entertainment, culture or just a fun evening, there are plenty of options here.

Lima’s Veterans Memorial Civic Center, Van Wert’s Niswanger Performing Arts Center and Findlay’s Marathon Performing Arts Center are host to hundreds of professional performers, Broadway productions, national and international speakers, dance recitals and venue for other works.

Two historic theaters have been and are still being restored to their former glory, the Dutch Theater in downtown Bellefontaine and the Ohio Theater in downtown Lima.

Opened on February 12, 1931, Schine’s Holland Theater is a 1,400-seat movie palace. When Holland opened, it had the largest movie screen in Ohio, at 40 feet wide.

The Schine family commissioned Dutch-born Lima-based architect Peter M. Hulsken to design the theater. The Holland is the only atmospheric theater in the world to feature Dutch architecture, and the only atmospheric theater to have a copyright design.

Atmospheric theaters are a type of movie palace design popular in the late 1920s that seek to evoke a sense of the outdoors by using projectors, architectural elements, and decorations to evoke patrons’ sense of a specific time and place.

The Ohio Theater in Lima is a historic movie palace built for the Schine Corporation. Built in 1927, the theater is a brick-concrete structure with a variety of architectural styles. The frescoed interior is being restored to evoke nostalgia for a bygone era.

Holland offers a variety of events in its theaters; the Ohio Theater has just returned to performing performances for the public.

Avante Garage Theater Company was founded in 1984 by Michael Bouson as an improv/sketch comedy troupe and has since become Nashville’s longest running professional show. Later, Joe Correll joined the company as co-artistic director. In 1994, it moved to New York City, where Avante Garage was as successful as it had been before.

After a long hiatus, Avante Garage presents Joe Correll’s original play “The Favourite” at the Avery Schreiber Playhouse in North Hollywood, California, in the Theater District. Their success in Nashville, New York City and Hollywood inspired Busson and Correll to look again for a permanent home for their beloved theater company, which eventually brought them to Lima and the historic Ohio Theater.

Visiting smaller venues can be an enjoyable experience for a variety of reasons, including intimacy, a unique experience, support for local businesses, affordability, and the potential to discover new talent.

The Legacy Arts building, commonly known as The LAB, hosts a variety of events. At different times, the space may have a dining table set up. There may be seats for concerts or comedy nights. There may be yoga mats.

The Upper Lounge at Old City Prime also offers a variety of shows. Upstairs you can find various musical performances. Also booked a comedy set for the upper lounge.

Vibe Coffee House & Cafe hosts Lima Land Poetry Slam music and spoken word every second Friday at 7pm and other events using Vibe’s small setting in a refurbished warehouse.

Visiting small visual venues is a great way to experience art in a more intimate and personal setting. ArtSpace/Lima and the Riverside Art Center in Wapakoneta offer art-related educational opportunities through classes, lectures, and presentations in addition to exhibiting in their galleries. Both provide venues for local artists to display and sell their art. These smaller venues allow visitors to spend time in the galleries experiencing the artwork.

Art is also on display at Mercy Health-St. Rita Medical Center, Marathon Performing Arts Center and Civic Center.

There are many entertainment, cultural and entertainment venues in the area. A person just needs to decide what they want to do, and there is a venue that will fulfill their desires.

Contact Dean Brown at 567-242-0409