When the curtains literally fell on Theatre Education Director Alison Evans at Weathervane Playhouse, she knew it was time for an upgrade in the children’s theater. Evans, who grew up with the Weathervane Playhouse, had a vision for the space.
“This, for me, is a labor of love,” Evans said. “This is where I want to be. This program has reached so many kids. It works with kids where they’re at.”
After two years of work, the Weathervane Playhouse in Newark recently completed a renovation of the Larry W. and Dawn Holt Anderson Children’s Theatre, an educational and production space for youth in theater. The project began in December 2022 when they enclosed one of the exit doors to accommodate more audience members.
Now, $75,000 from donors and several gallons of charcoal gray paint later, the completed renovations include stable curtains, sturdy platforms, secure lighting and additional seating. Most importantly, everything is in safe and working order.
On Saturday Nov. 2, Weathervane held a dedication ceremony for the donors who made all this possible. The difference — for both the kids and the audience members — is noticeable.
Renovations began in the children’s theater at Weathervane in 2022. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse 
Renovations began in the children’s theater at Weathervane in 2022. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse 
Renovations began in the children’s theater at Weathervane in 2022. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse 
Renovations began in the children’s theater at Weathervane in 2022. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse 
Old seats were removed to accomodate a larger audience in the future. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse 
New seats have been installed inside the children’s theater. Image courtesy of Weathervane Playhouse
When Executive Director Lauren Harvey started as an intern with Weathervane in 2016, it was nothing like it is now.
“It just completely changes the vibe of the theater,” Harvey said.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for the children’s program has grown exponentially. Currently, over 407 families are registered on the system and over 50 kids are participating in their winter production, The Little Mermaid. With the influx of kids also came an enormous audience, completely sold-out shows and a desperate need for more seating.
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With the addition of 24 seats, the children’s theater now accommodates 118 audience members. This includes newly reserved spaces for wheelchairs and accessible seating. Not only does this help the audience, but it also reduces strain on the kids.
“We were trying to do seven performances per production, and while it helped the audience, it actually really burnt the kids out. Adding those seats helped us to reduce the amount of performances so every performance is quality versus quantity,” Harvey said.
For Mary Kay Booher, one of Weathervane’s founding members, it means the world to finally have this official, professional space dedicated to the kids — and it means the theater is no longer running on hand-me-downs.
“As long as I live I’ll appreciate people who appreciate the kids and what they can learn in theater. They help each other, they learn how to get along with each other. It’s just pretty amazing as an exercise in growing up,” Booher said. “I’ve worked in it all my life and loved every one of them.”
The renovation allows Weathervane to share the magic– and chaos– of children’s theater to an audience spanning even wider than Licking County. For the Weathervane staff, this renovation is about more than the fancy equipment; it’s about seeing the kids get excited about being on stage.
“This is beautiful,” Booher said, “but [the children are] angelic.”
Weathervane thanked its donors: Mortellaro McDonald’s, Newark Mayor Jeff Hall and the City of Newark, Drs. Thomas and Mary Beth Hall, Erika Wills, the Granville Community Foundation, the Bell family, Gene and Mary Kay Booher and Linda Twining.
Mia Fischel writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.