Now Playing

Sheboygan Theatre deserves standing ovation

By Candace Doyle
Editor

The curtain came down on the Sheboygan Theatre in the 1990s, when the Marcus Corp. closed the 25,000-square-foot theater it owned since the '60s.

But after lying dormant for nearly a decade, the Sheboygan Community Theatre Foundation decided the theater, built in 1928, deserved an encore -- and a restoration.

The foundation began making plans to transform the theater into a multipurpose performing arts venue, said Jennifer Lehrke, project manager for LJM Architects Inc., the Sheboygan firm involved in the $10.5 million restoration.

"What we are known for is our historic preservation work in Sheboygan," she said, "so it was a good fit for us."

Those plans included adding 29,000 square feet of space to the theater and maintaining its North Eighth Street entrance, despite being landlocked by several adjacent historic buildings.

"We more than doubled its size," Lehrke said.

Also planned were:

• expanding the theater's historic lobby;
  
  
• adding an orchestra pit and stage thrust lift;
  
  
• incorporating an adjacent building as a ticket office, coat room and meeting room;
  
  
• building four new additions for an enlarged stage house, dressing rooms, green room, restrooms, costume storage, loading dock and equipment room.

Lehrke said the main challenge for LJM was creating a singular look while using several distinct-looking buildings.

"The biggest challenge was that it was many historic buildings being combined into one building," she said. "I think we did a fairly decent job of tying them all together."

Also, Lehrke said the project involved a lot of demolition work, and work crews had to use extra caution because of a neighboring elementary school.

"That needed to be coordinated so that effort was done when school was out," she said.

Besides that, Lehrke said, it takes a lot of workers in specialized fields to restore a building.

The theater's original look was that of a night in a garden of old Spain, and plaster-restoration experts had to restore the theater's castle-like plaster walls and columns.

And paint-restoration experts, who uncovered stenciling on the faux beams in the lobby, had to coordinate the theater's color palette of burgundy, gold and green throughout, restore the sky blue-like ceiling of the auditorium and introduce 23-karat gold leafing to highlight architectural detail.

Other specialized work included refurbishing the original and ornate wrought-iron sconces, torches and chandeliers in the theater and recreating the theater's original marquee from historic photos.

While a large order, Lehrke said the project was helped along by the Marcus Corp., which left it pretty much untouched.

"Luckily, they didn't tear anything down, which was fortunate for us," she said. "All the original plaster work was there."

The project was also helped along by the commitment of the community, including contractors and subs.

"All the local contractors contributed a percentage off on their billable hours for this project," said Lehrke. "Everybody donated their time and energy and efforts."

| Editor's Note | Winners | Sites of Interest |
| Special Sections Main | Daily Reporter Main |

© 2002 Daily Reporter Publishing Co., All Rights Reserved.