MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Playhouse has reached a pivotal moment in its $7.5 million capital campaign to build a new, fully accessible theater in downtown Mansfield, organizers said Tuesday.
The campaign comes during the Playhouse’s 100th anniversary and would become the first major downtown construction project in more than 30 years.
The campaign, Mansfield Playhouse: Building the Next Stage Together, seeks to ensure the long-term future of one of Ohio’s most historic cultural institutions, a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization.
Founded in 1925, the Mansfield Playhouse is the second-oldest continuously operating community theater in the state and a cornerstone of arts, education, and economic vitality in north central Ohio.
Unfortunately, the Playhouse’s old building at 95 E. Third St. is surrendering to age.
For its campaign, the Playhouse has submitted a $1 million funding request to a local institution, a transformative investment that would accelerate construction of the new Playhouse building.
That request, however, will not be considered until the campaign reaches $3.7 million raised, creating an urgent call for community support.
“This is the moment when the community can truly shape the future of this historic institution,” said Chriss Harris, campaign director for the Mansfield Playhouse.
“It’s a challenge to help us raise the necessary funding that will encourage this particular donor and others to support the Playhouse as a 100-year-old community treasure and performance venue.”
The plan would demolish the current century-old building and construct the new one on the same site, using the parking lot just to the west of the current brick building, a structure built as a church that the Playhouse moved into 60 years ago.
“Our current building has served us well, but it’s time for a transformation,” Playhouse President and artistic director Doug Wertz has said.
“We owe it to our community to create a space where everyone — regardless of physical ability — can experience the joy of live theater,” he said.
“The community has been so supportive of us for the last 100 years and we still get new members of the community to discover us. We regularly pull in (ticket buyers) from an 80-mile radius and we have had audience members from 32 different states,” he said.
The new 15,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building would include two theaters (main and Second Stage), improved amenities and a more inclusive environment that is ADA-compliant — something the current structure is not.
It would be roughly twice the size of the current Playhouse in terms of square feet.
The two-story theater, with the main theater upstairs, has no elevator and its lack of accessibility makes it difficult to secure grant funding. The public restrooms in the current Playhouse are also located at the bottom of steps and are not fully accessible to everyone.
“The fact of the matter is, the Playhouse organization was concerned about becoming (more accessible) in the 1970s. It’s always been on the back of our minds and we have tried to find different ways to work around it for many, many years,” Wertz said.
“We have had architects some in at different times and said, ‘What can we do?’ And we just can’t,” he said.
“We really feel … why not celebrate 100 years with something we can start another 100 years or more with.”
Already, the campaign that was kicked off last summer has generated more than $2.2 million in gifts and pledges and is well on its way.
Large donations and pledges of donations have been made by the Taylor Family Foundation Fund of the Ashland County Community Foundation; the Robert and Esther Black Foundation Fund of the Richland County Foundation (RCF); the John, Miriam, and Melodie Gross Fund-RCF; Hire Family Foundation; Milton and Beulah Young Foundation; Gorman Family Foundation; Richard and Arline Landers Foundation; Justine Sterkel Fund; Mechanics Bank; Charles Hahn; Rand and Mary Smith; Randy and Lisa Payne; Edith Humphrey; Bill and Kathy Heichel; Donald and Jennifer Dewald; Vincent Fanello; Nick and Sally Gesouras; and many more individuals, families, businesses, and foundations.
The new Playhouse facility will be fully accessible, removing long-standing physical barriers and welcoming audiences, performers, and volunteers of all abilities. The project also represents a major investment in downtown Mansfield, reinforcing the arts as a driver of revitalization, tourism, and local pride.
“This campaign is about more than a building,” Wertz said Tuesday.
“It’s about honoring our organization’s past, serving today’s community, and ensuring that future generations can experience the magic of live theater in a modern, inclusive space,” he said.
Community members, businesses, and arts supporters are encouraged to contribute now to help the campaign reach the $3.7 million milestone and help the Playhouse build a new building.
Gifts to support the 100th Anniversary Capital Campaign may be sent to the Mansfield Playhouse at 95 E. Third St., Mansfield, Ohio 44902, or via the Playhouse’s website at mansfieldplayhouse.com.
About the Mansfield Playhouse
Founded in 1925, the Mansfield Playhouse is Ohio’s second-oldest continuously operating community theater, dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable theatrical experiences.
Powered by volunteers and a passion for the arts, the Playhouse serves as a cultural hub for Mansfield and the surrounding communities.
