Our Projects
We are happy to tell you about our current campaign and share a few of our success stories at the Ricks. We simply cannot accomplish our goals without the help of our wonderful community members, and we are incredibly thankful for the support we have gotten to help provide updates to our historic downtown theater.
Have a Seat!
The theater is growing more vibrant each day with new performances and ongoing refurbishment. The biggest change is on the horizon. We’re excited to announce our next capital campaign! FoT is raising funds to install 370 new seats in the auditorium. We have a quote for $250 per seat, which includes installation and a name plaque for those purchasing a seat. Fundraising is well underway, and we welcome your support! Would you like to have your name on a seat? Or recognize someone with a seat in their honor?
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Marquee Refurbishment
Our first capital campaign saw major success in 2019, thanks to grants from the Hancock County Community Foundation, Greenfield MainStreet and the Rotary Club of Hancock County. We also received an overwhelming amount of support in donations from members of the community who wanted to see the historic marquee restored to her old glory. It was not only refurbished, but updated with new LED lighting. These energy-efficient, cost-saving bulbs pair with a new timer to allow the Ricks marquee to stay lit even on weeknights, lighting up the downtown with a bright, inviting facade. Repairs to the casing and additional new marquee letters mean the Ricks marquee will be in good repair for many years ahead.
Lighting Improvement
Our journey to continue patron and performer experience did not stop at the marquee. Several other lighting updates were needed to provide improved visibility on the exterior of the building and within the house of the Ricks. With generous donations from community members, we were able to upgrade the lighting in the exterior windows of the theater so display cases with information on shows could be viewed even at night. Track lighting was also added above the audience seating in the auditorium for improved safety and visibility before and after showtime.
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See our article about the lighting projects in the Greenfield Daily Reporter.
Curtains Up
Replacing the curtains was our next step in improving the patron experience at the Ricks. Grants from the Hancock County Community Foundation and the city of Greenfield as well as donations from our Friends helped us to achieve this goal. The main traveler, side and backstage entrance curtains, back traveler and legs were all replaced with high-quality, plush fabric, all matching a historic color scheme with the Ricks' signature burgundy. We also took the opportunity to upgrade the look and longevity of the curtains from the old dip-processed fabric, which had acquired large visible white stains from water damage over the years. These improvements look great, and the higher-quality material should better stand the test of time so the curtains will continue to look great for years to come.