To celebrate its centennial, the Wilmette Theatre is getting a face-lift.
The downtown Wilmette flagship, home to movies, live events and the Actors Training Center, is the recipient of Hester Painting & Decorating’s anniversary charity project, and the theater is ready to reopen its doors.
The 600-seat Wilmette Theatre opened in May 1914 with a showing of a Mary Pickford feature for just 10 cents. The theater has grown tremendously throughout its history, including a stint in the 1950s and ‘60s as a production facility for educational films. But its hallowed halls had grown staid, and the building was ready for a makeover.
“For the 45th anniversary of the founding of Hester Painting and Decorating, we decided that, rather than having a party, we would do a charity project, just as we had done for our 40th,” says Vice President Jeff Hester. “We opened for suggestions to all of our customers for charity projects, and once we went to the Wilmette Theatre and saw what needs they had, we decided to make them our charity project of the year.”
A team of 38 Hester painters dedicated their time to the renovation. Over a span of two weeks, the crew did a complete overhaul, using paints from Benjamin Moore, carpeting from Kashian Bros. Flooring and two donated chandeliers from a Wilmette home.
“It is a huge difference,” says Linda MacLennan, Manager of the Wilmette Theatre. “[The changes] brought back some elegance and a bit of bling to the place.”
The ceilings and a few accent walls were painted a periwinkle-like blue, while the 100-year-old plaster crown molding was redone in a champagne color. “Two theater employees retiled the floor, re-faced the concession stand and removed the dated glass brick form the concession area,” MacLennan says. The end result is a tasteful antique, keeping the theater’s old charm but adding the warmth of modern updates.
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“We work in Wilmette and all along the North Shore, and it’s nice to give back to a community we’ve worked in for 45 years,” Hester says. “The people that come in either to see a movie or do a show, the kids that are learning to do that at the training center, you don’t realize how many lives you can affect just by giving some time to someone else.”
“It’s nice to be able to bring live to something people with be able to enjoy for another 30 to 40 years,” Hester adds.
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In March, the venue will launch a 30-day Kickstarter “digital conversion” campaign; with movie distributors converting their films to digital projection, 35mm films with cease to be available. Funds raised from the Kickstarter campaign will ensure the completion of the theater’s digital conversion, thus preserving the longevity of the theatre. Additional proceeds will go toward completion of structural updates and repairs.
Visit the Wimette Theatre at 1122 Central Ave., in Wilmette. For a full list of showtimes and special events, visit the theater’s website or call 847-251-7424.
