Renovated Isis Theatre is an entertainment destination in Crete

CRETE, Neb. (KOLN) – In 1926, the Isis Theatre opened for the first time. In July of this year, it reopened after a complete renovation spearheaded by donors and volunteers.

Shaylene Smith, executive director of the Blue River Arts Council, said the theatre was privately owned before it closed in 2018.

“At that point, it was no longer technically sound or technically feasible to maintain,” Smith said. “It had been built in 1926, and has been a functioning movie theatre in Crete since 1926. The Blue River Arts Council was formed in the fall of 2018 with the mission to bring arts to Crete in a greater capacity, and a part of that mission was to renovate and rebuild this theatre. It’s taken about five years and $2.2 million. We ended up having to tear down the building to the studs.”

The community stepped up in a big way to help make the newly renovated theatre a reality. “We announced a campaign in 2020 that was about $900,000,” Smith said. “But after Covid, inflation and supply chain issues, the costs of the project went through the roof. All of our donors and supporters then stepped up a second time to really make this happen.”

When you walk into the theatre, you’ll see historical hints of what the building used to be. “There is a gold ceiling in the entry that is actually not original to this building, but was salvaged from a building in Omaha. We were trying to give a nod to the 1920s, as everything has been decorated with an art deco vibe,” Smith said.

The inside of the auditorium has an entirely new look with some old details.

“When we started working on the auditorium, we did not intend to redo as much of it as we did,” Smith said. “When we got in there, we had to tear plaster and lath down, but when we got in there, we found the original wood trusses and brick. We redesigned everything in the auditorium to showcase the original woodwork. It’s beautiful.”

The space not only functions as a movie theatre, with shows on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but also a place to host special events. The vision is also to use the stage space for live events.

“I also want to give some kudos to our board,” Smith said. “We are an all-volunteer effort, and the board members have knocked this project out of the park.”

The first chance to showcase the Isis Theatre stage will be the grand opening at the end of October. A commissioned jazz piece will be presented by both Doane University students and local high school students. There will be a mix of local performers for the donors and the public to see.

In addition, the Isis Theatre is focusing on accessibility. With an app called TheaterEars, movie-goers can listen to the shows in their own language. With the hearing loop that has been installed, everyone with hearing challenges can get the sound system piped in directly to them.

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