ARTS: A Lasting Legacy In Youngstown
100 Years of Arts, Entertainment, and Culture Under Three Roofs in Youngstown Area Venues!
DeYor Performing Arts Center, Stambaugh Auditorium, and The Youngstown Playhouse are in need of your help to ensure this lasting legacy continues for another century!
DeYor Performing Arts Center
From its construction in 1931, the Powers Auditorium roof has protected the 2,300 seat Auditorium from the weather. However, with leaks occuring throughout the facility, causing plaster and paint damage to the ceilings and walls, it’s clear that the current roof has reached the end of it’s life and is in great need of replacement. While the Youngstown Symphony Society has repaired much of the leaks and water damage inside the building, these quick fixes are only temporary. A new roof is the only way to ensure that the integrity of the building, both cosmetically and structurally, remains intact.
Stambaugh Auditorium
During a storm on January 9, 2024, wind pulled a portion of panels off the roof of Stambaugh Auditorium, which caused additional damage, leaving the entire roof of the facility in need of replacement. The damage caused is extensive and will require a full replacement to maintain the long-term integrity of the building. The entirety of the project is estimated at $8 million dollars, with funds from the One Time Strategic Community Fund joined with insurance claim funds, as well as additional sources currently being secured.
The Youngsotwn Playhouse
Since 1959, The Youngstown Playhouse has been critically positioned as an anchor for the Glenwood Avenue Corridor. Unfortunately, due to natural affects and age, the current roofing system on the facility is in desperate need of repair. Consisting of seven separate sections, the roof has received many sets of patches and repairs over the years dating back to construction of the building. Standing water, haphazard seals, and splitting and cracking of base flashings have been a growing problem over the years and have now brought the roof to the end of its lifespan, requiring a full replacement as soon as possible to prevent damage to the interior of the facility.
Originally opened in 1931 as a Warner Theater by the Warner Brothers in honor of their late brother, Sam, the theater was a jewel of movie houses in Youngstown, Ohio, with the most ornate detailing and decor inspired but he popular art deco style of the time. However, during the 1960s, the movie palace business began to rapidly decline in this city, as well as others across the country. The Warner Theater was eventually closed and in 1968. Thankfully, on September 21, 1968, an anonymous donor gave $250,000.00 to the Youngstown Symphony Society to purchase the theater, the very day before it was scheduled to be demolished. It was found shortly after that the donors were Mr. And Mrs. Edward W. Powers. Their gift provided a home for the Youngstown Symphony and also preserved a priceless venue. Renovations began on the old theater, and on September 20, 1969, the Edward W. Powers Auditorium opened with a gala performance of “Die Fledermaus”, conducted by Maestro Franz Bibo.
Throughout the years, Powers Auditorium has undergone renovations and upkeep projects, including an addition on the west portion of the building, adding The Ford Family Recital Hall and Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion to the facility. However, the roof over the Edward W. Powers Auditorium has now reached the end of its life. Water leakage has caused damage to drywall, paint, and original decorative work inside of the historic portion of the building. To end constant temporary repairs and continued water damage, the Youngstown Symphony Society is undertaking a capital campaign to raise $1.3 million to replace the roof of Powers Auditorium and prevent more serious internal damage.
By giving and supporting DeYor Performing Arts Center, you can help aid in raising the funds to replace the roof and preserve this historic theater for another 100 years!
