Historic Rialto seeks community’s help for storm damage repairs

July 21--"Support Rialto" and "Storm Damage" were the only words displayed on the front marquee of downtown Denison's Rialto Theater Wednesday afternoon. Small posters advising visitors that the theater is closed for repairs were taped to the front window instead of the traditional movie advertisements.

Denison's Rialto Theater is reaching out to the community for support following storm damage that has closed the venue indefinitely. The theater received significant damage to about 25 percent of its roof and some stage equipment during heavy storms that hit the region on July 9.

A GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the repairs was launched late Monday evening with a goal set at $100,000. The campaign had received no donations as of Wednesday afternoon, but had been shared on social media 25 times.

"Through its rich history the theater has seen appearances by great American entertainers including The Marx Brothers, John Wayne and Elvis Presley, not to mention countless feature film classics over the years," the campaign page says. "The Rialto Theater is hoping to make temporary repairs and be available for event rentals by Sept. 1."

The damage occurred as the theater was doing a matinee showing of "Mystery Science Theater 3000," Theater Manager MJ Sumrall said. During the show, the power surged and the lights went out briefly, damaging the movie projector. A second surge caused the stage lights to turn themselves on. Sumrall said the theater experienced at least three surges during the storm.

As organizers tried to evacuate people to the front following a black out, one patron told staff he heard the sound of water coming from the stage. Sumrall said the heavy winds and rain removed a tar tarp used to cover the building, and exposed several small holes in the aging roof. Sumrall said the theater's owner had previously worked in June to fix a few holes, but these repairs failed during the storm.

As water flowed into the theater, it landed on speakers, lighting fixtures and other stage equipment that have have been ruined in storm. Sumrall said power outlets on the stage have also been shut off since the storm and have not been tested for damage.

Other damages to the theater and its equipment include the exterior display cases, which were warped by the 60 mile-per-hour winds, and backstage furniture that was waterlogged.

As the lights dimmed in the theater Wednesday, beams of light piercing the dark theater were the tell-tale signs of new holes and leaks.

Several movie showings and two live music events have since been canceled due to the damage. Instead, the property owner has focused on trying to book event rentals, which don't require a projector, in order to continue bringing in revenue during this down time for the theater.

"He believes he can make minimal repairs until the insurance gets back with what it can cover," Sumrall said.

Sumrall said the property owner expects to hear back from insurance adjusters some time in August.

Sumrall said she is worried that the damage will slow down the momentum the theater has started to build. She said people often questioned if the theater was open due to its history of being closed for long periods of time.

"That had just started to slow down and we were starting to pick up popularity," Sumrall said. "Now that we are closed for an undetermined amount of time, I worry about how we are going to stay fresh."

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