Editorial: Theaters like 90-year-old Arcada hold communities together

EDITOR'S NOTE: This editorial has been updated from the original version to correctly describe the ownership of the Des Plaines Theatre and Ron Onesti's involvement with the theater.

For 90 years, residents of St. Charles have enjoyed a special gathering place, one that many communities no longer enjoy. It hearkens back to an era long gone - the landmark downtown theater with its large marquee welcoming popular recording artists and classic movies.

The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles celebrated its anniversary this week with a parade through the city's downtown, featuring a Charlie Chaplin look-alike, jugglers, musicians, street performers and cars from the 1920s, '30s and '40s. It's able to mark its Sept. 6. 1926, opening because it has an owner who recognizes how important these types of theaters are to the community at large.

"It's a focal point of the community," said owner Ron Onesti, who took over in 2005. "It's where families for generations have met. And to be able to keep that going is a complete honor for me."

The theater was made possible by its first owners, local philanthropists Lester and Dellora Norris, who spent $500,000 on the movie palace. Many communities have not been able to overcome the economic hardships these types of theaters have faced over the years. Long gone, for example, is the Prospect Theater in Mount Prospect and the DuPage Theatre in Lombard. Many now head to the Arcada for a taste of what they remember growing up in other communities.

"I walked in and I got goose bumps," Annette Citta, told the Daily Herald's Lauren Rohr at the parade on Monday. The Bartlett resident said it brought back memories of the DuPage Theatre, where her best friend's father was the projectionist. "This just takes me back generations."

And isn't that what an old-style theater should do? Capture our imaginations and transport us back in time.

"These old gems have been knocked down by the thousands in recent years," Onesti said. "To have a Vaudeville-era theater be continuously used for the purpose which it was built for and maintained with its original splendor for 90 yeas, it might as well be 190 years we are celebrating."

St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina credits Onesti with keeping the Arcada not only alive but thriving. "When you talk about important people who have been part of the Arcada's tapestry, Onesti has got to be one of the first names."

Indeed, it needs to be a labor of love to keep these theaters going in an age when entertainment options and locations are so plentiful. Perhaps Onesti will get a chance to bring that same spirit to the Des Plaines Theatre, if, as announced in a letter of intent this week, Rivers Casino and the city of Des Plaines pursue acquisition of it and contract with him to book shows.

When one can make these icons a successful business, the community responds. In Barrington, for example, the Catlow Theater and a sandwich shop next door have been run by a couple since the 1980s. When one of the co-founders died last week, her fiance told the Daily Herald the outpouring of support was overwhelming.

"Everyone in town loved her," said Tim O'Connor of Roberta Rapata, who died at age 57.

It's special when a business and its owners can have that kind of heartwarming effect on the community. That's the kind of local commitment that should be encouraged.