PM&L Theatre in downtown Antioch revises vision for marquee upgrade
A community theater group has revised its vision for a long-planned facelift of its vintage home at 877 W. Main St. in downtown Antioch.
Upgrading the facade and signage of the familiar entertainment venue has been on the list for the nonprofit PM&L Theatre Inc., for years.
However, the new plan comes with a higher cost than the original and would need village approval for electronic message boards, which are not allowed downtown.
A campaign to raise $50,000 is underway and expected to kick into high gear over the next few months.
The change in direction was a product of the pandemic, which amplified the need to compete for entertainment dollars and reach new customers.
"We decided to take a fresh look at the marquee project," said Guy Finley, PM&L's vice president of marketing.
Because the current marquee is a flat rectangle, travelers going north or south on Main Street don't see the sign unless they happen to turn their heads, he said. Some patrons find the theater from online travel sites.
"People come in and say, 'We never knew this was here,'" Finley said. "Maybe there's more we should be doing to attract attention."
The priority under an enhanced plan is replacing an internally lit shadowbox marquee with message boards more consistent with the building's heritage as a vaudeville and movie house.
"It's a much more ambitious project," Finley added. "It started as 'The sign is broken, let's fix it.'"
A projecting vertical "blade" sign consistent with the original Crystal Theatre also is envisioned. Improved lighting and unifying building elements are part of the package designed to be done in stages if need be.
PM&L's home for more than 50 years is an anchor on the northern end of Antioch's downtown Main Street. The facility was built circa 1914 as the Crystal Theatre where silent movies were shown and vaudeville performed.
According to Finley, the group consulted with the Illinois Historic Preservation Division about the facade a few years ago and were told an internally lit box was not appropriate for a historic Main Street area and does a disservice to the organization.
Addressing the marquee is the second phase of planned building improvements that has been backed with matching facade improvement grants from the village.
The first involved connecting the main building with a sister storefront to the south owned by PM&L. The space was converted to "Tribute Hall" and is used for small events and concessions during show intermissions. The village funded half the cost with a $10,391 facade grant.
The village board also authorized a match of $7,337 for the marquee and associated exterior building improvements. That money hasn't been spent but given the new vision, PM&L may seek an increase.
"We're kind of hoping the village will embrace this and help us out a little bit more," Finley said.
According to the village, grants totaling $267,500 have been issued for five projects in the past year. The village also is in the midst of a marketing campaign to brand downtown as a destination for a variety of activities, including entertainment and the arts.
PM&L stands for Palette, a symbol of the artist; Masque, a symbol of the actor; and Lyre, a symbol of the musician. The community theater group was organized in 1960 to produce plays, art works and concerts.