BY JOSEPH SLACIAN
REFURBISHED
EAGLES THEATRE OPENS WITH CRYSTAL GAYLE
T
he newly renovated Eagles Theatre opened on Feb. 29, 2020, with a sold out performance by former Wabash resident Crystal Gayle. The theatre has been closed since 2017 to update and modernize the building, originally opened in 1906. The changes have been amazing to include an updated sound system in the theatre, the creation of a smaller, second theatre in the basement, the creation of suites for private parties during movies and concerts, the creation of meeting rooms and classrooms, the creation of a recording studio and the full restoration of the ballroom on the fourth floor. Theatergoers enter the building to an expanded Ford Meter Box Lobby featuring an accessibility ramp, expanded concession area and offerings, a donor wall and more. The theater will seat 560 people, including the aforementioned suites – the Forrester Landing and the Forrester Roost. Each suite can accommodate up to 14 guests and provides additional food and beverage options. The movie screen is 30 feet wide by 18 feet tall, larger than the former screen. It also can be easily moved up for performances on the theatre stage. WABASH BUSINESS JOURNAL / SUMMER 2020
The Sweetwater backstage area, located in the fully renovated basement, has been totally renovated to include a large, cast dressing room, a green room and a star dressing room. There also is an elevator to the stage. The Ferguson Theatre is located beneath the lobby. It has 49 seats and will offer, among other things, first run films and classroom space for the Media Arts Program. The theater can accommodate films that have been shown in the main theatre but are required to be screened for several weeks. In addition, the Honeywell Foundation received a grant from the AWS Foundation in Fort Wayne to make the Ferguson Theatre a sensory theater. “That means for folks with autism, we can keep the lights up a little more, make the sound a little softer,” Corporate Relations Manager Ellen Mock said. “They also can get up and move around. We were thrilled to do that. AWS suggested that to us, and we said, ‘Why not? Let’s do it.” The Genita Speicher Music Rooms also are available for those who wish to practice musical instruments. Classes will launch in conjunction with the 2020-21 school year. The Media Arts program, which takes place in conjunction with the Heartland Career Center, is located
on the second floor. High school students who complete the program can earn dual credits. The floor features the Inguard Editing Room, a soundproof recording studio and a video production studio that includes a green screen. The third floor features conference rooms that can be used for a variety of events. They can be rented separately or together. There also is access to the suite level balcony. The top floor is the newly restored Parkview Ballroom, as well as the Parkview Physicians’ Group Conference Room and the Parkview Conference Room. The conference rooms can be rented separately or in conjunction with the ballroom. The ballroom is designed to host weddings, receptions, corporate meetings and other special events. Honeywell officials had a series of events planned in the first few weeks of the opening. However, Gov. Eric Holcomb issued the stay-athome orders about three weeks after the opening, bringing a halt to any shows at the Eagles Theatre and the Honeywell Center’s Ford Theater for weeks. During the closure, workers were able to put into place the theatre’s new, high-tech marquee.
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