When Vanessa Cook moved 45 minutes east to Norwalk from her hometown of Tiffin, she’d frequently drive by the old Norwalk Theatre but never saw signs that it was open.
She asked Theresa Barcus, the director of a school musical theater program, what community theaters there were in town.
“She’s like, ‘Oh, there’s none,’” Cook said.
Both Cook and Barcus grew up in theater and knew the positive effects it could have on a person, no matter the age. They wanted to provide the same opportunities to the residents of Norwalk.
Together they founded the Norwalk Arts Center in 2018 with a mission to bring live theater back to the community. Over the years, that expanded to include educational opportunities for all ages and abilities across music, dance and visual arts.
“Inclusivity is a major goal of ours, that you're not judged when you come here,” Cook said. “And in a rural community, sometimes that's not easy for people that are outsiders to find.”
There are theater programs in the high schools, but not much else in the area, especially for children or adults, she said. While there are some options to drive to outlying cities like Huron or Sandusky, Cook said those are still limited.
“Right now, people from here basically go to Cleveland for theater,” she said.
The plan was set in motion when they were able to purchase the old Norwalk Theatre in 2019, anticipating minor work like cleaning and painting the walls. On a tour, they discovered peeling wallpaper, crumbling plaster and holes in the roof, but many original Art Deco design features still intact.
Knowing it would take a lot of time and money to restore the building before any productions could take place there, the mission evolved.
“So, our focus was start serving the community by providing arts education and theater production to see how it is received – well, I might add – and rehab the building as we were able,” Cook said.
Road to restoration
The Norwalk Theatre first opened in 1941 and was a hub for motion pictures and live theater. It was designed by the architect John Eberson, who was responsible for designing hundreds of theaters across the United States, including the Akron Civic in Downtown Akron.
Cook and Barcus enlisted the help of Dina Lukasko, a realtor in town, to help them purchase the building.
Lukasko can recall the theater thriving in the ‘70s and ‘80s when it was home to the Towne and Country Players. But for more than 15 years, it’s sat empty in a state of disrepair.
Touring the building became a pivotal moment for Lukasko.
“They made me realize I need to be looking at this theater from a different perspective,” Lukasko said. “How extremely important is it to save, because of how many people have been impacted one way or another. Was it their first date? Was it their first time on the stage?”
Inspired by the mission of the newly formed Norwalk Arts Center, Lukasko became the first president of the board and now serves as executive director.
A daunting theater restoration has been one of many challenges.
“I'll tell you from the fundraising standpoint, it is so incredibly difficult to raise money for the arts in this area,” Lukasko said. “We are obviously doing it, but it's so much easier if you want to build a football stadium.”
The center has currently raised $10 million of a $13 million campaign to restore the theater. After a total roof replacement and a new marquee, work has now moved inside to rebuild walls, repair ceilings and upgrade electrical and plumbing.
In the meantime, the center is located in an old storefront just a couple of blocks down Main Street. Volunteers constructed a black box theater, where the center produces three stage shows there a year – one for adults, one for teens and the other for children.
Programming is funded entirely by state and local grants, with local businesses and individuals stepping up to help supplement production costs.
For many in town, it’s not just a construction project, but an investment in the community’s future – and its past.
Lukasko’s four children have grown up and moved away, stating that there’s nothing to do in Norwalk, she said. But now she’s posing a question to young adults that may be having the same thought.
“Are you going to stick around? Are you the next generation? Because we can't be here forever,” she said. “And I see them embracing this. And I see the hope they have that this is going to happen, and we will be on that stage someday.”
Rylie Mullen is one recent college graduate staying in the area and participating in the theater. She recalled performing in the old Norwalk Theatre as an 8-year-old, just before it closed to the public.
“That's why I fell in love with theater and all the things behind the scenes,” Mullen said.
Mullen is now the programming manager at NAC and sits on the board as production chair. She has a degree in psychology from Tiffin University, though arts are still a major focus in her life. Thanks to NAC, there’s a home for her creative side.
“It's kind of like scary to think that if this wasn't a place, 'What would I be doing?'” she said.
Learning through art
In addition to theater programs for kids and adults, the arts center also provides art education for all ages.
Early outreach began with trying to reach middle schoolers and teens. Since they weren’t coming through the doors of their storefront, the center decided to go to them – where they hang out at a local coffee shop on Fridays after school to offer pop-up artmaking projects.
There are also learning opportunities for children in grades 1-4 through the Arts Explorer program, which samples different areas of artistic expression: dance, music, theater and visual art. There are similar educational opportunities for adults as well.
The center’s teen association is comprised of members ages 13-19 that meet quarterly for special art projects, attend shows together, complete community service assignments and even raise funds for future projects.
“It’s about access to the community in different ways. Giving people a chance,” Cook said. "And it’s wonderful to see that the younger generation is finally buying in.”
NAC also partners with area schools to bring three live theater productions with local professional actors to the students every year, free of charge.
“We have that luxury of bringing theater to kids who've never even seen a live show,” Cook said.
What began as an organization that served about 100 kids has grown to reach thousands, she said. With a goal to have the historic venue restored by the end of 2027, NAC expects that number to keep growing.
