ARTS: A LASTING LEGACY IN YOUNGSTOWN
100 Years of Arts, Entertainment, and Culture Under Three Roofs in Youngstown Area Venues!
Stambaugh Auditorium, DeYor Performing Arts Center, and The Youngstown Playhouse are in need of your help to ensure this lasting legacy continues for another century!
THE YOUNGSTOWN PLAYHOUSE
Since 1959, The Youngstown Playhouse has been critically positioned as an anchor for the Glenwood Avenue Corridor. Unfortunately, due to natural affects and age, the current roofing system on the facility is in desperate need of repair. Consisting of seven separate sections, the roof has received many sets of patches and repairs over the years dating back to construction of the building. Standing water, haphazard seals, and splitting and cracking of base flashings have been a growing problem over the years and have now brought the roof to the end of its lifespan, requiring a full replacement as soon as possible to prevent damage to the interior of the facility.
DEYOR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
From its construction in 1931, the Powers Auditorium roof has protected the 2,300 seat Auditorium from the weather. However, with leaks occuring throughout the facility, causing plaster and paint damage to the ceilings and walls, it’s clear that the current roof has reached the end of it’s life and is in great need of replacement. While the Youngstown Symphony Society has repaired much of the leaks and water damage inside the building, these quick fixes are only temporary. A new roof is the only way to ensure that the integrity of the building, both cosmetically and structurally, remains intact.
STAMBAUGH AUDITORIUM
During a storm on January 9, 2024, wind pulled a portion of panels off the roof of Stambaugh Auditorium, which caused additional damage, leaving the entire roof of the facility in need of replacement. The damage caused is extensive and will require a full replacement to maintain the long-term integrity of the building. The entirety of the project is estimated at $8 million dollars, with funds from the One Time Strategic Community Fund joined with insurance claim funds, as well as additional sources currently being secured.
Celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year in 2024, The Youngstown Playhouse is one of America’s longest ongoing community theaters, having provided the Mahoning Valley with access to performing arts since 1924. The Playhouse is committed to a mission of presenting quality theatre arts performances, providing educational initiatives, and establishing and maintaining community partnerships while supporting and participating in the revitalization of the City of Youngstown.
Serving over 10,000 audience members of all ages annually with a full season of musicals and plays, the Playhouse compliments the shows with workshops, readings, and concerts on the Main Stage. The Main Stage Theater seats 400, while the blackbox space seats 75. The Youth Theatre serves 200 participants ages 5-8 through classes, workshops, and fully staged productions, attended by over 1,000 local students annually. Participants have stated the the Playhouse fills a void left by the lack or elimination of their public school district’s drama programs. By requiring no participation fees for the Youth Theatre productions, the Playhouse has removed the barriers to arts access for Youth.
After a conviction study conducted in 2023, it was found that with the wear and tear of the last 100 years, the Playhouse’s need for a new roof is imminent. This will include the removal of the existing roof to decking, installation of a new tapered polyiso roof to the existing concrete roof decking, and a new .060 fully adhered EPDM membrane roof system. This new roof will ensure that the Youngstown Playhouse will continue to provide the Mahoning Valley with the opportunity and access to performing arts for the next 100 years.
