Background

This project is facilitating the long-awaited reunion of the iconic Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati with its original home, the Emery Theater. Historic Emery Theater was constructed in 1911 in Cincinnati’s “Over-the-Rhine” neighborhood. Commissioned by Mary Emery and built by the famous architecture firm Samuel Hannaford & Sons, the large theater was designed to hold thousands of patrons while astonishing each of them with an unobstructed view and exceptional acoustics. It was built using the principle of the “isacoustic curve,” meaning the room sloped upward from front to back, an ideal configuration for sending sound effortlessly throughout. It also featured two large balconies, both of which seemed to float above the main floor, in a method of theater construction that was new in the early 19th century. Originally part of the Ohio Mechanics Institute trade school, the Emery Theater soon hosted world-renowned artists like George Gershwin and John Philip Sousa, as well as influential dignitaries like Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT), founded in 1919, is the oldest professional children’s theatre in the nation, spending more than a century entertaining youth and inspiring them in the art of theatre. Originally owned and operated by Cincinnati’s Junior League, TCT launched as an independent nonprofit in 1949 with a mission to educate, entertain, and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming. TCT called the historic Emery Theater home from their incorporation as an independent nonprofit until 1969, when they relocated to downtown Cincinnati’s Taft Theatre.

In the years after losing the patronage of The Children’s Theatre and The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Emery fell deeper into disrepair, lying dormant for many years while TCT was forced to limit their performance days to only 40 a year at their new location in the Taft Theatre. The decision was made by TCT to return home to the historic Emery Theater and they launched a campaign to undertake a major renovation in a way that pays homage to the past while reimagining it for the future.

The Project

Once completed, the historic Emery Theater will be transformed into a premier 1,500-seat theater that will feature performances for children of all ages and backgrounds. The scope of the project includes the complete revitalization of the historic space to serve as the new MainStage home of TCT. State-of-the-art equipment will be installed to bring the theater to the modern age, including an automated fly system, a turntable stage lift, projection mapping, and a video wall. In the Emery, TCT will be able to offer year-round programming, including new works and expanded performances for specific age groups, such as children under the age of four and middle schoolers.

TCT brings art to life in many ways, including performances of fan-favorite productions on the MainStage, but in their current location, TCT is limited to only 40 days of production per year. The Emery Theater will belong solely to TCT, allowing them to operate without restriction throughout the year. Roughly 100,000 patrons attend TCT performances annually, with many students attending due to TCT’s free and reduced-price ticket program geared toward young people from low-income households and Title 1 schools.
Accessibility is an important aspect of TCT, and the organization firmly believes that theatre should be an experience that can be enjoyed by all. One way they facilitate this is through customized performances that feature an experienced theatre interpreter translating what the actors are singing and saying into American Sign Language during performances.

These programs have changed and expanded over the decades, and with the rehabilitation of the Emery, TCT’s purpose will continue to grow in the very place it got its start. This historic theater was built to be unlike anything else, and thanks to restoration efforts, its legacy will flourish for years to come.

Learn more about the Cincinnati Children’s Theatre

COMMUNITY IMPACT

The revitalization of this long-vacant theater for the continued use of TCT will allow them to more than double the number of annual performances to nearly 150, serving almost 170,000 patrons each year. With an active partnership between TCT and Cincinnati public schools, the number of students provided with access to performing arts will also increase by 63%, giving more than 97,000 youth the opportunity to visit the theater annually. Performances will come with study guides that allow art education to continue in the classroom. Operationally, it costs TCT an average of $30 to put a child in a seat, however, no school ever pays more than $10 per ticket with even deeper discounts for Title 1 schools. Last season, TCT provided over $900,000 in ticket subsidies to schools, which will increase exponentially at the Emery.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

TCT led a phenomenal capital campaign that raised over $33.2 million, which is a testament to the extensive support the organization has from the community it serves. The remaining portion of the $52.1 million revitalization was supported by NTCIC through an equity investment of $7.5 million in federal Historic Tax Credits. NTCIC also provided $8 million in New Markets Tax Credit allocation, which helped lower the capital campaign burden, covered additional financing gaps, and ensured expanded access to shows and programming for low-income youth. In addition to the tax credit financing provided by NTCIC, the project was also supported by $1.65 million in funding from city and state partners.