Roxy Theatre Prepares to Reopen with an Open House

It’s been over 18 months since the pandemic shut down the Roxy Theatre in Neepawa, both for movies and for public performances, but the board has been anything but idle during that time. Renovations to the concession, lighting system, floors and bathrooms have all taken place this year.

The Roxy, originally an opera house dating back to the turn of the 20th century, has seen many renovations over the past century or so, but these ones take it into the 21st.

Board member Jaime Willis shows off the new, entirely LED lighting system, noting how much easier it is to run, how much less power it takes, and now much less heat it puts out. This upgrade has been three years in the making, and the board as well as the performing groups who use the space are all excited that it has finally been completed.

Board Chair Kate Jackman-Atkinson describes the other changes as the COVID Renos, a suite of upgrades to help them keep both patrons and volunteers a little safer. They include hands-free sanitizers, taps, and soap and paper towel dispensers to reduce touch points as much as possible, and a fogger sanitizer to sanitize the entire space between shows or events. She also suggests that even when we are in periods where provincial health regulations don’t mandate it, they will likely ask patrons to remain masked in the high traffic and smaller areas of the building such as the lobby.

The open house wasn’t just to show off, though. Since the 1980s, the Roxy has been run entirely on a volunteer basis, and the board is seeking a renewed commitment from the community to come in and help out. Jackman-Atkinson outlines the duties of each volunteer team, and calls it the best volunteer job in town.

The Roxy Theatre is set to reopen on October 1st.