Columbiana's Theater Now Belongs to a Local Foundation, and Its First Homegrown Show Opens in November
October 8, 2026
October 8, 2026
In May, Shawn Theis played Jesus in Indigo Family Theater's production of "Godspell" at the Columbiana Arts Theater. He also runs the building. Theis is The CAT's chief theater director, and his part in that show sums up what's changing at 5 North Main Street. The people running the theater are now also working on its stage. In November, for the first time, they'll produce a show themselves.
That show is "1776." The bigger news is who owns the building it plays in.
The parent company of Compco, the Columbiana-based metals company, bought the theater in 2024. It renamed the old Main Street Theater, put new LED signs on the marquee, and hired Theis. The company also spent money on things most audiences never see. It installed ceiling-mounted speaker arrays, put subwoofers under the stage, and added an in-ear monitor system built to national touring standards. Later it added multicamera equipment for recording and livestreaming. "The woofers rattle the stage and the bands love it," Theis told the Business Journal this summer.
Then, on Aug. 18, Theis and retired Columbiana County Municipal Court Judge Mark Frost went to Columbiana Council with an update. As of Aug. 1, the theater is entirely controlled by the Elevate Columbiana Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation.
"The ownership has been deeded from Compco Industries. Compco has been wonderful," Frost said, according to the Morning Journal.
This is the building's fourth chapter in under 20 years. Columbiana businessman Don Arthurs bought the empty 420-seat theater and renovated it for $1 million in 2009. After the pandemic, times were hard enough that many people feared it would close. Local auto dealer John Kufleitner and his wife bought it in 2022. Compco came next. Each of those owners was a business or a person with ties to Columbiana. A charitable foundation is a different arrangement, and the first show under it is one the theater is producing itself.
Up to now, The CAT has mostly hosted other people's shows. Theis has described three kinds of bookings: artists who rent the room for a night, regional artists on the rise, and touring acts that already have a national name. One example is John Schlitt of Petra, who played a Christmas concert there last year. "1776" is the first show the theater is producing on its own. The Morning Journal reported that it received enough donated funding to put the musical on.
Frost is directing. He told council it was one of the first plays he ever directed and is one of his favorites, and he pointed out that the show's account of the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence is historically accurate. He's also performing in it. "He's kind of a legend around here," Theis said. The production is part of the theater's celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Frost also praised the city's America 250 celebration and said the country's history is still being celebrated.
Auditions were held Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, with callbacks on Sept. 8. The cast list on the theater's site now has 26 names, from Ron Altomare and Tim Carr to Paul Chirgott and Brad Theis.
The musical opens the week of Veterans Day.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Thursday, Nov. 12 | 7 p.m. |
| Friday, Nov. 13 | 7 p.m. |
| Saturday, Nov. 14 | 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. |
| Sunday, Nov. 15 | 2 p.m. |
Doors open an hour before each performance. Reserved seats are $24, or $20 for seniors, veterans and children 10 and under. The Buy Tickets link on the show's page at atthecat.com goes to the theater's ThunderTix ticket page.
On Wednesday, Nov. 11, there's also a student-only daytime matinee. It's a cabaret-style version with selected songs and a history lesson from Frost and Dr. Amy Fluker, a history professor at YSU. Teachers and administrators can contact [email protected]. The ThunderTix calendar also lists a Compco Community Special Showing at 7 p.m. that evening.
"1776" is the theater's first production of its own, but much of the fall schedule already comes from nearby groups and performers. Theis has said the bookings that excite him most are ambitious young regional artists. He calls the theater a "stepping stone" and mentions Columbiana singer-songwriter Gianni Montouri, who played The CAT and moved to Nashville the following week.
Here's what's on the theater's posted calendar from mid-October through December:
The weekday cabarets start at 1 in the afternoon. That's an unusual time for a theater and an easy one for anyone who doesn't drive after dark in November.
The weekends around "1776" fill up quickly. On Saturday, Nov. 7, the city's Market on Main runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1 South Main Street. Two Saturdays later, on Nov. 21, Firestone Farms holds its first Holiday Market at Harbel's Gathering Barn, 45443 State Route 14, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free.
Spread across a single month, that means a downtown market, the theater's first homegrown musical, an improv night and a holiday show the following week, and a new holiday market out on Route 14. The Business Journal called the theater a possible "first-tier performance center" for a town that already draws visitors to its antique shops, Firestone Farms, Shaker Woods, the Vineyards at Pine Lake, Birdfish Brewing and Ill Will Brewing. "We're working to create a cultural hub here," Katy Mumaw, Compco's director of corporate sales and marketing, said in July.
The theater sits at the highest point in town, on the traffic circle. In 2027, the city plans to convert that circle into a proper roundabout. Bryce A. Miner, deputy chief city administrator, said the landscaping and the iconic clock will stay, and the change should make the circle easier to drive and safer for pedestrians.
A couple of blocks down Main Street, the Garden of Eatin' has turned an empty lot into a gathering space with a stage, a turf seating area and room for food trucks. The idea came from Columbiana High School's Creative Entrepreneurship class, and a second phase will add parking at the back of the property. The Columbiana Tap House has planning commission approval for 135 S. Main St. It will use a pour-your-own system, with wristbands that run the taps and track what you spend. As of the latest reporting, it had been approved but not opened. Over the next few years, City Hall is expected to move into the former Columbiana Cadillac building at South Main and Railroad streets. The city then plans to develop its 30 parcels there with municipal offices, shops, restaurants and residences.
All of those projects are on or near Main Street, the same street as the 420-seat theater, which the Elevate Columbiana Foundation now owns and which is now producing its own shows.
If you're heading to "1776" or planning a Saturday around Market on Main and the Firestone Farms Holiday Market, I'd love to hear how it goes. Keeping up with what's opening and changing along Main Street is part of how I help Columbiana neighbors understand their town, whether that's a question about a block you're curious about or plans that are still a few years away. Valerie Park is always glad to talk Columbiana. Let's Connect.
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