PCP’s Marquee Fundraiser is Underway!

Calling the Portland community! Do you love the shows you see performed by the Portland Civic Players? Do you love our historic little theater? Did you know that the Portland Civic Players have been around almost as long as the theater? Do you want to see the arts continue to thrive in our town? We need your help!! Our marquee is original and in desperate need of replacing.

The Portland Civic Players was formed in 1955 and is a completely volunteer organization. The group purchased it's current building, now known as The Portland Community Theater in 1971. The former Sun Theater movie house was built in 1948 and the marquee is original to the building.

While able to keep up with general maintenance, some projects go beyond what the general budget can handle. This funding will refurbish the marquee on the building. Safety concerns and functionality have made replacing the marquee a necessary priority for our organization. The structure is steal and heavy on the building and stressing the building's integrity. The marquee letters are getting more difficult to find, and our Michigan winters take its toll on our supply. The current design, which requires the letters to be manually put up and taken down, is difficult and impractical to be used by the community at large. There are few light bulbs left around the outside of the marquee.

The exterior renovation begins a multi-year, long-term plan to renovate the entire theater, inside and out. The outside is the first phase to make our space safer, last longer and be more inviting, appealing, functional for the organization and the community we serve. While our doors were closed in 2020, we took the opportunity to use some of the money we had already raised to complete some of the necessary exterior work, totaling approximately $16,000. Our building was sealed and painted on three sides, and the walkway on the side was covered in painted galvanized steel siding to extend the structure's life.

The updates and repairs still needed include:

● Replace original knob and tube wiring for the marquee, ensuring all wiring complies with current safety codes.

● Remove and replace the original heavy steel marquee structure with a more efficient aluminum structure that will not stress the building.

● Replace panels and letters with energy-efficient LED screens.

● Add two lights on the face of the building that will point skyward when lit.

● Add lighting in the original poster display cases.

● Powder coat the metal framing of the LED screens.

● The addition of over 200 individual, energy-efficient LED bulbs on both the bottom of the marquee and surrounding the LED screens restoring the marquee to its original look.

You can help! Please consider a donation. Any amount will help and is appreciated! Check out the GoFundMe at the QR code below or click HERE to read our story and make a donation. Please visit our website at PortlandCivicPlayers.com and stay tuned to the Portland Civic Players Facebook page for some cool history, videos, updates, and stories to come. We have raised about $40,000 of a $120,000 goal! Remember every little bit helps! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!