For almost a century, the stage in the Oviatt Theater, the auditorium of the former Hudson Middle School at 77 North Oviatt Street in Hudson, Ohio, has held performers of varied backgrounds.  From school plays to band concerts, and from talent shows to community events, this stage and theater has served the community well as a cultural and artistic resource.  With the opening of the newly-constructed Hudson Middle School to the east of the old building, the space will no longer be used by HMS students for performances.  However, it is too valuable of an asset to lose altogether. 

The old HMS (and before that, HHS) building was constructed in 1927.  As such, the architecture is historic and adds greatly to the charm and history of the downtown area in which the building sits.  The school board has decided to repurpose the building as to not lose the beautiful architecture on the outside, but they have not made any indication that they intend to save the crown jewel of the interior.  The Auditorium inside is not only beautiful, it's irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind.  The walls and ceiling are adorned with hand-finished plaster.  The wooden-decked stage is topped out with a fully-rigged fly system with three electrics for lighting and two dressing rooms up stairwells above the backstage area.  The seating area of the theater has a capacity of ~500 across a ground floor level and a mezzanine level above.  The auditorium is wired and equipped for theatrical-grade lighting and audio systems.  Uniquely, however, due to the fact that audio amplification equipment was not commercially available in schools in the 1930s, the room was constructed in such a way that the room is a giant megaphone, with the stage in the center.  Well-trained talent need not even use a microphone to be clearly heard in the very back of the room!  

The current plan being discussed involves the  "construction of 18-23 condominiums inside the 1927 portion of the old middle school" and will likely include the gutting, demolition, and re-purposing of the Oviatt Theater inside to make space for residential units.  If the School Board moves forward with a plan such as this, it will be no surprise if the auditorium is destroyed.  Further details have yet to come out, and nothing is set in stone yet, but that makes now the critical time to act, and have our voices heard by the Board.  

The auditorium space is unique and historic.  It is a complete theater, with dressing rooms, stage wings, an orchestra pit under the apron of the stage, and all necessary and available connections for professional performance equipment.  If lost, we will never have such a space again in Hudson.  To our knowledge, there is no such space in neighboring communities either.  No more performers will walk the stage.  No more music will fill the room.  We ask that you please support our petition and tell the Hudson School Board and Administration that losing this space is unacceptable.  The Covid-19 pandemic has put tremendous strain on artists and performers everywhere.  The performing arts have already lost so much.  As a community, we cannot allow this performance venue to be lost as well.  We must stand together and act now, because if we do not, as the curtain falls, so does the Oviatt Theater.