Adobe Theater reopening after 4-month makeover

After four months of “going dark,” the Adobe Theater will reopen on Friday with a face-lift.

Since the theater closed on Labor Day, workers have renovated the bathrooms to make them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The four-month makeover includes shiny new fixtures and a fresh coat of paint.

“Our restrooms were not ADA-compliant and outdated and a little scary,” Adobe board President Ronda Lewis said. “They were really small; they were not done up to code. It was done quickly. The building was a bar before the Adobe moved in.”

Volunteers also performed a cleanup of the remnants of 25 years of productions. Theater groups can now find set pieces and costumes.

“We’ve got things inventoried and very orderly,” Lewis said. “It’s a nice space for our actors and directors.”

Now celebrating its 61st year, the theater has been at 9813 Fourth NW for 25 years.

Contractors removed steps leading up to the restroom stalls. The painting and cleaning extended across the building.

The undertaking cost about $60,000, Lewis said.

“We had some very generous patrons donate toward our fund,” she said. “We were in the fortunate position of having some set aside. We’ve had a lot of volunteers, as well. Patrons came in and helped with the paint.”

The changes also include an expansion. The Adobe is leasing the small building behind the theater at 9813½ Fourth NW for office and meeting space, Lewis said.

The new season features nine fully mounted productions with the addition of “dark weekends” between them. Actors will present staged readings or one-act plays. From Feb. 16-18, organizers have scheduled a staged reading of “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” by Nora and Delia Ephron. Yasmina Reza’s “Art” runs March 2-25. “Wish Upon a Star,” a one-act play of reflections on Walt Disney, spans the next “dark weekend,” March 30-April 1.

“It feels like a whole new building,” Lewis said.