M.E. Theatres

The Kenton Theatre is an old Schines House built in the early 1930's The Millers are currently researching this theatre, as not much is known about its early years. What they do know is that it was originally decorated in a Spanish style, and featured many painted murals on its walls.

The Millers purchased the Kenton Theatre in June of 1993. The theatres condition had deteriorated, and they were unable to salvage the original wall murals. Instead, the Millers decided to start over, and began a major renovation of the theatre.

The first order of business was to clean out the theatre. After it had been cleaned out, they began to put it back together again. An all new concession stand was built along with new restrooms. The balcony was extended, and a wall was built running down the center of the balcony area so that there could be two theatres in the upstairs area. It is interesting to note that the seating style found in the balcony theatres of the Kenton is identical to the now popular "stadium seating" that theatres are installing. So, the newest rage in theatre design has actually been around since at least the early 1930's. By splitting the balcony area the Millers were able to make the Kenton a three screen complex.

But the renovation of the theatre didn't stop there. An all new projection and sound systems were also installed. In addition, new screens, carpeting, wall coverings, acoustical sound panels, and ceilings. They also installed new heating and air conditioning systems. More recently, the Millers installed air conditioning in the lobby, and in the balcony theatres. They also cleaned and repainted the entire theatre.

In 1995 the original theatre seats were removed and new seats were installed in all the houses. By far the most noticeable change came in 1994 when the Millers installed a new marquee on the outside of the building. The original had been tore down years before, but the Millers had a photograph of it. They took that photo to Terry & Jack Neon Sign Company. Using the photo as a guide, they were able to manufacture the new marquee that graces the front of the theatre