Youngstown Playhouse recognizes 100th year with ‘Centennial Project’

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown Playhouse continues to celebrate its 100th anniversary in the Valley.

Monday, the Centennial Project was introduced.

It comprises two books that record the theater’s history, a documentary and dozens of interviews with past actors and volunteers.

It is eight years in the making — all to celebrate the Playhouse that started in 1924 in a converted barn on Lincoln Avenue. Then, in the 1940s, it moved to Market Street before building its current home off Glenwood Avenue in 1959.

“I sat down with Jimmy McClellum who was operations manager here, and I said the 100th is in eight years. Of course, no one was thinking of the 100th back then, and I said this is what I would like to do, and I got to get into that archive room because that’s where everything is — and that’s basically where it all started,” said J.D. Ballantyne Jr., archivist.

Ballantyne has also put together a book about the playhouse titled “A Place Where the Stars Still Shine.” It covers the playhouse from its early days on Youngstown’s North Side to the present. He’s also assembled a photographic scrapbook of the theater’s first 100 years.

“We also did a 10-part documentary, which is based on the book. I’m doing a lot of photos, and we’ve had thousands of photos in the archive room and 39 interviews with playhouse personnel over the years,” Ballantyne said.

While the book will go on sale in August, organizers will offer the chance to order it in advance beginning Memorial Day.

The 2024-25 season opens in August with the regional premiere of “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

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