Shady Lane theater property readied for sale
By AMBER KROSEL - akrosel@nwherald.com
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| Rob Griggs, owner of J & R Scrap Removal, clears debris at Shady Lane Theater in Marengo on June 22. The fire, which completely destroyed the building, occurred in the late hours of April 25. (Lauren M. Anderson - landerson@nwherald.com) |
MARENGO – A couple of months after the Shady Lane theater was destroyed by a fire, workers started cleaning up the old site of the long-shuttered playhouse.
Now about a week out from completion, the entire property soon will be listed on the market.
Rob Griggs of J&R Services and Scrap Removal in Marengo has been leading the cleanup efforts. He said he planned to bring the burned theater down to the slab, take out some trees, and add a fresh coat of paint to finish off the intact restaurant.
“I’ve taken between 30 and 40 tons of material out of there,” Griggs said. “It will be more attractive and less work for the future owners, whoever may purchase that.”
Griggs said the current owner might split the 23-acre property into two parcels but also sell them together. Additional details and the asking price are pending until a new Realtor is hired.
The landmark barn theater and restaurant on Route 20 was a favorite of many locals, who reminisced with one another after a fire in late April destroyed the playhouse portion. The cause of the fire was ruled as undetermined.
The Shady Lane theater opened in 1941, introducing the East Coast’s summer stock theater to the area. Famous actors who once graced its stage included Jeff Chandler, Celeste Holm, Geraldine Page and David Hasselhoff.
Frank Bryan founded what has been known by many names – from Shady Lane Farm to Shady Lane Centre – as an addition to the restaurant he established in 1937.
In 1966, the summer theater celebrated its 25th year as the oldest one in the Midwest. The theater was renovated in 1991, with occasional performances through the 1990s.
Popular productions at Shady Lane included “The Philadelphia Story,” plus its last known 1998-99 season of titles such as “1776,” “Oliver!,” “Guys and Dolls,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”
