Welcome to the Rex Theater

The efforts for restoring the Rex began when visionary, Jeff Young, first learned of the struggling theater's troubles. Then in 1996, he purchased the theater and began several projects to improve the condition and appearance of the theater.

Pictured to the right is the front of the Rex as it appeared after renovations to the marquee in the 1970's. There were originally two store fronts on either side of the theater lobby which had been converted to storage through the years. Maintenance of the theater was neglected, and the theater fell in to a general state of disrepair by the mid 1990's. Alterations to the interior masked the Rex's original architecture and beauty.

The Rex Theater circa 1976

The marquee was a logical place to begin restoration of the Rex as it symbolized the plan for returning the theater to its former majesty. This process began with a total tear off of the old marquee which was composed of cedar shakes and a translucent light box. Then the structure

was put in place to hold support the 1920's style awning. Then a letter board sign was added to the newly exposed header above the main lobby doors. Shown above is a close up of the new trusses that comprise the frame for the awning as well as the new awning on its store front.

Subsequent projects that have been completed include a new roof, repair and repainting of the molded ceiling in the main auditorium, a remodeled concession stand, replacement of the movie screen with a roll-up screen, and upgraded sound and projection systems. Future plans for the Rex center around continued renovation of the lobby and auditoriums, adding a state of the art POS system, and the scheduling of more live performances. This is in keeping the goal of providing the citizens of Clay Center and surrounding areas with a space to come together, as in the past, for entertainment and cultural events.