Grant will help to close the Emery Theater campaign gap
Cincinnati, OH – The Emery Theater is one step closer to reopening as the home of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) thanks to a generous $500,000 grant from Bank of America– the first of this size in the Cincinnati area. TCT will use these funds to further renovate, restore, and reimagine the landmark Emery Theater in the historic Over-The-Rhine neighborhood in downtown Cincinnati, creating a state-of-the-art venue unlike any other in the region.
Bank of America’s generous grant leaves TCT with just $4.3 million left to raise for its transformational campaign, “A Crown for the Queen City.” This campaign aims to raise $51 million, enhancing access to theatre for families and young children throughout the region and ensuring TCT’s future as a premiere arts organization.
Kim Kern, TCT’s President and CEO, said, “The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is thrilled and honored to have received the first-ever Cincinnati-awarded Anchor Grant from Bank of America. These funds have significantly closed the gap in terms of total funds still needed for the Emery Theater renovation and are helping to provide a permanent home for TCT MainStage productions and expanded programming, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of children annually.”
The grant is part of Bank of America’s longstanding commitment to strengthen Cincinnati by addressing key issues fundamental to economic opportunity and social progress. This support helps make the arts more accessible to communities around the world and preserve heritage sites like the Emery Theater for generations to come. Restoring this site, one of only four acoustically pure venues in the country that has been dormant for decades, is an important preservation initiative and directly contributes to the continued neighborhood revitalization efforts in Over-The-Rhine. “We share The Children’s Theatre’s vision for making the arts accessible for future generations which is why we directed this strategic philanthropic investment to help build stronger communities,” said Mark Ryan, President, Bank of America Cincinnati. “The Emery Theater is an iconic landmark in our community and supporting TCT with our very first anchor grant in Cincinnati will increase access to the arts, encourage economic development, and inspire the next generation. We are looking forward to many fantastic performances on this stage for years to come.”
In 2021, TCT embarked on a capital campaign to purchase, restore, and reimagine the historically significant Emery Theater. TCT envisions not simply a restoration but a reinvention of the theater into a modern and memorable venue equipped with the latest technology that inspires and teaches diverse audiences. TCT plans to incorporate a turntable stage lift, projection mapping, a 40’ x 60’ video wall, and an automated fly system to enliven the audience experience and overcome backstage and wing limitations. This effort will expand TCT’s reach and impact locally and elevate TCT as the #1 children’s theatre in the nation.
With The Emery as its home, TCT will unlock its potential to inspire diverse audiences with original works and even more innovative programming. TCT will also expand programming for younger children (theatre for the very young) and teenagers with work considered a revenue risk in its current rented space. Additionally, the renovation of a landmark building strengthens the historic fabric of downtown, preserving an invaluable sense of place for the community while increasing property values in the area.
TCT entered a purchase and sale agreement for the theater in April 2021 and officially purchased it in December 2023. TCT held a groundbreaking ceremony on January 30, 2024. Construction will be complete in the summer of 2025, and the first production in the space will open in October 2025 with its 2025-2026 MainStage season.
About Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).
History of The Emery Theater
Imagined by philanthropist Mary Emery and designed by the famed architectural firm of Samuel Hannaford & Sons, the Emery Auditorium opened in January 1912 with an inaugural concert by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The acoustically exceptional 2,200-seat theater in Over-the-Rhine was once considered one of the top concert halls in the country. Sergei Rachmaninoff, John Philip Sousa, George Gershwin, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bette Davis, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. all stood on the Emery stage at various points in its history.
The Emery was also the performance home of TCT until 1969 when the University of Cincinnati took ownership of the property and ran it as the College of Applied Sciences until 1989. The theater was used for films, lectures, and meetings for the next decade. While the building’s upper floors were developed as apartments in 2001, the theater has fallen into disrepair since that time. TCT is the Emery Theater’s best hope to be restored to its former glory and to regain its place as a memorable and iconic arts venue.
About The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
Celebrating 105 years this season, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is the oldest professional theatre for young audiences in the country. For more than a century, it has created lifelong memories and lasting impact for children and families. TCT serves more than 200,000 in the region and brings art to life through three divisions: TCT MainStage productions, TCT on Tour/WorkShops, and TCT Academy. Delivering much more than entertainment, TCT offers an inclusive space and innovative programming for children and adults to learn confidence, patience, and imagination. TCT’s partnerships with regional schools allow thousands of students each year to reap the lifelong benefits of a quality arts education that they might otherwise not experience due to geographic or economic limitations.
With productions geared specifically toward the attention span of a child, we expose children to the magic of theatre in an age-appropriate way. While Broadway-quality, our shows are only one hour long and allow for a true family/school outing where new memories and traditions can be created. Our purpose is to enrich the lives of all people by providing access to exceptional performing arts experiences, which includes our Sensory-Friendly program where performances are adapted to specifically meet the needs of children with autism and other sensory concerns. We are the only professional theater in the region that devotes our entire MainStage season to children, helping to create the future arts patrons of our community.
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