In addition to a momentous night outdoors for the Holland Theatre Saturday, July 26, with the lighting of the new marquee, inside the theater, the theater board announced during the donor dinner that a newly-appointed executive director is moving into the role and invited the 2003 Bellefontaine High School graduate onstage to join in the celebration.
At the young age of 4, Lance Schmidt remembers watching Batman at the Holland Theatre when it was a multi-screen cinema, which he said sparked a love for both the art of film and the theater itself. Following a career path that has taken him to New York City and Los Angeles, Schmidt is now coming full circle at the Holland as the executive director.
While the marquee celebration night was delayed from a previous date in May due to a construction delay related to supply chain issues, Schmidt said he felt the timing of everything came together perfectly, as he just began his new position during the past week. He said he was thrilled to be a part of this important chapter in the theater’s history.
“It feels like a moment. The marquee is a capstone of several decades of work,” said the father of three and husband to wife, Andrea, who is a fellow BHS graduate. Two of their children have appeared in Windmill Productions’ shows, Finding Nemo Jr. and the Jungle Book, the last two summers as well.
“It’s like everything just fell into place and I’m beyond excited to be here tonight for the marquee’s lighting.”
A son of local residents Randy Schmidt and Sandy MacGillivray McDonald, Schmidt graduated from the New York Film Academy in 2005. He is an independent filmmaker and has worked in many media fields, including television, film and radio, on the both the East and West Coasts.
Most recently, he and his family live in Hilliard and he and is operations planning lead at Abercrombie & Fitch’s global headquarters.
Prior to his current job, he was a professional screen printer. Schmidt will bring both creative and corporate skills to his new role at the Holland.
“The opportunity to join the stewardship of this institution and continue the growth of our offerings and public engagement is very special,” Schmidt told the donors during the dinner.
“From my own history here, my many family members that have contributed and volunteered time, to my own children discovering their love of performance on this stage these past two summers – the ongoing mission of the Holland Theatre’s place as the
epicenter of the Logan County arts community is personal.”
The new executive director also thanked Board President Kris Swisher for her nearly three decades of tireless dedication to the theater, making special note that she was his teacher at Bellefontaine Middle School in the mid-1990s.
Interim director Jason Vogel helped to emcee the dinner, and he introduced Schmidt to the crowd.
“This an exciting time at the Holland, and we are thrilled to have Lance on board,” Vogel said, highlighting the community’s support for the Holland’s new marquee and the theater’s mission as a nonprofit performing arts center. “Lance is bringing a fresh vision and comes at the perfect time to help the Holland move forward into a bright future.”
This also won’t be Schmidt’s first collaboration with the Holland. In 2010, he created and organized the Dutch Tilt Film Festival. Over three years, the event raised money for the ongoing restoration of the theater and showed more than 50 films from six countries.
“Performing arts enthusiasts and cinephiles are passionate about sharing the experiences we love with others,” said Schmidt. “The opportunity to do that professionally in a setting like this is something we all dream about.”
Moving the Holland into the future, Schmidt said he wants to keep an an emphasis on the live productions at the theater and “keeping the good things going, including the community good will.”
He’s also looking forward to increasing the theater’s movie capabilities and potentially bringing back his film festival as well, noting the theater’s recent purchase of a new projector through generous local support. At 16,000 lumens, the new laser projector is nearly four times as bright as the old projector. Fundraising for the project began last fall with a fundraiser that featured live music and an auction. Major donors included Pat Ortli, William Connell, Steve and Kay Spath, and the estate of Judy Grubbs.
“We’ll be looking at the ways to boost the experience here. There’s so many opportunities for entertainment and we have some exciting things up our sleeves,” Schmidt said.
The new executive director invites the community to be as involved in their theater as possible to continue this momentum and persevere important memories.
“We’re looking for people who have memories of spending their youth here. We’d love to hear everyone’s stories and also to potentially record them.
“We also want to boost our youth involvement at the theater to build a strong future for the Holland.”
