Published: November 26, 2007 08:58 am      

Amphitheater celebrates opening Dec. 2

ADA — The renovation phase of the Wintersmith Park Amphitheater is complete and to celebrate there will be an opening ceremony Sunday, Dec. 2, from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

“There will be an introduction of dignitaries and guest followed by a brief history of the amphitheater development and restoration project,” said Dr. Marvin Kroeker, a longtime Ada resident and East Central University history professor emeritus. “That part of the ceremony will last about 30 minutes and will be followed by an hour of local entertainment.”

“We have a lot of local entertainment and we want to showcase that,” said Randy McFarland, director of parks and recreation for the city of Ada.

The Wintersmith Amphitheater, along with the park itself, was built during 1934 by men participating in the Civilian Conservation Corps project. The CCC was a “New Deal” program designed to give out-of-work men a steady income.

The amphitheatre was to become the main feature of the park. It was built out of native stone in the side of an existing hill and took four months to complete.

Once the amphitheatre was complete it hosted many local events including singing nights, beauty pageants, political debates, plays, and musicals. Two of the musicals performed at the theatre were “South Pacific” and “Oklahoma.”

“The renovation of the amphitheatre is Ada’s centennial project as part of the Oklahoma Centennial,” said McFarland.

The Wintersmith Amphitheatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, mainly due to the efforts of Dr. Kroeker.

“We’ve tried for a number of years to restore the theatre and once it was placed on the register it became possible,” McFarland said.

Before the restoration began, local volunteers cleared out overgrown areas. Dirt contractors completed work to help prevent erosion around the theatre, and concrete workers poured handicap areas at the top. The final restoration work required stone masons to replace broken and missing stones including the cap stones used for seating.

“We invited the members of the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Centennial Commission to the ceremony to tie the event into the state centennial,” McFarland said.

The Centennial Commission provided $150,000 to the City of Ada for the restoration. Further improvements to the amphitheatre are planned to include a parking area, restrooms, ticket stands, lighting and sound system, and possibly a permanent stage. The continuation of the project is dependent on local donations.

“The centennial funding allowed us to proceed with restoring the historical part of the theatre,” said McFarland. “As soon as more funds are available we will continue with the other projects. The designs are already drawn for the other projects.”

Childers & Childers, a local firm, is the architect for the project.

“Until we have the infrastructure in place, the theatre is not ready for public use. The committee will continue to work with the city to complete the project. The long-range goal is for the theatre to be available to be used by the public,” said McFarland.

Local donations are very important. Contributions can be made to the project by mailing a check to: Wintersmith Amphitheatre Centennial Restoration Project, City of Ada, 231 S. Townsend, Ada, OK 74820. All donations go directly to amphitheatre restoration.

“The main reason for the ceremony,” said McFarland, “is to show folks how far we’ve come and that a lot of that has been possible through donations.”