Making the Front Page, especially 'above the fold' (the top half of the page) is no small feat, and we hope to be making the headlines more and more as we near opening in 2025. 

​In this case, The Star Beacon and The Gazette covered our tours and first look of the new building  during Winterfest.  They shared a bit of Brook & Sarah's background in theater, in hospitality and even in food service. 

Truly there is much to be done in the building to make it a Theater - from a stage and lights to refinishing many of the current  s paces into more practical uses.  We are excited to show this first look, so when you come ack as the door officially open for the inagural show you'll be amazed at how far it has come! 

Follow these links to see the full write-ups from The Gazette; and from The Star Beacon. 

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Finally! The moment you have all been waiting for since the announcement of the acquisition of a  secondary performance location for Noble Art last October... the name of our new building.  

Yes, our company is Noble Art Entertainment, but we thought an iconic name for the theater itself would help build its identity and make it easier to reference.  Like "Lets go to the Apollo and catch a show."! 

Now, we know that name is already taken, but what would be a fitting name for such an exciting new addition to Geneva's offerings in Northeast Ohio?  Perhaps 'The Geneva Playhouse' or 'The Buckley' (my personal favorite! "Lets go to The Buckley for a Bourbon tasting and Blues performance."), or even 'Eagle Street Theater' paying homage to the local school mascot and the street we now call home.  We even considered 'The Grandview Playhouse' and 'Cantrell-Hall Center for the Arts' as suggested by some of our family. 

To make the decision easier and truly involve this thriving community we are joining, we turned to the experts!  During Downtown Geneva's annual Grape JAMboree celebration in September 2022, Noble Art staff were permitted by the Masons to set up outside their soon-to-be new building and pass out fliers announcing the coming change and encouraging the community members to submit name ideas for the building! That's right, who are we to surreptitiously name an entire theater on our own!?

After many discussions, name sessions and research; the creative owners relied on input from the community and longtime patrons of the Dinner Theater at its Geneva-on-the-Lake location.  We heard everything from 'The Eagles Nest' and 'The Colosseum' to 'Wine Country Theatre' and 'The Vintage Playhouse'!  What would rise to the top of all these suggestions?  

After months of feedback and comments, the top five name submissions were put to a final vote   online and the winner hit pretty close to home.  The final contenders were: The Geneva Playhouse, Noble Rose Playhouse, Eagle Street Theater, The Noble Art Theater, and Spotlight Geneva Theater.  (That's right... The Buckley did not even make the list!)  And the winner is... The Noble Art Theater! 

And while we do love our name, we thought it may be a bit too confusing to have the building named exactly the same as the company, so we took a little creative license and amended it slightly to: The Noble.  We hope to see you at The Noble for our Grand Opening in 2025 and for many years of performances to come! 
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That's what's in a name. 

In October 2022, Noble Art officially became the proud owners of this Century building in downtown Geneva, Ohio.  Formerly a Masonic Temple, and prior to that a Church, this building has it all for a growing theater company.  Multiple floors, a large main room to be converted into a theater, finished basement for costumes & a prop shop and even a few hidden secrets we'll share in future posts!

Owners Brook Hall and Sarah Cantrell have had the dream for over 20 years of one day owning their own space to expand the current Noble Art Theater offerings to include summer programming and educational offerings to emerging talent in the area - and this is the fruition of the dreamers making their plans a reality. 

See the full details as reported by Eric Hrin in GAZETTE NEWSPAPERS - here. 

​Constructed in 1866, and rebuilt in 1896 following a fire, with a large front addition featuring the very recognizable stained glass windows added in 1920 - this building holds over a century of history and unique secrets. 

It was built as a Congregational Church and welcomed community members for decades as the small town of Geneva incorporated into a Village in 1866, and as the town purchased their first fire engine in 1874. 

The Masons bought it in the 1950’s and operated it as Masonic Lodge #334 until about 2020. The Masons hand dug and built a basement level adding a dining hall and kitchen and a few other modern luxuries including wide sweeping stairs from the front entryway and restrooms.   

Have additional history? We would love to hear it! We'll keep updating as facts emerge from history! Share in the comments below.  

As we cleaned and cleared the building floor by floor, there were a ton of interesting discoveries! 

From a backlit waterfall picture hardwired into the wall and fully melted candle stubs in a closet to a secret passage behind a hidden panel and a locked vault in the basement, to vintage leather boxing gloves hidden in an attic and even a pully system for raising and lowering sanctuary lights. 

​Look for photos and details in coming stories!