As the city of Columbus proceeds with plans for FairOaks Mall’s reincarnation, possibly as part of a community wellness and sports tourism complex, a small, 7-year-old theater in the building will remain at least through June, according to Robert Hay-Smith.
The local, veteran actor and newcomer to solo, stand-up comedy opened the Harlequin Theatre inside the mall in April 2012 with a variable seating layout accommodating 100 to 150 people. It has hosted plays, comedy nights, concerts to cabaret shows, and other events.
Some of its most popular offerings have been Christmas shows and regularly have sold out the past few years. The latest, “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” opens at 7 p.m. Friday.
“We’ll keep going as long as we can be here,” Hay-Smith said.
He added that he currently has shows booked through June.
“The tenants that we currently have all have their own niche,” Showalter said. “And they all attract their own customer base while also feeding off one another. And that’s a good thing.”
Ideally, Hay-Smith said he would like to remain through the end of 2020, if possible. But plans are uncertain for the timing of tenants moving out, according to Showalter.
With encouragement from the local theatrical community, Hay-Smith transformed a former shoe store into a facility with both theater and cabaret-style seating, stage lighting, a bar for drinks and concessions, and a small backstage area. He had long said the city needed a small community theater space after he struggled to find such venues where he could build props and such without interfering with other upcoming events in those spaces.
Hay-Smith, a London native, is a show business veteran, having played Tiny Tim in a 1951 Fireside Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol” on NBC to begin his career that also has included being a playwright, and a pop music performer who was involved with vaudeville-style acts from the 1960s.
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The Harlequin Theatre opened in April 2012 inside FairOaks Mall, 2380 25th St. in Columbus, and has hosted events ranging from plays to concerts.
It features variable, stadium seating accommodating 100 to 150 people.
Information: Facebook page for The Harlequin Theatre.
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