From a young age, Columbus native Shalee Darringer found herself drawn to the Crump Theatre.
Every time she passed it, she’d look at the building and longed to go inside.
At five years old, Darringer had a dream: When it was time for her to do her senior project in high school, she wanted to involve the Crump in some way.
Now, in Darringer’s final year at Columbus East High School, that dream has become a reality.
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For her senior project, Darringer is focusing on helping the Crump Theatre and, as she put it, promoting "healthier lives in our community." As part of these efforts, she’s organized a volunteer clean-up day for the Crump this Saturday, with two shifts: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Each shift has a maximum capacity of 80 people.
“With the condition that the inside of the Crump is in right now, the only way that we’re going to be able to open that up or, like, actually begin the entire restoration process is if we go in there and clean everything out," she said.
In addition to the fire and safety hazards that have kept the building from reopening, Darringer said that the Crump has water damage, mold and mildew.
“There’s been a crew that’s been working on this for almost a year now, and they’ve gotten a lot done personally, but I feel like the more people we have come in, the more we’ll get done," she said.
To help get rid of the damage, some of the workers — called the "demo crew" on Darringer’s sign-up page — will be tearing out carpet, removing attached materials and getting rid of anything that can hold water. A hauling crew will then carry all "unnecessary items" outside.
Darringer said that both the demo and hauling crews will be provided with N-95 masks and gloves for their own safety. She stated that the building will be aired out before the first shift begins, and workers will be placed near doors on the first floor, away from any of the "extremely harmful spots."
She added that there will only be a relatively small number of people working inside the building; the majority of volunteers will be outside in order to socially distance.
The exterior maintenance crew will pull vines off the building and clean its front, and the outside cleaning crew will clean materials that are needed for fundraising.
That’s another part of Darringer’s senior project — she plans to auction off items from the Crump to raise funds to buy protective gear for future cleanup efforts. She said this includes gloves and N-95 masks.
Darringer said that she and her project mentor, Jess Schnepp, are setting up an online auction on items from the Crump, including audio tubes and old marquis letters.
They’re also planning another volunteer event in October to take down the "Love Letters to the Crump" curtains that hang on the building’s exterior wall as part of a 2019 Exhibit Columbus installation. Darringer said that the curtains will be repurposed into reusable shopping bags and sold or auctioned to raise more funds for protective gear.
“She’s very passionate about the theatre," said Schnepp. "And she has been working her tail off."
Schnepp is also the community development coordinator for the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., an admin on the "Save the Crump Theatre" Facebook group, and project coordinator for the "the Crump Project," separate from Darringer’s senior project.
“We are in phase one, which is prevent and protect, and that’s making emergency repairs that might need done to the building, while also accessing the building to see if there’s any other repairs that need to be done," Schnepp said. She added that the work also includes working with volunteers to clean up the building and getting quotes from contractors on repairs.
Darringer said Schnepp was the one who told her that helping the Crump as part of her senior project was actually doable.
"Up until last year, that [the Crump] was my only reason I had not wanted to leave Columbus," Darringer said. As a senior, Darringer is looking into different colleges and doesn’t necessarily plan to stay close to home.
But before leaving, she wanted to see the Crump get some much-needed love.
"I want to see something actually being done with that, and the way to make me feel better about that is to be part of doing so," she said.
Darringer and Schnepp started making plans for her senior project last November, just after the Crump’s 130th "birthday." The celebration was the first time Darringer ever entered the Crump, after years of looking in from the outside and dreaming, from the age of five, about helping the theatre.
For Schnepp, five years old is also a milestone age — it’s when she saw her first movie, "The Dark Crystal," at the Crump. She said the experience left a "lasting impression" on her.
It’s that kind of memory that students hope to create by helping revive the Crump, Schnepp said. Darringer isn’t the only one who’s come to her about the theatre; another senior is planning his project around the theatre as well. In fact, Schnepp said that "students of all ages" have reached out to her about the Crump.
Some of them attribute their interest to the effects of isolation amid the pandemic.
“After being quarantined because of COVID and having to do everything virtual, they really want to start having real-life experiences," Schnepp said. "They want to come see a concert. They want to go see a movie. You know, they want to go see a play or a comedian. They want to go do things. And so I think maybe that’s part of the draw, is the possibility of a future where they have some place to go and do things.”
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To sign up for the Crump clean-up, volunteers can go to the "Clean Up the Crump" event page on Facebook and click on the link under the "Tickets" section, which will take them to a sign-up page for volunteer shifts.
There are two clean-up shifts: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 12:30-3 p.m. Each shift has a max capacity of 80 people. Volunteers can sign up for the following jobs:
- Demo crew — Will help tear out carpet and remove attached materials from the theatre, as well as anything that can hold water.
- Hauling crew — Will haul unnecessary items outside of the theatre
- Cleaning crew — Will be outside, cleaning materials that will be used for fundraising
- Exterior maintenance crew — Will be outside, pulling vines off the building and cleaning the building’s front.
The majority of volunteers will be working outside, so as to maintain social distancing. Those working inside will be spaced out.
Volunteers should wear close-toed shoes and clothes they don’t mind getting dirty. The inside workers will be given N-95 masks and gloves to protect from mold and mildew.
Darringer said that they’re asking for the demo crew to bring carpet knives and other tools to help with their work. The cleaning crew is asked to bring glass cleaner and paper towels. The exterior crew is asked to bring tools to help with either landscaping or work on the marquis.
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More updates on Darringer’s senior project and Crump clean-up efforts are available at The Crump Theatre page on Facebook and the "Save the Crump Theatre" Facebook group.
Schnepp said that anyone with questions can email her at [email protected].
Shalee said that they are also partnering with BCSF to raise funds. With a minimum donation of $50 to the school foundation, individuals will receive Columbus Book which contains a "great picture of the Crump." Half of the proceeds will go to the project; the other half will go to the school foundation. More information is available at www.bcsfstars.org.
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As part of their graduation requirement, all Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. students are required to complete a senor project.
According to Columbus East’s website, "The Senior Capstone Experience/Senior Project is a student-selected exploration of a topic which results in a research paper, a project or a product, and a presentation. The Senior Capstone Experience moves students away from departmentalized learning toward a more interdisciplinary approach. This approach is one which allows students to use a variety of skills in the areas of writing, speaking, research, and documentation. Upon completion of the Senior Capstone Experience, students have learned more about their topics, their community, and, most importantly, about themselves."
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