If you happened to be in downtown Aurora Monday, it would have been hard to miss that 150-ton crane moving its two-ton cargo across the Fox River.
In the morning, it lifted into place the six-foot V-shaped marquee for the brand new Stolp Island Theatre that will begin previews of “Million Dollar Quartet” with two Wednesday performances.
And in the afternoon on Monday, the crane’s haul was a 20-foot blade sign announcing the name of this freshly-opened and intimate immersion theater that is about to become a big player in the future of downtown Aurora.
Indeed, Monday’s high-flying installation show – 100 feet in the air, 200 feet across the water – was more than a big project. It was a sign of things to come.
Standing along the bridge watching this unique spectacle included a team from Aurora Sign Co., which was tasked with creating and installing the new sign and the marquee that hung below it. Employees included co-project Managers Paula Gibson and Riley Carson, along with Director of Operations Joe Blackwell, all of whom readily admitted that watching their labors come to fruition on this gorgeous July morning was a red letter day that would, thankfully, lead to fewer sleepless nights.
“A lot of work went into it,” noted Gibson, “A lot of teamwork.”
That effort started with the design of the marquee and sign, created by Bridgette Rater – wife of Paramount CEO and President Tim Rater – who for the past 14 years has been contributing graphic designs to the Aurora Civic Center Authority (which oversees the Paramount) as a freelancer, and who just recently went from part- to full-time as art director.
Her pro bono submission for this big project, noted Aurora Sign President Brandon Weis, was the clear winner of the more than two dozen that were also considered.
But having a great design is just the beginning.
While “it might look good on paper,” pointed out Gibson, professional sign fabricators, working with various materials and tools, must turn that concept into a product that also “looks great hanging from a wall.”
Partnering with Watchfire Signs, a digital display company that manufactured the electric message center, Gibson and others on the team labored diligently for the past three months on this project, fully aware they were up against a show that must go starting with Wednesday’s matinee.
Designing and creating the marquee and sign for the Paramount’s newest entertainment venue was one thing. But how to install these two products soon became the million dollar question.
Weis, an East Aurora High School alum who became part owner of Aurora Sign in 1999 and became sole owner five years later, and has since grown the staff from three to over 40, was more than pleased to get the contract for this project. His company makes thousands of signs a year – nationally, regionally, locally – that consist of all sizes and shapes. But never before in its history did the staff have to figure out the logistics of installing a product that “has a river in front of it.”
Turns out “99.9% of the time you can drive a truck to the front door” and put up the sign, Weis said, adding that one suggestion was to use a helicopter, until they realized a better idea was to take advantage of the sizable parking lot across the river “and put a big crane over there.”
And so, after renting the all-terrain machine from Atlas Crane Service, another local company, Weis’ installation crew, led by Adam Lapa, took center stage along the downtown riverwalk, starting just after 5 a.m. and going for another 12 hours.
“The word of the day was safety … it superseded everything,” said Weis, who was “hopping back and forth” from one side of the river to the other as his crew of six did the heavy lifting.
“Professionalism and logistics are important” on a project like this, he added. “But I told people prayer is always welcome.”
Turned out, despite plenty of confidence in his staff, “all my nerves were put to the test,” admitted Weis. “At the end of the day, we were doing a lot of high-fives … with a couple of cold beers thrown in.”
Also watching with a mix of emotions – first from the Paramount’s green room then with his wife and other co-workers from the Benton Street Bridge – was Tim Rater, who couldn’t help but reflect back as the Stolp Island Theatre sign flew across the river and was eventually attached to 5 E. Downer Place, Suite G.
It was in the summer of 2018 that “we began working on possible plans for this space” that was used by the city for offices, training programs and cable TV, he told me
Watching the marquee and sign go up “made it real,” insisted Rater, adding that, after Tuesday’s “Million Dollar Quartet” dress rehearsal, followed by Wednesday’s first two preview performances, “it will be a bit more real.”
Which makes all of this more newsworthy.
The reality is not a lot of theaters are opening across the country these days, and in fact, many are closing, Rater pointed out.
“To have the support of the city and be charged with moving forward with these plans is really something we do not take for granted,” he continued. “We have one shot to do it right. We want to do it right so our patrons have a good experience and tell others to come experience it too.”
Looking out on a spectacular panoramic view from the bridge on Monday, it became apparent to me how this small theater can, indeed, do big things for the community. For one thing, it will expand the Paramount’s already impressive footprint and draw people to a beautiful section of the riverwalk – with its fountains, flowers and a body of flowing water teeming with wildlife – that’s been relatively uninhabited and underappreciated.
“The Paramount continues to make history in the community,” said Weis, who is justifiably proud of his company’s role in this latest production. “And we will forever be the name attached to that sign that flew across the Fox River in downtown Aurora.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com
