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Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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Frolics give Franklin auditorium a facelift
Staff Writer Thousands upon thousands of people have sat on the hard wooden seats in the auditorium at the Franklin Arts Center since it was built as a junior high school in 1932.
Now when people come to the auditorium for a performance they'll sit on nice, cushy seats, thanks to the Geritol Frolics, a nonprofit organization of senior citizens 55 and older who perform musical productions.
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The Geritol Frolics recently worked on installing upholstery to the seats in the auditorium at the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. Busy working were Norm Nelson (left), Bonnie Olson, Lynn Olson, Yvonne Yunker, Ed Yunker, Richard Hull and Jerry Wahlstrom. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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Ed Yunker, director of the Geritol Frolics, and his wife, Yvonne, who co-writes and designs the costumes, said the Geritol Frolics decided to make improvements to the auditorium with the proceeds from the shows from the past five years. The Geritol Frolics lease the space from Brainerd Community Education.
The Geritol Frolics began in 1987 at Central Lakes College and the group performed there until 2001, said Ed Yunker. Then in 2004, cast members tried to get the group going again at the auditorium at Franklin, the year the building was no longer a school.
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This is the finished look of the seats in the auditorium at the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. The Geritol Frolics decided to make improvements to the auditorium with proceeds from their shows. The carpet shown here was removed Monday and will be replaced. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls
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"We have been successful since we've been at Franklin," said Yunker. "We've paid our bills and we decided that making improvements at the auditorium is a good way to give back to the community."
The Geritol Frolics is spending about $17,000 on improvements, which include adding upholstery to all 478 wooden seats, replacing the carpet, painting the bottom part of the stage and adding a digital lighting system.
The renovations began in July and are due to be completed by the end of the week. As of Monday afternoon, 80 seats had to be installed and the blue/black zigzag carpet was being installed. To try to save money, volunteers with the Geritol Frolics helped take out the seats, deliver and pick up the seats at the upholstery business along Highway 371 in Baxter and install the seats.
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Yvonne Yunker (left), Lorri Hoff and Ed Yunker of the Geritol Frolics inspected the new carpet Monday that was going to be installed in the auditorium at the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
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"The first seat took an hour and a half," said Ed Yunker. "But after that it was pretty easy."
Volunteers who helped were the Yunkers, Don Mork, Roger Gorman, Norm Nelson, Jerry Wahlstrom, Dianne Pearson, Gerry Nyberg, Denny Nyberg, Lynn Olson, Bonnie Olson, Richard Hull, Margaret Brauns. Lorri Hoff helped get the project going, the volunteers said.
"We're really excited to see our patrons come back to see what we've done," said Yvonne Yunker. "They know how bad it was. They'd bring their own cushions to the shows for more comfort."
Yvonne Yunker said they've performed to more than 12,000 people since 2004 and they do eight shows a year. There are 33 singers, 10 dancers, five in the orchestra, six technical crew members and an office manager.
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This is the finished look of the Clark Sjodin (left) and Steve Puckett from Tyke's Carpet Sales North in Baxter brought in the new carpet Monday that was going to be installed in the auditorium at the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/Kelly Humphrey
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The Geritol Frolics will perform their shows this year in the newly renovated auditorium in October. They began rehearsal Monday night and rehearse three times a week.
Show dates are at 7 p.m. Oct. 15, 17 and 24 and at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 18, 22-23 and 25. All seats are reserved and must be paid when purchasing tickets. Tickets are $10 and $12 for the premium center section. Tickets go on sale Sept. 14 and are available at the Franklin Arts Center Box Office at 1001 Kingwood St. in Brainerd or by calling 825-4993 anytime between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.
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