to a more manageable 840 seats and installing art-deco features that would remain for the next 55 years. Among those features would be the rich red-velvet walls of the auditorium, beige vinyl cushions in the lobby, plaster floral-patterned indirect lighting, modeled after the Hanna Playhouse Theatre in Cleveland, and the concession stand moved to the inside of the theater. Jerome Steel died in 1959 and left Bill in charge of the theater. It was around this time that Bill began the last set of major renovations to happen until it was purchased by Oberlin College. The renovation involved the installation of terreza black glass, put up around the exterior of the theater as well as in the lobby. The marquee changed shape from a rectangular marquee to a diamond shape marquee, which made it easier for pedestrians to see. The stage was shortened by about four feet, and instruments were carved into the front doors acknowledging the conservatory’s commitment to the arts. A local carpenter, Bill Jones, did the carvings. Bill managed the theater for many years with the help of his wife, Arlene, and his brother, Sandy, but in 2008 the theater was put up for sale. Although many buyers stepped forward, the Steels made the choice to sell the theater to Oberlin College with the agreement that it would still be used as a movie theater for both college and town. Recent history The Apollo Theatre was purchased by a wholly owned subsidiary of Oberlin College in February 2009. Two public meetings were held by the college to discuss future renovations and plans for the theater. Around the same time, a coalition of townspeople and college students formed Mission Apollo, a group that encouraged the college to maintain the single-screen theater and preserve the existing façade, marquee and interior. The college hired Cleveland Cinemas to manage the theater shortly before the first set of renovations took place in the summer of 2009. The theater shut down in July and reopened in October 2009 with several new features but also the disappearance of some Apollo staples. The theater has remained a mainstay in the Oberlin community at its comfortable locale in downtown Oberlin, and in 2012 became the centerpiece for The Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman Cinema Studies Center for Media Education and Production. It includes editing labs, an animation area, a recording studio and small projection screening room.