New displays light the way to the Charles Theatre

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

New electronic signs on the marquee in front of the Charles Theatre offer an eye-catching display of what movies are playing and other information.

The displays — on both sides of the marquee facing Main Street — were installed Wednesday by Nagle Signs Inc. of Waterloo. The panels were purchased from Daktronics, a Brookings, South Dakota company.

Daktronics had sold the theater the original electronic displays, which Karen Yougnerman, the theater director, estimated had been about 20 years ago.

“The marquee was getting old enough that they were afraid if we had a breakdown they wouldn’t be able to get parts for it,” Youngerman said. “The technology has changed and they just recommended that we update.”

The new signs use more efficient LED lights, and have a much higher resolution.

“It’s a lot clearer, a lot brighter, lot more pixels,” Youngerman said. “We’ll have more motion. We can download things to it. I can access it through my phone, like if I’m at home and I want to make sure everything’s working. It’s really top-notch.”

She said there will be learning curve in using the new technology.

“We have to learn how to use it, load it and everything. We have a webinar next Wednesday morning, and two or three of us are going to try to figure out how to do it,” Youngerman said.

She said the project came with a price tag of about $67,000. A Cultural and Entertainment District Grant from the city for $10,000 and a rebate from Daktronics helped with the cost, but the rest was funded by the theater.

Youngerman said the display panels are the only new part of the marquee. The running lights and the “CHARLES” signs on each side are the same.

“For the most part everybody is happy with it,” Youngerman said. “I just think it’s kind of a ‘Wow!’ factor — it’s so bright and clean.”

The theater director said the Charles is coming back from its closures during the pandemic. As usual even before COVID, the crowd size depends on what’s playing.

The theater was open daily before the pandemic, but is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays now.

“We’re still having trouble getting the newer movies. There’s still a lot of movies that we’re waiting to come out. They were supposed to have been released last year, and then this fall, and now they’re talking more winter,” Youngerman said.

“I think once the newer movies start coming, the big movies, we’ll consider going back to seven days a week. But right now the overhead is just too much. We have to have so much to just open the doors, and it’s just not there yet.”

This weekend’s feature is “F9,” the latest in the “Fast and Furious” franchise, and Youngerman said she thinks they’ll be busy. The following week is “The Boss Baby 2: Family Business,” and Youngerman said animated shows always do well.

“All these little kids want their parents to bring them, and they do, for the most part,” she said.

“It’s slow, but we’re getting our regular customers back, and they’re so thankful that we’re back,” she said.