We are open whenever we are holding a great event! Check the schedule on this website for all the goings on at the Ohio Theatre Lima. The Dinner Theatre is up and running and you can check out the schedule of shows on this website! We are also taking booking for private events! Email us at ohiotheatrelima.com

The Stage Door Canteen is our smaller stage in the bar area. We have smaller productions, singers, bands, and open mic nights in this space.

We want the Ohio Theatre to be a place everyone can find something to enjoy. The focus of the business will be our dinner theatre. We will produce several shows a year. We produce original musicals and plays. We hope to feature original works by Liman's and Ohioan's as well as our own pieces. We will still hold band nights several times a year and feature a wide range of music. There will be a piano bar open nightly (when the dinner theatre isn't open) for sing along fun and drinks and light meals. The Playwright Cafe will be open daily (schedule TBD) in a retail space that is attached to the theatre. It will serve coffee and beverages, and delicious baked good and savory treats.

The owners of the theatre have worked in show business for many years. We ran a successful Dinner Theatre in Nashville, TN before moving to NYC and then to Los Angeles to produce television. We have produced our own award winning shows in Nashville, NYC and Los Angeles. We knew that Los Angeles was much too expensive to start a theatre, so we traveled around the country visiting multiple states looking at potential properties for our theatre. When we came to Lima, we fell in love with the community, and that is why we ultimately chose to be here. One of us went to college in Ohio and has family here, so it seemed like the perfect fit. The community has been very welcoming and generous, and we are grateful to be here. Learn more about us on our websites. www.michaelbouson.com and www.joecorrell.com

The dinner theatre is fun! It is not like other dinner theatre's you may have attended. We have a delicious buffet, and entrees will change for each show. . Many of our shows are environmental, which means the "show" starts the moment you walk through the door, so your server might just be a part of the play! All of our shows are comedies or musicals. We are known for our musical satires and off the wall comedies. Your meal will be included in the ticket, but beverages and desserts will be a separate charge.

The Bakery and Cafe will be open during the day (hours TBD) and is located in a retail space at the front of the theatre. It will sell coffee and beverages, delicious baked goods and savory treats.

Friends of the Ohio Theatre is a 501c3 Non profit corporation dedicated to restoring and maintaining this historic landmark. The Ohio Theatre is listed on the National Register for Historic places, and therefore a perfect candidate. The money raised by the non profit does not and cannot go to the running of our businesses. There are many beautiful elements of the theatre that go above and beyond what we need to have for our business, and the non profit will ensure that the building stays maintained long after we are gone. We believe this building belongs to the people of Lima and we are it's stewards. All donations are tax deductible. Also a 1$ surcharge will be applied to every ticket we sell, and will go directly to FOTOT for building restoration. Go to www.friendsoftheohiotheatre.com for more information and to donate.

You will see original musicals and comedies. Visit our theatres website at www.avantegarage.com for a look at the types of productions we do. And of course, we are currently writing new plays and musicals that will get their world premiere's in Lima!

Yes, eventually. But we want to get everything running smoothly before we begin selling season tickets. We aim to offer a simple, flexible, and economical savings for our loyal fans.

Prices are comparable to other dinner theatre's, even a little bit less. Around $50 - 60 all inclusive with dinner ,depending on the show.

That depends on your family. Many of our shows and musicals are great for all ages. Some of our shows may have strong language or adult themes, however you will always know what kind of show you are coming to see, and we will have a "rating" system in place.

We don't think so. The shows we produce are all original. We do not produce the standard shows produced by most regional or community theaters. You are not going to see Oklahoma! or Mama Mia! on our stage, unless it is produced by a guest theatre company. When you come to the Ohio Theatre you are going to see a musical or play that you have NOT seen before. Unless you come back to see it again and again!

It will be delicious. We plan to serve quality international comfort foods in a high-end buffet style. There will be something for everyone! Check back to this website for menus.

There are sometimes a limited number of "show only" tickets sold to each performance, usually made available 24 hours before the performance. Once those seats are sold, the show only option will be "sold out". Many of our shows are "environmental" meaning the show begins when you walk through the door, and the meal is an integral part of the show. In these cases there will be no "show only" option.

Auditions will be announced on our websites. We will use a combination of local talents, and guest performers from around the country. We have worked with very talented artists in New York and Los Angeles and elsewhere and we plan to invite them to Lima to work with the very talented people who already live here. We plan to pay our performers. We are a non-equity company.

No. We will produce the dinner theatre productions. There will be band nights, guest rentals, and we hope to be a venue of choice for other performing arts groups in the area.

No.

The Avante Garage is our theatre company. It was started by Michael Bouson in 1984 in Nashville, TN. For a look at some of our productions go to www.avantegarage.com The Avante Garage Studios will be a separate performance space that is actually above the lobby of the theater. There will be a "black box" theatre seating around 50 people for smaller productions, or workshops. The space will also be available for rent for a nominal fee. Perfect for dance troupes, poetry slams, comedy, or whatever your creative mind can dream up.

Yes. We currently are taking bookings for private parties, reunions, baby showers, birthday parties etc. You may reach us at ohiotheatrelima@gmail.com with any inquiries regarding private events.

Jobs will be posted on our website. We will need quite a few people from bartenders, servers, kitchen and bakery workers, bookeepers, janitorial staff, and much more. We hope to bring a lot of jobs to Lima!

The Ohio Theatre is open whenever we have an event. Check out our calendar to see what's happening!

Yes! We will need lots of volunteers. If you have a special skill, or something you'd like to help out with, please email us at ohiotheatrelima@gmail.com

There is not an enforced dress code. Business casual is great for the Dinner Theatre. All other events are casual. You have to wear shoes and a shirt though!

We will follow the laws set forth by the State of Ohio and Allen County.

There is a lot across the street from the theater, and downtown Lima offers plenty of street parking. There is a pay parking garage two blocks away (about a five minute walk) across from the Civic Center.

Email us at ohiotheatrelima@gmail.com and we will do our best to get back to you.

Regina.