The long-anticipated renovation of a county treasure will begin in March, the Board of Supervisors heard Monday from Buddy Hart, who heads the Panola Playhouse in Sardis.

Hart updated the board on the historical theatre’s capital campaign and plans for remodel and upgrades. The Playhouse was awarded a $240,000 grant for roof and other repairs by the Mississippi Arts Commission through the Building Fund of the Arts grant for FY2025 earlier this year.

With the help of First Security Bank ($25,000) and a host of private benefactors the Playhouse board of directors has drawn within $15,000 of the funds needed to match the MAC grant and less than $50,000 from the project goal.

Hart said the board will begin with the main theatre at 212 Main St. and then proceed with rehab of the three other storefront buildings connected to the theatre. 

“It’s quite an undertaking but we are really excited about it,” Hart said. 

He found receptive ears at the board meeting, with supervisors agreeing the theatre is a bright spot for Sardis and all of Panola. They told Hart the county will consider a donation to help the non-profit reach its goal, similar to the support given to the Boys & Girls Club when there was a branch located here.

“You can’t deny Panola Playhouse is good for our community, every show is a sellout,” said board president Cole Flint. “We also have three people that started there and now are in Broadway shows, and that’s impressive coming from Sardis.”

The Playhouse has been a venue for live community theatre since 1962, but from the 1920s to 1958, it was a first-run movie theater. It is one of the longest, continually-running, live theatres in the state of Mississippi. 

The unique, 120 seat theatre has been host to hundreds of wonderful performances over the last 70 years. Each season generally includes six productions, consisting of a variety of productions including comedies, dramas, children’s productions, and musicals.  

Hart said the Playhouse’s board of directors has started an outreach program with the North Panola School District to involve more of the county’s youth. Those efforts will include field trips to the theatre and workshops designed to expose students to the arts.