COLUMBIANA, Ohio – The lead actor in a recent production of “Godspell” at Columbiana Arts Theater was no newcomer.
Shawn Theis was playing the role of Jesus in the iconic musical and he handled it like the stage professional that he is. His spirited approach propelled the show, which was presented in May by Indigo Family Theater.
Theis is both an actor and a former worship minister, so “Godspell” – which tells the story of Jesus and his Apostles – was totally in his wheelhouse.
And as the chief theater director of The CAT, as Columbiana Arts Theater is known, he was even more at home.
Theis was hired a year ago by Compco, the Columbiana-based metals company that purchased the theater in 2024. He is part of a team that wants to make the CAT not just a crown jewel of Columbiana but a regional destination for first-rate entertainment.
With his background in theater, sales and ministry, he is uniquely qualified for the role.
The CAT already books a variety of acts, ranging from theater to music, and film to lectures.
But with two years under its belt, the new ownership wants to reach the next level.
To get there, the venue purchased a range of audio and video equipment that meets national touring standards.
“We installed a new system featuring [ceiling mounted] speaker arrays with the subwoofers beneath the stage and an in-ear monitor system to support professional-level productions,” Theis says. “The woofers rattle the stage and the bands love it.”
More recently, The CAT improved its capability for high-quality video capture and live streaming. The multicamera system provides clients with the ability to professionally record and broadcast or livestream performances, conferences and other events.
The management team is still refining the system’s workflow and determining pricing, but the infrastructure is fully in place.
The theater’s schedule is filled with concerts, theater performances, movies, lectures and other events.
The calendar includes performances by Indigo Family Theater and Squeaky Wheel Theater, comedy shows, afternoon musical cabarets and a TEDx Talk. Many original rock, folk and Christian and cover bands have already played The CAT in the past year.
The theater has also become a homebase for regional filmmakers who screen the premieres of their films there.
In November, the theater will produce the musical “1776” as part of its celebration of America’s semiquincentennial.
“It will be our first experience as a show producer,” Theis says.
Mark Frost, a former judge of Columbiana County Municipal Court and a longtime theater veteran, is the director and will also appear in the show. “He’s kind of a legend around here,” Theis says.
Performances will be Nov. 12-15.
Intentional Approach
All shows at The CAT fall into one of three categories: artists who rent the venue for a night; regional artists who are on the rise; and shows by professional artists who have already attained national recognition.
“We are very intentional,” Theis says. “If somebody wants to rent the theater, we’ve got a price. If you need any of our production gear, there’s an extra for that.”
Attracting professional artists is also within their grasp because of the theater’s large size, modern equipment and exceptional sound quality. John Schlitt, lead singer of renowned Christian rock act Petra, played a Christmas concert at The CAT last year.
Booking young regional artists with high ambition is the lane that excites Theis the most.
“I’m trying to make us a stepping stone,” Theis says. “We had [Columbiana-based singer-songwriter] Gianni Montouri here last year, and the following week she moved to Nashville. I don’t know if she’s going to make it big or not, but how cool would it be if she could say, ‘I got my break at The Columbiana Arts Theater’.”
Tourism Attractions
Columbiana is already a tourism center, and the theater wants to be a big part of it as a first-tier performance center – a place to cap a memorable visit.
The city already has a quaint downtown full of antique stores, the Firestone Farms shopping and nightlife area, the Links at Firestone Farms golf course, the Shaker Woods festival grounds, the Vineyards at Pine Lake, Birdfish Brewing, Ill Will Brewing, the beautifully renovated Firestone Park and amphitheater, Best Western Plus Dutch Haus Inn and the Das Dutch Haus restaurant, bakery and gift shop.
“We’re working to create a cultural hub here, and to get the right people on the bus,” says Katy Mumaw, director of corporate sales and marketing for Compco, about The CAT.
She and her team ensure that all shows will meet their standards before booking them.
“We want it to be quality entertainment that brings an impact to our community,” Theis says.
The 420-seat theater’s groundwork was already in place before Compco took over. It underwent a $1 million total renovation in 2009 by Columbiana businessman Don Arthurs, who purchased the then-empty structure and brought it back to life.
Times were dark in the years immediately following the pandemic, and many feared it would close because of financial problems. The theater was rescued in 2022 when local auto dealer John Kufleitner and his wife purchased it.
Compco’s parent company bought the structure in 2024 and set out to maximize its value. It implemented a rebranding effort, changing its name from the former Main Street Theater, and added new LED signs to the marquee.
The theater prominently sits at the highest point in town, on the traffic circle. It was originally a movie theater, and many townsfolk still have deep memories of it.
“This place is a staple of this community,” Theis says.
Elsewhere in Town
While there is a lot going on inside The CAT, there is even more happening just outside as Columbiana continues to evolve.
A couple of blocks down Main Street is The Garden of Eatin’ – a new community gathering space that was formerly an empty lot.
It has a stage for live performances, a turf area for seating or use as an event space and an area for food trucks to park.
The Garden of Eatin’ design was inspired by the Creative Entrepreneurship class at Columbiana High School, according to Bryce A. Miner, deputy chief city administrator.
A second phase of The Garden of Eatin’ project will follow and will include a parking area at the rear of the property.
Several city infrastructure projects are also ongoing or set to begin, including sidewalk improvements in Firestone Park and road widening on state Route 14 in front of the Best Western Dutch Haus Hotel.
Another project, which will take place in 2027, will be on the doorstep of The CAT.
“The city will be converting the traffic circle on Main Street into a proper roundabout,” Miner says. “It will keep the same landscaping and the iconic clock in place while making the circle easier to navigate and safer for pedestrians.”
The city’s already healthy craft beer scene will soon get another jolt.
The Columbiana Tap House has received approval from the planning commission to open at 135 S. Main St. The family friendly tavern will utilize a pour-your-own system in which customers are given a wristband that allows them to operate the taps and keeps track of their spending.
“We are excited to see what this new business will bring for our downtown as a new anchor tenant,” Miner says.
An even bigger Main Street makeover lies in the near future.
“In the next few years, City Hall will move to the former Columbiana Cadillac building,” Miner says. “The city will then work to develop the entirety of the 30 city-owned parcels there to bring not only municipal services, but new shops, restaurants and residential spaces to complement our thriving downtown.”
The site is at South Main Street at Railroad Street.
In the Firestone Farms area, two new 11,000 square-foot buildings in the Red Brick Commons development will open soon. “We are aware of two tenants that are planning to open in the new units and expect several more to be announced soon,” Miner says.
A Second Act
Columbiana Arts Theater is in position for bigger things and Theis, its operations director, is eager to get it there.
He finds himself in the right place at the right time.
But his own career path has been an unusual one.
A native of Findlay, in the western part of Ohio, Theis attended Otterbein University near Columbus, where he studied theater – and excelled in it.
He would leave the school for a few years to work as an actor in regional dinner theaters in Lancaster, Pa.; Fort Myers, Fla.; and Michigan. It was during this time – a little over 20 years ago – that he first played the role of Jesus in “Godspell.”
He grew weary of the theater world after a few years – living out of a suitcase – and returned to Otterbein to finish his degree and be with his girlfriend, who had recently graduated and was working as a teacher. They soon married and started a family in the Columbus area.
Theis earned his degree but found himself either overqualified or underqualified for the jobs he was seeking. He eventually took a job he didn’t want, selling insurance. The pay was good, however, and Theis stayed with it for 14 years.
He eventually felt called to the ministry and that’s when his life changed again. He was hired as the worship minister at Greenford Christian Church in Green Township, and moved his family to the area.
Theis stayed with Greenford Christian from 2018 until 2025, when he returned to his other vocation and became director of operations at The CAT.
