Theater revitalizes night life, culture in small community of Vernal
Nashelle Jackson is the physical embodiment of tenacity. She will be the first to tell you she’s nothing like Alfred Hitchcock, but they do have something in common — they’ve both produced shows that were seen at the historic Vernal Theatre. Hitchcock directed and produced the movie “Shadow of a Doubt,” which played at the theater in the late 1940s, and Jackson now produces live shows at the theater.
Mark Holmes, director of the Small Business Development Center in Vernal, nominated Jackson for the Utah Small Business Person of the Year award. A panel met and selected Jackson for the SBA Utah Community-Revitalizing Small Business of the Year based on her success in revamping the theater, thus providing new theater arts programs and entertainment for the small town.
Built in 1946, the Vernal Theatre was an entertainment centerpiece for downtown Vernal for nearly five generations. After the end of the oil boom in 2014, declining revenues forced the closure of the movie house, which was the first to show color movies in eastern Utah — it presented 3D movies as early as 1946. But it now sat empty, awaiting its fate.
Jackson saw an opportunity. She couldn’t let this grand old lady shrink into disrepair and succumb to the blight of the downtown exodus that currently plagues small-town America.
The big question was how to pay for such an undertaking.
With $50 in her bank account, Jackson started a Go Fund Me campaign that brought in $1,250. But more important to her than the money was the show of community support. With a little more confidence, she approached the owner of the Vernal Theatre. The theater had been in his family since the 1950s. Jackson made her pitch to preserve the building, maintain the old-time atmosphere and keep it true to its heritage. The owner loved the idea and jumped in to help with financing. Jackson negotiated terms that allowed her to start producing shows and receive revenues before payments were due.
Still low on cash, Jackson approached the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). With zero-interest-rate assistance from bankers, the SBDC assisted Jackson in applying for the Uintah Basin Association of Government’s Revolving Loan Fund. The bid was successful.
Armed with a building and some cash, Jackson set to work remodeling, installing new heating and lighting and bringing in an army of volunteers for audio/visual, props, stage crew, acting and costumes. The local radio station stepped in to provide free advertising.
Jackson’s life was not without its difficulties as the project unfolded. Her baby had surgery at 11 days old, her husband experienced an employment delay, she was rejected for financing at every turn and there was a flood of oil from a theater boiler they thought was empty. However, her perseverance got her through and the show did go on.
Productions have included “A Christmas Carol,” “Little Women,” “The Music Man” and many more. Nightly shows are regularly sold out in the 250-seat theater — and the crowds always want more.
The SBDC is proud to have been part of this endeavor, but it’s really Jackson who has shown the community that a young lady with a dream and $50 in her checking account is far more powerful than wrecking balls and Main Street blight.
The Utah SBDC Network is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and numerous other local public organizations. SBDC locations are hosted by Utah State University, Davis Applied Technology College, Weber State University, Salt Lake Community College, Utah Valley University and Dixie State University.