Ritz Theatre at the Schaefer Center
The Ritz Theatre at the Schaefer Center, located at 139 Doyle Street in Downtown Toccoa, is home to a wide variety of theatrical, musical, and film entertainment.
The Ritz Theatre opened in 1939 with 400 seats and entertained thousands of moviegoers of all ages until it went dark in 1985. It has been used by several local groups since that time as a community center and performing arts center, hosting musicals and non-musical productions including "Fiddler on the Roof," "Guys and Dolls," Raisin in the Sun," "Leader of the Pack," and "The Sound of Music" to mention just a few.
The center was buzzing with restoration activity in late 2012 with the assistance of various grants and additional funding from the City of Toccoa. The Fox Theatre Institute selected the Schafer Center to receive an $11,000 grant in late 2012, assuring the future of this Toccoa landmark. The FTI grant enabled the city to commission a long-term historic preservation plan to complement the theater’s recent interior restoration and restore the façade and original marquee.
Recent improvements include a new lobby, enlarged stage, construction of an orchestra pit, painting, carpeting, new heating/air, remodeled dressing rooms, and most recently, the new Ritz marquee.
The city assumed ownership of the facility in April 2012 and paid for the restoration work with a combination of grant funds, budgeted funds and money from the city’s commission reserve account. The city also received grant money to pay for repairs such as the new heating and air unit from the USDA.
The city received a Tourism Product Development grant from the Georgia Department of Economic Development to remove the brick facade and restore the front of the theater to the original 1939 art deco look. In February 2015, a screen and projector system were installed.
On January 28, 2016 The Fox Theatre Institute gave the city a grant for $46,295 to restore the historic marquee on the front of the Schaefer Center. The marquee was installed in Summer 2016 and a dedication was held on August 25, 2016 titled "Puttin' on the Ritz".
In 2018, the Appalachian Regional Commission helped to install a state-of-the-art sound system, and in 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture assisted with the restoration of the balcony, basement, and outdoor plaza and entrance vestibule. As part of these renovations, ninety 80-year-old seats were completely restored and made useable.
Since the city assumed ownership, the Ritz Theatre regularly hosts over 100 shows a year that bring over 15,000 people through its doors. Recent shows have included performances by Grammy Award winners Linda Davis, Gary Morris, and Larry Gatlin, as well as nationally recognized entertainers Lightwire Theater and Mario the Maker Musician. Come out and see what the Ritz Theatre has to offer.
