More Chickasaw Nation Media July 15, 2024
ADA, Okla. – Music, movies and friendship all come together at the historic McSwain Theatre. Located at the corner of Main and Townsend Streets, the venue presents classic movies, variety shows, concerts and more. Owned by the Chickasaw Nation, the McSwain Theatre will be hosting its 15th anniversary celebration on July 20 at 7 p.m.
The memorial will feature country-western band Jay L. and the Crossovers, featuring vocalist Jay L. Stillwell and other special guests.
“We think the crowd is going to have a great time,” said McSwain’s general manager and vocalist for Jay L. and the Crossover Band, Jay L. Stillwell. “We’ll celebrate with a big cake and hand out cups that say ‘Celebrating 15 Years’ to everyone in attendance. We’ll have lots of laughs, listen to good music and just hang out like a family, because that’s what we’re all about.”
Don’t miss out on the biggest stories and breaking news from Indian Country: Sign up to have our reports delivered directly to your inbox every weekday morning.
The theater has a rich history serving this small southeastern town for over 100 years.
The theater began as the idea of Foster McSwain in the late 1910s. The astute businessman purchased the property at the corner of Townsend and Main in 1918. After two years and nearly $100,000, the McSwain Theatre opened to the public. It quickly became a centerpiece of Ada’s entertainment in the 1920s, showing silent films and vaudeville shows. By 1929, the McSwain showed the first “talkie” movie, “The Canary Murders.”
“At the time, the theater was known as the ‘Cadillac of Main Street,'” Stillwell says. “Mr. McSwain wanted it to be special, and different from other buildings on Main Street.”
For more than 50 years, the theater was one of Ada’s most popular attractions. In the mid-1930s, a $25,000 renovation added more seating, a balcony and an air conditioning system. By the 1940s, the theater was showing first-run movies such as “Home in Oklahoma,” starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and also hosted the premiere of “Tulsa,” a locally shot film starring Susan Hayward and Robert Preston. In the 1960s and ’70s, patrons lined up on opening night for a string of hit movies including “Psycho,” “Jaws” and “Star Wars.”
But the single-screen McSwain fell on hard times in the 1980s. The emergence of multi-screen cinemas put pressure on smaller, locally owned venues, and the theater closed in 1988.
In 1991, Ada real estate businessman Paul Alford purchased the theater with the intent of restoring it to its former glory. He had a vision of bringing Branson-style variety shows to the Ada community. His niece, Jay L. Stillwell, was hired as general manager.
“He asked me if I wanted to run a business and I was hesitant. I’d never done anything like that. I was a stay-at-home mom,” Stillwell said. “He told me, ‘Don’t worry, I know you can do it.’
Stillwell spent much of the 1990s arranging for such talents as Blake Shelton and Hoyt Axton for weekend shows. Stillwell also often took the stage as a musician and vocalist. Hoping to retire, Paul Alford sold the company to the Chickasaw Nation in 2002. Stillwell, Alford’s niece, retained her position as theater manager after the transition.
“The Chickasaws have done a great job of trying to preserve it as closely as possible,” Stilwell said.
Governor Anoatabee’s goal was to renovate and restore the theater’s original, ornate facade built by Foster McSwain in the 1920s and to expand on the 1935 renovation to modernize lighting, acoustics and accessibility.
State-of-the-art sound and lighting have been installed, along with modern amenities like an elevator. The second floor has been redesigned as a gallery for art shows, receptions and special events. In 2024, McSwain Theatre will be stronger than ever, soaring forward as one of Oklahoma’s premier live entertainment venues.
“People tell us this is their favorite place,” Stillwell said, “It’s a place where there’s always family-friendly entertainment, the staff is friendly and they feel welcome, and that’s our goal every time someone walks through our doors.”
Tickets for the celebration are on sale now for $15. Senior tickets are $13 and children 12 and under are $10.
learn more
McSwain Theatre is located at 130 W. Main St. in Ada. Movies are shown every Thursday at 2 and 7 p.m. A live “Jae L. and Crossover” show is held the third Saturday of each month at 7 p.m. The theatre is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact McSwain Theatre at (580) 332-8108 or visit McSwainTheatre.com. Follow the theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/McSwainTheatre or on X (formerly Twitter) at X.com/McSwainTheatre.
More stories like this CRYP’s RedCan Painting & Activities Moves to Waniec Wawapi Arts Park
What’s happening in Indian Country from July 12th to July 18th
The 10th Annual RedCan Invitational Graffiti Jam is happening at Cheyenne River Youth Project
Q&A: Comanche Playwright Dustin Tamaquela
Join us as we celebrate 100 years of Native American citizenship. On June 2, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting Native Americans U.S. citizenship. It was a landmark moment in their quest for equality. This year marks the 100th anniversary, and our special project, Heritage Unbound: Native American Citizenship at 100, retraces their journey with stories of their resilience, struggles and triumphs. Your donation fuels efforts like this and ensures that our reporting and projects that honor Native American traditions thrive. Your donation fuels efforts like this and ensures that our reporting and projects that honor Native American traditions thrive.
About the Author
Author: Chickasaw Nation MediaEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.