Meet Us on the PATIO

With free movies, public green space and more programming ahead, the Springer’s outdoor venue enters its next act.

By Monica Jones

Long before the Springer Opera House turned its lawn into the PATIO, there was already a vision for that corner of Tenth Street and Second Avenue.

During the Springer’s extensive 1998 renovation, Janice Biggers imagined transforming the outdoor area into a park. Unfortunately, like many wonderful ideas pitched during major renovation projects, it became a casualty of the budget.The Springer completed its basement-to-ceiling overhaul while the outdoor space remained a dream for another day.

When COVID-19 forced performances out of the theater, the Springer’s production team built the temporary outdoor stage to continue connecting with its audience. What began as a necessary pivot led to an important realization at the theater: People loved gathering outside.

“The audience was saying, ‘We love this. Can we have more of this?’” Springer Opera House CEO Danielle Varner says.

The organization revisited its capital campaign and expanded its plans. The Springer Academy needed more room for classes and rehearsals, audiences had embraced outdoor programming, and the long-held idea of creating a park-like community space suddenly made more sense than ever.

The result is the PATIO, a landscaped outdoor performance and gathering space designed to serve far more than one purpose. Because the Springer is a 155-year-old National Historic Landmark, its permanent addition also had to complement the character of the existing building rather than compete with it.

Now that the new government building across the street is taking shape, the PATIO offers something increasingly scarce in that part of downtown: an open green space.

Varner hopes employees from across the street—and anyone else spending time downtown—will see it as a place they can use, even when the Springer does not have an event underway.

“People can just come out there and sit and enjoy their lunch, or just get out of their office for a minute,” she says. “Sit on the lawn, sit in the swings.”

That may be the PATIO’s least-known feature. It is part performance venue, part classroom and rehearsal space, part rental venue—and, when it is not being used by the Springer, a place where the public is welcome to simply spend some time.

This fall, the Springer is giving Columbus two new reasons to experience it with the launch of its Springer Classic Film Series: Movies Under the Stars, sponsored by The Locals Real Estate Group.

The series began with Beetlejuice on Saturday, Oct. 3, with A Goofy Movie coming up on Saturday, Nov. 14. Both screenings at 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public.The Springer is also considering movie-themed trivia before the screenings.

Beetlejuice was a natural choice for October, when even those of us still enduring Georgia temperatures are more than ready to declare it spooky season. A Goofy Movie brings a different kind of nostalgia. Varner describes it as a multigenerational favorite—embraced by adults who grew up with it, the generation after them and children discovering it now.

Guests may bring blankets, and the Springer will provide some seating toward the back of the viewing area. Concessions will be available for purchase, but outside food and drinks are not permitted. Coolers, carts, wagons and outside chairs should also remain at home, and children must be accompanied by an adult.

These first two films are only the beginning. Varner says the Springer plans to bring Movies Under the Stars back in the spring.

Other programming is already filling the PATIO calendar. The Tall and Small Snowball, a Frozen-themed pre-show party, will be held there during the Springer’s upcoming production. Guests may attend the party even if they are not seeing the show. The venue will also host events connected with the Georgia Film Festival and a new performance series called Third Space Theater.

Third Space Theater is an evolution of No Shame Theatre, with more intentional themes and a new format created specifically for the PATIO. The Springer is also developing an outdoor concert series, with details expected to be announced in late October or early November.

Private rentals are another significant part of the space’s future. The PATIO is available to organizations, groups and individuals for celebrations, receptions and other gatherings. It has already hosted events, including a Steeplechase kickoff party, while providing much-needed classroom space during one of the Springer Academy’s most successful seasons.

For Varner, the space carries a meaning even deeper than its expanding list of uses. The PATIO honors Paul Pierce and Ron Anderson, two leaders she credits with helping revive the Springer, grow its staff and make the theater a more accessible place for the entire community.

“There is no one who is currently working at the Springer who would be here if it were not for Paul and Ron,” says Varner, who has spent 24 years with the organization. “When Paul got here, there were only three employees. Now we have a staff of 20.”

Their work helped bring the Springer back to life. The PATIO extends that legacy beyond the theater’s walls, creating another place where performances, education and everyday community life can meet.

Or where someone can eat lunch, sit in a swing and enjoy a little patch of green in the middle of the city.

Don’t miss Movies Under the Stars – A Goofy Movie at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Springer Opera House, 103 10th Street. Admission is free. For updates, Tall and Small Snowball tickets or PATIO rental information, visit springeroperahouse.org.