State Theater Takes Next Big Step
The path to success is rarely a straight line. Leaders of the Barnesville State Theater have discovered this truth over the past few years.
Barnesville native Gage Blon, recently hired as a part-time manager/director for the theater project programming, has made the same discovery in his professional career.
Last December Blon, who is a 2018 BHS Grad, was hired as the assistant director of Woodsfield’s Monroe Theater, which is currently being restored by the Monroe Arts Council thanks to a multi-million-dollar grant from the Ohio Governor’s Office of Appalachia. Blon, a graduate of Belmont College with a degree in general science, is enthusiastic about the potential for both venues.
A stint at Olney Friends School introduced him to Wilmington College, a Quaker led school in western Ohio.
In 2022 he graduated from Wilmington with a degree in environmental science and a minor in music, finding work as the naturalist at Barkcamp State Park. Later, he gained management experience while working at the St. Clairsville Staples store.
But how did Blon find his way to the theater?
During the two years at Wilmington, Covid came calling. The isolation and extra time the pandemic created was put to good use.
“I started playing an instrument when I was 20 years old, a late bloomer. I had a lot of time, and I always wanted to play. I joined the pep band. We played at football and basketball games and spring and fall concerts in our auditorium,” Blon said.
“I play the electric bass guitar through and through. I’m a purist.
Encouraged, Blon played a crucial role in forming at jazz club at Wilmington.
“The catalyst for my involvement in historic theaters, theaters in general, was a musical mentor named Abby Williams,” Blon said. The private bass lessons she provided opened another door. She was a theater pit musician for live productions at the c.1918 Murphy Theater in Wilmington.
Returning to Belmont County, his background and connections in environmental science introduced him to a cabin along the South Fork of Captina Creek owned by the Blue Feather Land Trust, a place he now calls home.
The guitarist has also played bass for a number of bands in the Upper Ohio Valley. He noted that performing at a variety of venues, including theaters, helped to the pay bills.
If Wilmington was step one in the young director’s career, managing the St. Clairsville print shop was step two. While there he was introduced to Mick Schumacher, a Woodsfield resident, member of the Monroe Arts Council and avid Monroe Theater advocate.
Since December Blon has assisted director Rick Brown in planning for the October reopening of the theater and will be handling show nights, managing staff and overseeing onsite operations at the Monroe Theater.
“Luckily I’m in a position where the Monroe Theater and the Barnesville State Theater are cooperating nicely, and we’ve come to an agreement that I may do my duties here and through phone calls.”
This understanding provides the opportunity to avoid show overlaps and to collaborate with one another, Blon added.
For Barnesville’s State Theater, Blon will be “in charge of programming, communicating with acts and programing leads, and the Board.”
When the new director/manager came on board in August, the State did not have plans for the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival. “As of today, we have scheduled out from Thursday to Sunday.”
“The 2026 schedule ends at the end of October. We may have events at auxiliary locations, but that needs to be discussed,” stated Blon.
Working with a licensing agency, Blon has scheduled two special movies at the State Theater in September and October. On Saturday, September 5, a movie related to going back to school will be shown during two matinees, at 2 and 5 p.m.
On Saturday, October 31, a matinee featuring the 1993 Halloween thriller, “Hocus Pocus,” will be offered. An added feature that day will be a costume contest!
Excited about the opportunity presented to him by the State Theater board, Blon said, “I value the arts as a cultural cornerstone, especially in my hometown. To revitalize this building and have place where memories can be made motivates me as a member of the community.”
Until direct communication is established, Blon may be contacted via email at hello@barnesvillest.org or on the group’s Facebook page.
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