GREENVILLE — The Wayne Theatre will kick off Annie Oakley Festival week by celebrating Darke County’s legendary sharpshooter with two sold-out evenings pairing a Hollywood classic with a new documentary highlighting the people preserving Annie Oakley’s legacy.
The Monday, July 20, and Tuesday, July 21 double features are a partnership between the Wayne Theatre, the Fort GreeneVille Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Annie Oakley Center Foundation as part of Ohio’s America 250 celebration and the statewide “Ohio Goes to the Movies” initiative.
Originally planned as a one-night event, the program expanded to two evenings after Wayne Theatre Executive Director Mike Jones suggested adding another performance. The decision proved successful, with tickets for both nights selling out shortly after they became available.
“Ohio Goes to the Movies is statewide and they wanted to get participants, and we said it makes sense to us. We’re a perfect community for it,” Jones said.
Jones said the event reflects the same community-focused vision that inspired him to reopen the historic theater.
“It’s the same reason why I re-opened the theatre,” Jones said. “The community needs a theatre. Kids need it, adults need it, parents need it, and it’s good for the community. It strengthens the community — we don’t have to go to Dayton to see a movie.”
Each evening will feature the 1935 film Annie Oakley, starring Barbara Stanwyck as the famed sharpshooter, followed by North Star, a recently released documentary directed by Bryn Silverman and produced by Naveen Chaubal.
The documentary premiered earlier this year at the Cleveland International Film Festival and has since been accepted into film festivals around the country in the Documentary Short category. Emmy Award-nominated actress Dale Dickey portrays Annie Oakley while the film also spotlights Garst Museum researchers Nancy Stump, Brenda Arnett and Karen Besecker, whose years of research have helped preserve Oakley’s history.
Following Monday night’s screening, Silverman, Dickey and members of the production team will participate in a question-and-answer session with the audience.
The National Annie Oakley Center Foundation provided financial support for the documentary and continues to promote Annie Oakley’s story through educational projects.
“We are really excited that the movie is completed and now is starting to show around the country at a lot of film festivals,” said Eileen Litchfield of the National Annie Oakley Center Foundation. “When it premiered in Cleveland, so many people afterward said, ‘I didn’t know Annie Oakley was from Ohio.’ I think it calls attention to her and to Darke County.”
Litchfield said the foundation also is working on another Annie Oakley book and thanked the Wayne Theatre and the Fort GreeneVille DAR for bringing the community event together.
“We appreciate Mike Jones opening the theatre up and the DAR participating to tie it together with Ohio’s monthly theme of Ohio Goes to the Movies,” she said.
Fort GreeneVille Chapter DAR Regent Debbie Nisonger said the event fits perfectly with the chapter’s role in coordinating America 250 activities throughout Darke County.
“Nationally we were included in the America 250 Celebration,” Nisonger said. “As the organizer for Darke County, when we saw this was one of the activities, I knew Mike would jump on that, so it worked out perfect.”
Nisonger said organizers found Annie Oakley on Ohio’s list of films connected to the state and realized pairing it with North Star created an ideal opportunity to celebrate both Annie Oakley and Darke County’s role in preserving her legacy.
Festivities begin at 5 p.m. both evenings. Ticket holders can have their photographs taken with 2025 Miss Annie Oakley Lacie Dillman, enjoy a shooting gallery outside the theater, receive commemorative wooden keepsake tokens and take home an America 250 flag provided by the DAR. Monday’s activities also include an opportunity to meet Dickey and Silverman before the films begin at 6:30 p.m.
Those unable to obtain tickets will still have an opportunity to see North Star. Garst Museum will screen the documentary in the Lowell Thomas Meeting Room during the annual Gathering at Garst, giving additional visitors a chance to experience the film and its tribute to Annie Oakley and the local historians dedicated to preserving her remarkable story.
