Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Bielas.
Hi Daniel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The Rogers Theater is a historic landmark in small town Rogers City. The theater was constructed in 1937 by the Vogelheim Lumber Company. It was constructed as a classic, single screen movie palace in the Art Deco style. From 1937-2002, the theater was owned by the Vogelheim family. After a fire in 1948, the theater was re-built and much of the interior is still authentic to this period. During these 65 years, the building was used primarily for showing first run movies.
In 2003, the theater was purchased by Karl W. Heidemann. With a vision of using the building for community theater productions, Mr. Heidemann added a stage, theatrical lighting and utility improvements. In 2004, live productions began alternating with first run movies. In the summer of 2009, exterior restoration brought back the orange and black tile work of the original facade.
In 2013, film distributors announced they would no longer support traditional 35mm film projectors. Theaters who could afford to do so upgraded their equipment. Those that could not permanently closed their doors. With the support of members of the community, a Kickstarter campaign was launched, raising $117,000. This allowed not only the purchase of a new digital projector and sound system, but also new comfortable seats in the center section of the auditorium. In 2016, to ensure the building’s continued use, Heidemann generously donated the theater to the local district library.
Under library stewardship, the building has begun to be restored. In 2023, restoration of the historic, 1937 marquee was completed. The following summer a larger concessions area was added, enlarging the lobby area. Exterior walls have also been restored, and in 2025 a beautiful, nostalgic mural was added. In recognition of these accomplishments, the Presque Isle District Library was awarded the 2025 Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation and the Michigan Historic Preservation Network’s Preservation Gem Award.
Today the Rogers Theater continues to show new movies but also functions as an event center. We host classic films, concerts, presentations, community meetings, voter forums, stand-up comedy, and much, much more. Throughout the year, we work with local schools to host student programs as well. The theater building can also be rented, and many organizations and private citizens have used the space to host their events. In many ways, the theater is the heart of Rogers City, serving as a gathering space for our community.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The theater has certainly seen its fair share of challenges over the years. Each chapter of our building’s history has faced serious challenges, and we have been fortunate to have had people who love the building step up each time.
In 1948, the theater was still a new building in our small town. On January 19th, the furnace malfunctioned, and before long the entire interior of the building was engulfed in flames. The fire gutted the building, and very little other than the exterior walls and marquee survived. After this disaster, the Vogelheim family made the difficult decision to rebuild. The “new” theater was even expanded and the equipment was upgraded. Without their efforts, our theater’s story would have ended before really beginning.
In 2013, film distributors announced they would no longer support traditional 35mm film projectors. Theaters who could afford to do so upgraded their equipment. Those that could not permanently closed their doors. With the support of members of the community, Karl Heidemann launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising $117,000. This campaign was spearheaded by local resident and theater lover Rachel Goodstein. This allowed not only the purchase of a new digital projector and sound system, but also new comfortable seats in the center section of the auditorium.
Navigating through 2020-2021 in the wake of the pandemic was also an incredible challenge. Keeping the “marquee lights on” was a priority to us, and we worked hard to continue theater operations, while also following state and CDC guidelines. Despite low attendance numbers, our community’s continued support was tremendous. That support helped us survive the pandemic, when many other theaters didn’t.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My name is Daniel Bielas, and I am the manager of the Rogers Theater. At our small, but lively venue, “manager” encompasses a lot of other titles: custodian, handyman, sound & lighting technician, event coordinator, and group liaison, to name just a few. My job is to maintain the theater building, book movies, and coordinate with other groups who want to use the building. To do this, I work closely with my assistant manager, Makhenna Smolinski, and library staff members; namely, our program director Anne Belanger and our director Amber Alexander.
Additionally, I manage a staff of five part-time employees who are high school students. They serve concessions, take tickets, and help with cleaning tasks around the building. It really is a group operation and I feel beyond lucky to have such a fantastic staff.
A little bit about me: I have always loved history and stories. From a very young age, I was an avid reader and movie lover. I started working at the theater as a high school student in September of 2018. After graduating high school the following year, I attended Alpena Community College and Lake Superior State University, pursuing a teaching degree. During my time in college, I continued to work at the theater while on vacations and weekends. In May of 2021, the former manager announced he was stepping aside, and I was hired to replace him. I have now managed the theater for five years and enjoyed it immensely.
Our theater is very unique, as we believe it is only one of two theaters in Michigan that is owned by a public library system. This allows us to operate as an event center and focus our attention on bringing programs to our community. I think I am unique as well: I am the only full-time theater manager I know of that is also employed as a full-time educator! While my days are spent in the classroom teaching history and English, my evenings and weekends are spent showing classic films and other educational events. As a lover of stories, it doesn’t get any better than this!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
To be honest with you, I’m not sure. I am only 25 years old, but entertainment is much different to when I grew up a short time ago. As a child, we didn’t have streaming services and living in Northern Michigan, our television channels were very limited. I grew up going to the theater to see the latest film and even going to the video store to rent VHS tapes. In many ways, streaming seems to be the future of movies, and theaters across the country are finding it more difficult to keep their doors open. However, I truly believe people miss the community aspects of watching a movie. Nothing can replace laughing, crying, being startled or surprised, etc. with a room full of people experiencing the same emotions. Additionally, I see more small theaters embracing a similar model to what we have done: transform the typical “movie theater” into an event center. As more movies go exclusively to streaming, theaters are looking toward other programming to fill those gaps. While I am uncertain as to what the future holds, I am optimistic. I encourage communities like ours to support their small-town theaters, if they are lucky enough to still have these beautiful, irreplaceable buildings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rogerscitytheater.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rogers_theater/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RogersTheater
