Mysteria Theater Welcomes New Owners | Video

Joel Porter | 11/5/2012

They have the venue and the talent. All they need now is an audience. The Bennett family has big plans for the Mysteria Theater.

At 16 years old, Sawyer Bennett is one of the youngest business owners in Mandan. His father recently leased the Mysteria Theater on Main Street.

"I did think it`d be a cool place to have a show. I never thought I`d own it," he said.

But this is no pet project. Sawyer and promoter Cory Zimmer launched Organized Noise Entertainment to showcase live music at the 76 year-old movie house.

"Where I actually get involved is because my son`s not 18. I sign the paperwork. So, I take all of the financial risk, while he get all of the rewards, if it pans out," Sawyer`s father Scott Bennett said.

The Bennetts and Zimmer admit the entertainment business is a risky venture. With a few headliners already booked for the next few weeks, the family is hoping for a profitable month.

"One of the things I`m shooting for is I kind of want my son to screw up a little bit and learn from it. And I want him to do it when he`s 16. Not when he`s 30 years old and he`s dragging a wife and two kids down with him," Scott said.

"I`m very, very nervous. But we`ve done a few shows over the last six months and every show`s done really well," Zimmer said.

The Bennetts say the Mysteria won`t just be a place to hear rock concerts. They`re booking other events, such as comedy and dinner theater. They`re also hoping to host special events, such as weddings.

"But this is the kind of place where you can come and rock out and get crazy one night and the next night, have a classy wedding with champagne. And it`s a gorgeous facility with all of the amenities for some thing that`s classy and noble as well," Scott said.

A historic theater fit with a large stage, a full kitchen and room for a few hundred people. The question for Bennett and Zimmer, will the city give the old time theater a warm welcome?

At Tuesday`s Mandan city commission meeting, city leaders will consider granting a beer and wine liquor license to the theater.

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