A New Business Has Taken Over a Former Cedar Rapids Theatre

A Cedar Rapids building that recently housed a local theater is being given a new life! MirrorBox Theatre is being transformed into... Ellis House.

What Happened to MirrorBox Theatre?

Located at 1200 Ellis Blvd NW in Cedar Rapids, MirrorBox Theatre first opened its doors as a performance space in late 2022. The venue hosted unique plays, improv & comedy shows, readings, and other creative performances featuring local Iowans.

In 2024, MirrorBox found themselves in a difficult financial situation that threatened the future of the theatre. They announced a campaign to attempt to keep the space alive, revealing that they had just three days to raise $30,000, or they would be forced to close. KCRG reported that they were struggling to stay afloat "due to no donor support and low ticket sales."

Although the theatre wasn't able to raise the full amount, they did raise around $13,500, which was enough to keep things running for a bit longer. On November 2nd of 2024, MirrorBox posted an update on social media, writing:

"Mirrorbox is able to continue thanks to the generosity of donors who stepped up in this last week. Yesterday, our board of directors voted unanimously to move forward to craft a sustainability plan to ensure we thrive as a nonprofit today and into the future."

In May of 2025, MirrorBox Theatre gave another update about their future, revealing that they would be permanently leaving their building on Ellis Blvd. Shortly after they vacated the space, they announced a partnership with Marion's Giving Tree Theater, where they were able to put on several shows over the following months.

Unfortunately, MirrorBox Theatre's efforts to keep their organization alive were not successful, and they announced that they would cease operations at the end of 2025. Their final show at the Giving Tree Theater was on November 19th.

What's Going Into the Former Theatre?

Back in December, local business owner Robert De Corah took over the old MirrorBox Theatre building on Ellis Blvd. According to an article KCRG, his plans were to use the back part of the space for his video production company, but he wanted input from the community on what to do with the front portion. Apparently, Cedar Rapidians had a lot to say.

January 12th, Robert posted an update on the building on the Cedar Rapids Area Support Local Group on Facebook, writing:

"The response from this community about the old Mirror Box Theater space has been eye-opening. It made one thing very clear: Cedar Rapids wants a place to gather.

Because of that, I’ve decided it would be a disservice to the neighborhood to only activate the front 500 sq ft. We’re now exploring a coffee partner so the entire space can be accessible, and become something bigger than a studio"

Robert goes on to say that the space can be used for all sorts of different gatherings, including live music performances, mixers, and watch parties, but it can also serve as a place to sit and chat and enjoy a cup of coffee. The post reads:

As of right now, Ellis House is still undergoing construction, but the latest updates show that progress is being made on the space. Robert's Facebook post ends with one final request for the community:

"If you own a coffee brand, know a great operator, or have ideas for what you’d love to see happen here, comment below or message me. Let’s create a space that thrives on coffee, content, and community."

For the latest updates from Ellis House, you can check out the official Facebook page HERE.

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