The late 1970's were the beginning of the home video revolution in America and Skip soon would actually be among some of the pioneers of that business. In 1979, he was now divorced and living in Los Angeles. He worked at the executive level in both the retail and wholesale ends of the business, and was instrumental in the early development of some of the largest video retail chains and wholesale distributors in the industry! After working with several different video distributors all over the west coast, he went to work for Ingram Entertainment, which is still the largest such distributor in the nation to this day.... In the course of his new position, he was relocated all over the Western United States, including Reno, Nevada, where he met the lovely and indomitable Susan Burke, whom he would soon marry.

After promotions and relocations to Oregon, Salt Lake City, Utah and Denver, Skip accepted a Field Sales Management position back in Illinois! Skip, Susan and new daughter, Melissa, now moved to Decatur...
 After a few more years in wholesale video distribution, Skip decided to end his traveling, and leave the corporate rat-race behind... In 1994 he started Ripper Entertainment, which, among many other things, produced the very popular "TimeWarp" radio show series (1994-1996), the wildly successful "Flashback" charity benefit concerts for Decatur's Lincoln Square Theatre (1995-1997), and, until 2006, owned and operated the award-winning "Haunted Decatur Tours", which, in 2010 will be in their 17th year! (Huston sold the tours back to their co-founder, Troy Taylor, in 2006, but  he continues to be a source of input and support for them).

Skip's crowning achievement however, has been The Avon Theatre. The ancient 1916  theater, which he re-opened in 1999, specializes in  carefully selected first-run movie entertainment, along with some "art house" and independent fare, and has found a solid niche somewhere between mainstream and alternative movie enthusiasts. The Avon is said by movie business insiders to be the most successful "upscale commercial" theater, outside of Chicago, in the entire state of Illinois!

But Skip is the first to admit that the success of the Avon has depended on the entire management team, and together they have made The Avon Decatur's only continuously operating historic theater! Success has continued since the grand re-opening of the Avon in 1999 and every week the theater attracts hundreds of people to downtown Decatur, with patrons traveling from all over Central Illinois to see movies in that unique "Avon" tradition! The staff goes out if its way to make a trip to the Avon a theater "experience" and they were rewarded for this by the Downtown Decatur Council when they named the Avon the "Downtown Business of the Year" for 2001, and then they went on to win "Art's Business of the Year" for the Decatur Area Art's Council also in 2001.

The Avon Theatre has been the subject of a book, "Flickering Images" by Troy Taylor, the well-known author of some fifty-five books on ghosts and hauntings. There have also been numerous articles in national and regional publications, including an article in Premiere Magazine in November of 2001 that named The Avon as "one of the most haunted theaters in America"...

Skip Huston is convinced that all the many roads he traveled in his life were ultimately leading him to this moment... The Avon Theatre is so much a part of Skip, that it seems impossible to remember The Avon was an abandoned and derelict old ruin just a little over 10 short years ago...

Skip has always had a commitment to excellence. He believes nothing is worth doing, unless it's done first- class! The Avon Theatre just keeps getting better and better!!

"I'm not satisfied at having re-opened this 93+ year-old theater, and, against all odds, made it a success..." Skip often has said, "...now, I want to bring it to the highest point in its entire history!" ---A goal he has since accomplished with the announcement in February of 2004 of the development and ensuing construction of a twin theater annex next to the existing Avon! The Avon now has THREE screens, with the twins annex featuring stadium seating, wall-to-wall screens, digital sound, and that incredible brand of Avon 'magic'. The Avon Twins opened on October 1st of 2004, and have already set the standard in Decatur for fine upscale movie enjoyment!
*In April of 2005, The Downtown Decatur Council awarded the Avon Theatre Twins the "Development of the Year" award!!
*In January of 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 The Avon Theatre was voted "The Best Movie Theatre" by a poll conducted area-wide by the Decatur Herald & Review newspaper!!
*In the Summer of 2007, The Avon Theatre was officially re-named "Huston's Avon Theatre 3"!!
*In April of 2010, Huston's Avon Theater 3 will celebrate its 11th Anniversary, and start it's 12th Year of continuous operations!!
*In November of 2010, The Avon will be 94 years old!!
*In January of 2010, Avon "Head Honcho" SKIP HUSTON was voted the #1 "Best Decaturite" in the "Reader's Choice" poll!

Skip and the Avon Theatre Management Team are dedicated to making your "Avon experience" one you will return to again and again!

Your hosts include:

   < Skip Huston -Company Owner and "Head Honcho"

   < Susan Huston - Company Vice-President  / Head Honcho's Wife


Melissa Huston-Rinchiuso - Operations /  Mr. Popcorn Flavors / Head's Honcho's Daughter
Ryan Rinchiuso - Marketing Strategies / Head Honcho's Son-in-Law
                              
<Lily Belle Rinchiuso - Popcorn Princess  / Head Honcho's Granddaughter

<Ashley Petty - General Manager (da' Boss Lady---don't mess with her!)

  <Chris Barnett - Projection Booth Manager  / Head Facility Guru

<Doug Hicks - Marquee / Facility

 <Howard Taormino- (with Award-Winning Director JAMES CAMERON on right-) Film Booking

  <Hannah Elliott - Projection Staff /  Lobby Team Leader

 <Ashtyn Kline - Lobby Team Leader

  <Whitney Martin - Lobby Team Leader

    <Jill Monroe - Year-Round  Lobby Staff

  <Leslie Dale - Year-Round  Lobby Staff

  <Emily White - Year-Round  Lobby Staff                                   

  <Kelsey Bradford - Year-Round  Lobby Staff                                      

<Megan Huston-Markwell - Year-Round Lobby Staff  and Head Honcho's niece

  <Alex Lutz - Year-Round Lobby Staff 

<Annemarie Mudd-Duncan-  Special Events Security

  <Jill Bergin - Special Projects Coordinator

< The "Little B" - The Boss's Beloved 2000 BMW Z3

<Troy Taylor - Administrative Consultant

 *********************************************************************************                       
                       Christmas 2007 
                    Sue & Lily at Santa's House!  

                 
                      OUR GIRLS IN ACTION!! (l to r) Molly, Whitney & Ashley
                                                (Courtesy Decatur Herald & Review)  

                                                  
                                                     THE AVON POPCORN GIRLZ!!
                                                            Hannah, Mary, Jennifer
                                                               Whitney & Ashley

FORMER STAFFERS WE MISS A BUNCH!!
(and some of them may be back from time to time...)

  <Brian Harden - Lobby Staff

 <Molly Kiick - Assistant Manager (Summers and College Holidays)

  <Abby Andrick - Assistant Manager (Summers and College Holidays)

  <Mary Herrod - Lobby Staff

<Chad Gordy (with secret identity) - Projection and Network Soultions

  <Jon Goodman - Year-Round  Lobby Staff

  <Sara Davis - Lobby Staff

<Anna Gentry - Our FIRST Concession Girl!! (2001-2003)

RARE PICTURES!!

Skip Huston in 1975 when he was a hot guitar gunslinger!
Taken at a Springfield, Illinois party just 3 days before he moved to California.

A picture of the Avon when it had been closed for years. This is prior to Skip
Huston re-opening it in April 0f 1999. It is estimated this photo was taken sometime.
between 1996 and 1999.
The Avon looks very sad, doesn't it?

Here's an ultra-rare picture of the Avon around 1989 when it was attempted
to be re-opened as a Country & Western, "Branson-like" performance
theater. This was 10 years before Skip Huston would eventually
bring the Avon back to life as one of the most remarkable movie
theaters in the nation!!

A nice daytime study of the Avon in its current incarnation, with a
glimpse of the marquee for the adjacent Avon Twins. This is Summer
of 2007. Quite a contrast from the above pictures!!

The Ripper Entertainment / Avon Theatre management
 team is led by Company President SKIP HUSTON (shown
above in Feb. 2004 when the AVON TWINS project was announced)

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