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, Colorado, 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 2008 will be in their 15th 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 art house, independent, and carefully selected first-run entertainment and has found a solid niche somewhere between mainstream and alternative movie fare. 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 fabulous book, "Flickering Images" by Troy Taylor, the well-known author of some fifty-two 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 8 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 90+ 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, The Avon Theatre was voted "The Best Movie Theatre" by a poll conducted area-wide by the Decatur Herald & Review newspaper!!
*In November of 2006, The Avon Theatre was 90 years old!!
*In the Summer of 2007, The Avon Theatre was officially re-named "Huston's Avon Theatre 3"!!
*In April of 2008, Huston's Avon Theater 3 will celebrate its 9th Anniversary, and start it's 10th Year of continuous operations!!

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 /  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

  <Chris Barnett - Projection Booth Manager  / Head Facility Guru

  <Edwin Osborne - Projection / Operations Supervisor

  <Howard Taormino (with best pal "Scarlet" R.I.P) - Film Booking / Our "Secret Weapon"

<Ashley Petty - Lobby Staff Manager

  <Whitney Martin - Year-Round Lobby Staff

  <Hannah Elliot - Year-Round Lobby Staff

<Orrin Taylor - Year-Round Lobby Staff

 <Ashtyn Kline - Year-Round Lobby Staff

  <Abby Andrick -  Lobby Staff (Summers and College Holidays)

  <Jennifer Snarski -  Lobby Staff (Summers and College Holidays)

 <Molly Kiick -  Lobby Staff (Summers and College Holidays)

<Chuck Zweck - Tech Staff: Film Class A/V Coordinator

<Chad Gordy (with "secret identity") - Tech Staff: Network Solutions

 <Troy Taylor - Competitive Strategies / Famous Author / bon vivant / raconteur

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

                                    
                                  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!

  <Brian Harden - Senior Lobby Staff

  <Mary Herrod - Lobby StafF

  <Sara Davis - On-Call Lobby Staff

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