BUCHANAN — The Tin Shop Theater in Buchanan is gearing up for its first play of the 2015 season and, with the help of a newly renovated building, it is are prepared for its longest season yet.

We are undoubtedly in a golden age of cinema. Constantly evolving technologies and ever-increasing budgets are creating epic displays of cinematography and story-telling. This can mean trouble for some local community theaters that are mostly run by passionate volunteers, but those heavily involved the Tin Shop Theater say the organization is not only surviving — it’s thriving.

Traditionally, the theater season ran from late spring through early fall, but with the addition of a new heating system and new insulation, it has productions as early as Feb. 6 and as late as Nov. 29.

Writer, director and Vice President of the Tin Shop Theater, Martha Branson-Banks, said she is excited and thankful for all the recent improvements to the 150 year-old building.

“The old wood siding was deteriorating so bad you could pick it apart with your fingers and there was no insulation in the walls — some spots you could see straight through to outside,” said Branson-Banks.

Even though the theater used to wait until late spring to open its doors to the public, there were still cold nights in May that affected productions.

“Last year, when we opened in May, we all brought in blankets and when I introduced a play, I would say, ‘now everybody scoot in and sit close together and here are the blankets we have for you to share,’ so this is just a miracle,” Branson-Banks said.

In addition to heating and insulation, the theater also received an upgraded cooling system for the dog days of summer and new, improved siding that should last another 150 years.

The theater’s opening production of the 2015 season will be a collection of three one-act plays, with the central theme being love and romance, just in time for Valentine’s Day. With one weekend of performances behind them, the performers are excited for a second series of the show during the holiday weekend.

Branson-Banks will be directing the trio of productions — including “Oh, For Heaven’s Sake,” which she authored herself.

“I wrote the play and it was written for young adults but we just couldn’t find a man (to play the part). The young couple that was going to do it had to drop out of the project. It’s just a really cute scene about two people who are rather awkward coming together,” Branson-Banks said. “It’s a project I’ve wanted to do for years.”

The Tin Shop Theater will be producing eight different shows throughout the season, ranging from traditional classics like “The Old Rugged Cross,” running in March, to murder mysteries like “The Game’s Afoot,” running in September.

The Tin Shop Theater is located just outside of downtown Buchanan. To make a reservation or purchase tickets, call (269) 695-6464. Office hours are 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.