Vaska tower pyramid theater owner’s version of the big top

Part P.T. Barnum, part Willy Wonka, it can be argued that Justin Hackney is Lawton’s greatest showman.

Along with owning and operating the Vaska Theatre, his colorful collection of cars, his noticeably purple house with elements of the spooky season on display year round and his colorful murals are part of his indelible mark seen throughout the city.

You could say Justin Hackney does what he does because he is who he is.

Hackney, who began working at the Vaska Theatre, 1902 NW Ferris, in 2003 took over ownership in 2015. Since then, he’s made the local landmark more than just a place to watch movies. He’s brought it back to an iconic status through his creativity.

So, on Friday, Hackney and his trusty team of assistants embarked on another endeavor to make the little theater that could stand out. With a rented skyjack lifter located on Northwest 19th Street, work was underway to place a pyramid atop the concrete and iron tall tower on the roof above the marquee, 66-feet above tera firma.

Built in 1947 and opened March 4, 1948, the Vaska Theatre’s tower first had a spotlight. Since that’s been gone, it has had a copper cover over its top. Hackney said his first thought was to go back to posting a spotlight to be seen from miles away.

“I really wanted to do that, but it’s expensive,” he said. “So, I thought I’d put on a light show.”

The pyramid was hand-built by Hackney in his garage. Using five pieces of flat steel and straps, he made it a perfect, 60-degree triangle that fits snugly over the tower’s top. Inside the framing are plexiglass panels.

“It was easy to put together,” he said. “The hard part was getting plexiglass this big.”

Hackney said he got a 110-foot piece of plexiglass and used 85 feet of it to make the panels. Once in place and C-clamp secured, Hackney and his team were going to replace the red Vaska lettering on the tower. He would also be setting up RGB flood lights inside the pyramid to be able to create a colorful array.

“It should be lit by Saturday night,” he said Friday morning.

A roof replacement project is also underway. Following the June 2023 tornado and hail storm that damaged much of Lawton’s rooftops, he said he’s glad it’s finally getting done.

A plan is in place in case another storm damages the pyramid. Hackney said his design allows the panels to be slipped out and replaced with fresh plexiglass.

A key to getting Friday’s work done was the help of Darrin Johnston, Hackney said. He helped with the mural painting on the west side of the theater. He’ll probably be at Hackney’s side for the next big idea.

“He’s been my best friend since junior high,” he said. “Anytime I get a stupid idea, I call him and he’s down.”

Another project that caught a lot of attention this week was Hackney’s “Casket Creeper,” seen maneuvering the sidewalk around Highland Cemetery near his home.

Hackney took a real casket and mounted it to an electric wheelchair base. It took two days to build, he said: one day to put it together and the second day fitting the fabric to cover the wheelchair base. Video of his escapade blew up on social media. While discussing the escapade, Lawton Police Sgt. Jeremy Coe stopped by Friday’s worksite while on patrol.

“I got a call about a casket rolling around, you know anything about that?” he asked Hackney before cackling with laughter. “I saw the video and it was cool.”

And with that, the officer was on his way and Hackney returned to the work of following his unique vision.