The State Theatre celebrates 10 years brick by brick

A little more than a decade ago, it looked like the curtain had permanently gone down on The State Theatre.

The building had originally opened in 1938 as a test site for films produced by Warner Bros.

It was a romantic time for movies, the age of Hitchcock and films like “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and “Bringing Up Baby.” Matinees cost 35 cents, and a “small” soda didn’t send you running for the bathroom midway through the previews.

Still, the flame that burns so bright only burns so long. Romance fades and over the course of the next 60 years, so did The State Theatre.

When the doors to the building closed in 2001, it was without any indication that they would ever open again.

Fast-forward to 2016, where the new and improved theater is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary and a decade of providing local artists and performers with a venue to do what they do best — entertain.

“It’s one more reason to be excited about living in Centre County,” Greg Ray, executive director of The State Theatre, said.

During the past 10 years, Ray has worked a variety of positions inside the halls of the theater. He’s been a lighting designer, a programming manager and first and foremost, a fan.

In his eyes, the mission statement for the theater that has evolved during the past decade is to showcase as many local performing arts groups as possible.

“Now we understand The State Theatre and our place in the community a little bit better,” Ray said.

The learning curve started shortly after owners Sidney and Helen Friedman donated the building to the community along with money to put toward renovations.

Getting The State Theatre back into shape took more than a little elbow grease. The community had a movie palace, and it wanted a performance venue.

This required certain key additions — a green room, refurbished office spaces and, last but certainly not least, a stage.

An open house was held to attract interest — and Frank Archibald had that and more.

He was nearing retirement from his job at Penn State’s Applied Research Laboratory and had a strong incentive for getting involved with the project.

“My wife said ‘you’ve got to find yourself something to do,’ ” Archibald said.

When Archibald joined the cause, the theater was still in the process of fundraising. An idea was eventually developed, one that would give the community a very tangible sense of ownership and pride in the developing arts space.

Nearly 1,300 paver stones were sold, each inscribed with a name or personalized message and installed in the theater’s foyer or on the sidewalk outside of the main entrance on College Avenue.

Archibald, who eventually served on the theater’s board, was responsible for designing the map that would allow people to find the pavers they had purchased using a system of numbers.

“It took me a while to come up with this diagram,” Archibald said.

According to Dr. Roy Love, a former The State Theatre board member, the pavers were originally intended to cover the entire front walkway of the theater, extending to the College Diner on one side and Herwig’s Austrian Bistro on the other.

The theater is revisiting that idea in honor of the 10th anniversary. Exactly 600 new pavers are for sale through The State Theatre’s website and box office.

Revisions to an existing name or message will cost $150, while a new stone will cost $200.

“It’s a visual way for just showing their support,” Love said.

Weather permitting, the theater hopes to begin installing the fresh pavers in August before the students return to downtown. If everything goes according to plan, they will be firmly in place by the theater’s anniversary gala on Dec. 3.

Ray believes that the past 10 years have been an amazing journey, and he is appreciative of the history shared between The State Theatre and its patrons.

“Now what we’re asking people to do is continue the dream. This is the next chapter,” Ray said.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 7:08 PM with the headline "The State Theatre celebrates 10 years brick by brick."