Georgia's Historic Theaters Making a Modern Re-entrance
by Jon Waterhouse
It's the night before Valentine's Day and more than 500 guests are packed inside the Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta. The crowd awaits a rare screening of the romantic drama "Casablanca," and soon Humphrey Bogart will utter the immortal line, "Here's looking at you, kid," to Ingrid Bergman.
But first, an organist takes the audience through a sing-along — just like the good old days.
Since reopening as a performing arts venue in January, the Strand is one of a number of historic theaters in Georgia making a comeback. Other theaters around the state that are trying to resurrect themselves include the Morton in Athens and the Emma Kelly in Statesboro.
In the golden age of cinema, ornate movie houses were often the cornerstone of small towns and big cities alike. The theaters featured plush velvet seats and ornamental ceilings dotted with cherubs. A bellowing organ could often be heard before the curtains dramatically rolled aside to reveal a massive silver screen. The theater became a place where memories were made.
But changing times, including urban flight and the dawn of the multiplex, saw many of these treasures fall by the wayside only to become abandoned cultural dinosaurs or targets for demolition. More recent technological advances in home entertainment on everything from on-demand and Netflix to even smart phones have not helped the cause of the independent theater.
Yet across the state, some theaters have managed to recapture their role as important cultural icons for the community by offering innovative programming, mixing theater and film, and sharing best practices to rebuild a fading community
Perhaps the greatest success story among historic theaters in Georgia is the Fox Theatre in downtown Atlanta.
The Moorish-themed entertainment palace — it seats more than 4,600 guests — first opened its doors in 1929 with a vaulted ceiling that was painted to look like the sky and featured scores of 11-watt light bulbs that flicker like stars.
By 1975, the future of the theater was in doubt, and demolition a very really possibility. Community activists launched a campaign called "Save the Fox" to raise awareness and funds, and were responsible for saving the venue.
Today its stage hosts everything from ballets and Broadway-style productions to rock shows and feature films. More than 750,000 audience members walk through its doors each year, and the Fox stays booked more than 300 nights.
The owners of the Fox have learned a number of key lessons over the years, including the importance of operating as a non-profit, and they have set up an organization called the Fox Theatre Institute (FTI). Its mission: to aid Georgia's historic theaters.
In short, the Fox is sharing its survival savvy with a variety of theaters across Georgia including the Strand in Marietta where "Casablanca" played last month.
"The main goal is to provide a viable model for linking communities and the arts through successful historic preservation, restoration and operation of historic theaters," says Adina Erwin, assistant general manager for the Fox Theatre, "and leveraging the Fox's experience in those areas to assist historic theaters throughout the state of Georgia."
Through research, FTI found that at one time Georgia had more than 350 historic theaters. Between 1950 and the present, approximately 116 were demolished. More than 260 historic theaters still exist.
FTI, which was launched last year, began by compiling a list of historic theaters that are up and running, and typically have already tackled a decent amount of restoration. They may need a lifeline on the business end with strategic planning, fundraising and operational support.
"We've identified 15 theaters around the state that we're working with during our pilot three years," Erwin says.
The theaters include the Imperial in Augusta and the Ritz in Brunswick. Macon also has a trio of theaters (the Cox Capitol, the Douglass and the Grand Opera House) on FTI's radar.
FTI's flagship project was Rome's DeSoto Theatre. Its vestibule needed to be completely overhauled. Through meticulous research and the professional skill of British Brush of Rome and Goodman Decorating of Atlanta, the vestibule's paint and plasterwork were brought back to their original splendor, including the Adamesque style popular in the 1700s and 1800s.
FTI works with theaters that can match the cost of a restoration project. The DeSoto was able to oblige, and the total cost of reviving its vestibule was $36,000.
Another theater that has received help from FTI is the Holly in Dahlonega, which shows both live theater and first-run films.
The city-owned operation showcases six Broadway-style productions a year, and the shows fill about half of the theater's schedule. During down time, or about 26 weeks out of the year, the Holly shows first-run films about a month after they've debuted in major movie houses. Aiming to attract families, the selections are rarely R-rated, and a recent run of the Oscar-winning "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was popular.
"During this economy, we've noticed a rise in attendance," says Holly Theatre production manager Nicholas DeMore, "because our tickets are only $5 as opposed to the multiplexes, which are $10 per ticket. We get the family service and family orientation of a small-town movie theater. We've been a movie theater since 1946. So it's a good way to keep the history and the tradition. ...Just having it here in a brick building where there's just one screen and it doesn't feel like you're going into a shopping mall."
Like many indie theaters, tight economic times have taken a bite out of the Holly. Its staff has been cut down to just two full-time staff members. And volunteers help out by serving as ushers and concession workers to actors and clerical staff.
Like the Fox in Atlanta, the Holly is a non-profit venture, which helps it stay afloat. Atlanta's Plaza Theatre has plans to convert its business to non-profit status as a key to survival. Located in a Poncey-Highland shopping strip, the theater is not as snazzy as some of its historical brethren. But having opened in 1939, the art-deco theater is Atlanta's longest continually operating theater.
In its early years, it played host to films, vaudeville-style acts and burlesque shows. In the '70s, it became a haven for X-rated flicks. By 1983, local movie house impresario George LeFont took control, enclosed the balcony to make a second screen, and began showing mainstream films and art house fare.
LeFont bowed out in 2006, and Atlantans Jonathan and Gayle Rej took the reins. A freelance TV producer and high school drama teacher, respectively, the Rejs took out a second mortgage on their home in hope of keeping the Plaza on a steady diet of celluloid.
"When we saw it was for sale, it was at a time when there was a lot of development going on in Atlanta," Jonathan says. "A lot of chain stores were moving in, so we kind of had that same fear that that might happen there. So we just really wanted to save it."
Although the Plaza still runs artsy fare, it's now come to depend on "moveovers" —movies that first run at major chains, but have enough shelf life left in them to prove profitable at the Plaza.
"[Chain theaters] make these nationwide deals to have exclusive rights to show these independent, art house films," says Jonathan. "But they book so many of them that they can only keep them for a really limited amount of time. There are a lot of really good movies that run for only one or two weeks that people can't always get the chance to see. So we get those when they're pushed out, because [the larger theaters] get other bookings. That's kind of a solution, to stick with the more known titles."
In addition to scheduling these films, the Plaza bolsters its income with special events. When the Rejs bought the Plaza, they continued the tradition of showing "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" each Friday night starring a cast of live performers. But other unique draws were needed.
Today, the Plaza Theatre offers a variety of monthly specialty fare including Flicks & Giggles (a classic comedy film with live stand-up comedy), Splatter Cinema (gory exploitation flicks), Art Opening & a Movie (an art showing paired with a related film) and the Silver Scream Spookshow (classic monster, fantasy and sci-fi movies with a preceding variety show). (Full disclosure: the writer of this piece participates in this last event.)
Because the Plaza is locally owned and the Rejs have a good connection with the city's artists, performers and film buffs, the theater features a steady stream of special events.
Back in Marietta, the Earl Smith Strand Theatre also plans to offer a varied schedule of entertainment.
Originally opened in 1935, the theater stopped functioning as a movie house in 1976. It became a retail space and later served as a political campaign headquarters and a Christian rock venue. None succeeded, and its existence was threatened periodically.
Rumor has it that at one point, it was almost demolished in favor of a McDonald's. In 2002, a group of community leaders saw the Strand was vacant and helped launch a feasibility study in the hopes of reviving the Strand as a theater with an emphasis on the performing arts.
A board was put together in 2003, and it eventually received non-profit status.
One of the very first donations came from film thespian couple Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, who gave $10,000 in 2004. Woodward had been a vocal ally of the Strand in the late '70s when its future was in doubt.
The Strand raised about $4.5 million to cover the cost of construction and re-opening. And its "second act" as a theater finally began in January 2009.
Today, the multi-use facility is home to the Atlanta Lyric Theatre, which plans to produce six to seven shows per season. "The It Girl" runs through most of March. Following the successful run of "Casablanca" in February, the theater is set to show "Jaws," throughout the spring and summer.
"It was huge to bring it back," says Christy Rosell, director of business development and marketing for the Strand. "The community is not only getting to use it as entertainment, but they're using it for wedding receptions, business meetings and a variety of things. It's very much at the center of the community."
Jon Waterhouse is a full-time freelance writer based out of Decatur, Georgia. His work has been seen in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and national publications including Esquire, BlackBook and Boy's Life.
Jon Waterhouse is a freelance writer based in Decatur, GA. His work has been seen in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and national publications including Esquire, BlackBook, and Boy's Life. [full bio]
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