The State Theatre: Community Arts, Involvement, and Education

Case Statement

We are a vibrant, inclusive theatre, offering our venue as a community stage, a center for local, regional, and international performers, an experiential learning environment, and a responsive philanthropic space.

As a community-owned performing arts center, we strive for multi-dimensional impact:

• We will enrich the community's cultural opportunities with diverse local and regional performances, national touring acts, international headliners and independent, classic and foreign films.
• We will build cooperation between organizations, artists, producers and educators.
• We will foster art education and participation for a multitude of the Centre region's unique populations, whether university students, retirees, children or families.
• We will nurture emerging and established artists and their visions
• We will help to build an increasingly vibrant downtown arts scene, utilized by all members of our community
• We will generate a tradition of arts entertainment, understanding and enjoyment to succeeding generations in the Centre region and beyond

We are committed to serving, engaging, and educating the community with high quality programming and responsive leadership.

Save the State!
In 1938, Warner Brothers opened the State Theater as a test market for new films. In 1939, Sidney Friedman started taking his future wife, Helen, to 'flicks' there. Unfortunately, as the years progressed, the theater lost its glamour; gone was the lush theater with its silk wall fabrics and sweeping balcony, and gone was its place in the community. Doors closed in 2001, indicating the end of an era, and very possibly, the end of the State.

Thankfully, in 1999, some dedicated community members had already envisioned a new life for the dilapidated theater: an arts performance center, owned and operated by the community. Local groups would have a home stage, and citizens would be able to enjoy diverse music and theatre in an intimate setting. The State Theater had the potential to revitalize the downtown, expose a range of people to artists both national and international, and bring additional income into the community.

An enthusiastic local contingent threw their weight behind the revival, hosting events, selling pavers and touting the case of the State. Sidney and Helen Friedman generously gave both the theater and a monetary gift to the community and renovations began. The reconstruction unearthed many lovely architectural elements that were subsequently preserved. The lush glory of the State's former life was being renewed and State College regained its historic gem.

Raise the Curtain!
With renovations finally completed, the Theatre opened with Grammy-award winner and former PSU football player, Mike Reid. The sold-out opening night crowd included Governor Ed Rendell, Senator Jake Corman, Mayor Bill Welch, Penn State President Graham Spanier, and one of Reid's old coaches, Jerry Sandusky. The proud Friedmans also sat in the audience, flanked by their two sons, family and a number of friends. The performance was electric, fed by an audience thrilled with the new cultural cornerstone of the community.

"We are saving history; we are saving cinema, and we are reviving and supporting cultural life in downtown State College." —Mike Reid,

Now open for a year, the State has entertained over 70, 000 people with its outstanding performances.

• Legendary Performers: Don McLean, Mavis Staples, Dar Williams, Southside Johnny, Blind Boys of Alabama, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Sam Bush, Rodney Crowell, Derek Trucks Band
• Local Charity Fundraisers: Housing Transitions, House of Care, Live Like You Were Dying Dance Festival, First Night State College and Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
• Children's Programs: Read It, Watch It and Win! Collaboration with Schlow Library, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Enchantment Theatre, homeschool production of Pride and Prejudice, Junior Baroque Concert, Saturday Morning Cartoons and the Central Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
• Local Theater Performances: a sold out Oliver!, Dreamgirls, Little Shop of Horrors, the Friends School production of King in Montgomery
• Independent/ Classic Films: Lady Chatterly's Lover, Je t'Aime de Paris, Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and It's a Wonderful Life.
• The Metropolitan Opera Simulcast that premiered in December 2007

On With the Show! The State is fine-tuning its programming approach, courting community and corporate interests, and maturing its fundraising efforts. Still much remains to be accomplished. Our goal is to achieve financial stability but as in the majority of non-profit community performing arts centers, the reality is that operating income covers only 70-80% of operating expenses and new theatres only 50-60%. We are relying on generous commitments from our community and corporations to provide this financial support so that we have ample funds to fulfill our mission.

Community Participation - Local performing groups finally have a home stage and the community can offer programming suggestions, participate on the board and on committees, and educate themselves culturally. Non-profits and other organizations can continue to brainstorm ways to best use the State. The thrill of peeking from behind a curtain into a full house will excite performers to act, direct, write, and attend performances.

Educational Impact - We have the potential to bring theater and film to students, to educate them in the art forms and to engender a lifelong love of art. In collaboration with Schlow Library, we hosted "Read It and See It!," a program where local children read children's classics-Stuart Little, The Secret of Nihm- and then saw the movies for free. Our vision is to offer even more, like arts service projects, create a children's theatre, and work with the Centre County school district and its teachers to collaborate on interactive learning projects involving our stage and screen.

Economic Development - With the rave reviews the State has received, State College is garnering press beyond the region, making it a magnet destination for patrons as far away as Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Buffalo and Frederick. It encourages the use of the downtown restaurants, parking garages, and hotels. In addition, the State creates jobs in the area and serves local charities by providing them with a venue for fundraising.

Hometown Theatre - The State Theatre aims to become a central part of lives in our area, whether it is through a date night for teenagers, an internship for students, a family event, or a resource for performers, artists, and technicians. In the confines of this theatre, locals not only have the space to relax and really engage a performer, but they have the space, and now the venue, to dream what might happen next in this, their community space. We envision enraptured children, engaged adults, and the creation of valuable educational, cultural and community opportunities.

Your Commitment - Please take this opportunity to join with the hundreds of supporters and over 70,000 patrons to support and celebrate this cultural touchstone with volunteer participation, attendance and donations. Your generosity will help us maintain the highest quality in our programs and preserve this magnificent theatre for future generations. We look forward to mutually rewarding relationships with our patrons and community organizations.

"I am glad that I am able to enrich the cultural life of my hometown by supporting this organization and restoration project." —Sidney Friedman